Idaho House panel OKs bill to make ballot measures tougher

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho House panel approved legislation Monday making it more difficult to get initiatives or referendums on ballots in what is widely seen as a rural vs. urban issue.

The House State Affairs Committee voted 12-2, with both Democratic lawmakers opposed, to send the measure to the House. Republican Gov. Brad Little vetoed similar legislation in 2019. The current legislation has already passed the state Senate with enough votes to overcome a possible veto.

Backers said the ballot initiative process favors urban voters and needs to be changed to give rural voters more say. They said signature gatherers can focus on urban areas and ignore rural ones, and that urban areas will grow in power as the state's population continues its rapid increase.

Opponents said the measure violates the Idaho Constitution because it makes getting initiatives on ballots nearly impossible, giving a single legislative district what amounts to veto power.

Current rules require signatures from 6% of registered voters in each of 18 legislative districts in 18 months. The proposed law would require 6% of registered voters in all 35 Idaho districts in 18 months.

“Rural counties are losing political influence, and that is one of the main concerns that I have,” said Republican Rep. Vito Barbieri. “Other states here in the West are controlled politically by large cities, and we just can’t allow that here in Idaho.”

In all, 14 states allow voter initiatives that go directly to the ballot, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Democratic Rep. Chris Mathias said he wants to “make sure to protect and enshrine the role and the influence of our rural friends." But he said the current legislation could do away with ballot initiatives entirely.

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