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Fourth initiative bill introduced with focus on fiscal impact [1]
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Date: 2025-01-31
By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
The Senate State Affairs Committee introduced another bill on citizens’ initiatives Friday morning, this one focusing on the potential fiscal impact of any initiative.
Sen. Ben Adams, R-Nampa, sponsored the bill which would require the Idaho Division of Financial Management to file with the Secretary of State a final fiscal impact statement if an initiative qualifies for the ballot. The bill says the DFM statement must be “updated with the most accurate and up-to-date information concerning the fiscal impact of the law proposed by such initiative petition.”
That information would be summarized and published in the state voters’ pamphlet and on the ballot, should the bill pass. Friday’s bill still must receive a public hearing with testimony before it can move forward.
It also marks the fourth bill on citizens’ initiatives to be introduced this session. Other legislation includes a bill that would give the governor veto power over a citizens’ initiative if it did not receive support from two-thirds of voters. The last time an initiative in Idaho received more than two-thirds support was in 1974, when voters approved the Sunshine Law, which makes public political funds and lobbyist activity disclosure. That received 77.6% of voters in favor.
More recent initiatives, such as Medicaid Expansion in 2018, passed at the ballot box but did not receive a veto-proof majority.
The flood of initiative bills comes after Proposition 1, an initiative related to primary elections and ranked choice voting, failed in November with 69% of voters against it.
Other bills introduced on initiatives this legislative session include one from Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, to raise the threshold for a citizens’ initiative to 60% rather than the current 50% plus one.
But both Skaug and Adams told Idaho Reports that they would support the veto bill before supporting the bill to raise the threshold for passage.
Also this week, Sen. Doug Okuniewicz, R-Hayden, introduced a bill to amend the state constitution to require initiative campaigns to collect signatures from each of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts.
Under current law, campaigns must get signatures from 6% of registered voters in 18 of the state’s legislative districts, as well as meet an overall signature threshold, according to Boise State Public Radio’s initial report. The state supreme court found a law requiring signatures from all 35 districts was struck down as unconstitutional in 2021.
Adams said Friday he is supportive of Sen. Okuniewicz’s proposed constitutional amendment.
Ruth Brown | Producer Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans. Read more by Ruth Brown Follow Ruth on Twitter
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[1] Url:
https://blog.idahoreports.idahoptv.org/2025/01/31/fourth-initiative-bill-introduced-with-focus-on-fiscal-impact/
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