Evan Smith on Politics: I-517-- The other statewide measure on the ballot

By Evan Smith

Initiative 517, the initiative on initiatives, has been getting little attention compared to I-222 on labeling genetically modified foods, but it could have a long-term effect on our political system.

It has three parts: setting penalties for interfering with or retaliating against signature gatherers and petition-signers; requiring that all measures receiving sufficient signatures appear on the ballot, and extending time for gathering initiative petition signatures.

It’s easy to imagine being for some of these parts and not others, but a “Yes on I-517” campaign representative said recently that he is not worried that the measure violates the single-subject rule.

The first part makes it illegal to harass or intimidate petition gatherers or signers, but it says nothing about protecting people who decline to sign, people who often are harassed by signature gatherers. It protects signature gatherers in stadiums and fairgrounds as well as sidewalks.

The second part is aimed at a few charter cities and counties where the charter allows city and county councils to have the power to decide whether a local initiative goes to voters. Since home rule gives these charter cities and counties the right to set their own rules on initiatives and referenda, perhaps a better way to address the issue would be through regular city and county charter reviews rather than through a statewide law.

The third part would extend time for collecting signatures to 16 months. If that were true now, petitioners could be seeking signatures for the 2014 legislature, the 2014 ballot and the 2015 legislature.