Action Alert: Protect Ballot Initiatives in Utah, Stop SB 73

S.B. 73 Statewide Initiatives Amendments would require ballot initiatives run by citizens to contain detailed financial, budgetary, and impact statements when submitted, something lawmakers use an entire team of highly-paid experts to do for them.

It will make it incredibly expensive for citizens to run ballot initiatives and put up an unnecessary barrier to ordinary citizens wanting to reform their government.

Utah already has one of the most difficult ballot initiative processes in the country.

There is no value in creating barriers in the ballot initiative process. Supporters of citizen-led initiatives should not be expected to be experts of the entire state budget and fiscal process. Initiatives already have a delayed effective date until after the legislative session following the election at which they are approved, giving lawmakers ample time to deal with the financial repercussions of a law that has been approved by their constituents

The bill also requires an initiative proposal to be publicly published “in the same manner required for publication of a proposed constitutional amendment.” This would mean an initiative proposal would need to be published in “at least one newspaper in every county of the state, where a newspaper is published, for two months immediately preceding the next general election.”

Ultimately, if passed, this bill would complicate and restrict the current, difficult initiative process.

We invite you to express your opinion on why the House should reject this bill to protect our already robust initiative process and uphold Utahn’s right to have a direct say in shaping their laws.

Dear Representative,

Editable message:

I am writing as a concerned constituent to urge you to oppose S.B. 73 Statewide Initiatives Amendments.

One of our constitutional rights as Utahns is the right to reform our government, and to do so through the ballot initiative process. I am extremely concerned to see a bill this year that will make ballot initiatives harder, especially after the deception of Amendment D this past fall.

S.B. 73 will make it incredibly expensive for citizens to run ballot initiatives and put up an unnecessary barrier to ordinary citizens wanting to reform their government. Supporters of citizen-led initiatives should not be expected to be experts of the entire state budget and fiscal process. Initiatives already have a delayed effective date until after the legislative session following the election at which they are approved, giving the legislative body ample time to navigate with the financial impacts of a law that has been approved by their constituents

Utah already has one of the most difficult ballot initiative processes in the country, and since 1952, only seven initiatives have successfully passed, demonstrating that the existing framework is already highly selective. Adding new restrictions further undermines grassroots efforts to succeed and alienates citizens from this constitutional right of participation. I would like to know that you support my constitutional right to ballot initiatives.

Thank you for your time and dedication representing Utah. I look forward to seeing your commitment to sustaining the current ballot initiative process by opposing  S.B. 73 Statewide Initiatives Amendments.

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