Senate approves bill to make Idaho initiative process tougher

The Senate on Friday narrowly passed legislation that would dramatically toughen the requirements to get an initiative or referendum on the Idaho ballot.

Senators voted 18-17 after a lengthy debate to send the House the bill put forward by Republican Sen. Scott Grow that has become some of the most contentious legislation of the session.

The bill would require those seeking ballot initiatives to get signatures from 10 percent of voters in 32 of Idaho's 35 districts, compared to current rules that require signatures from 6 percent of voters in 18 districts. The bill would also cut the time allowed to gather the signatures from 18 months to about six months.

Another requirement says ballot initiatives must contain a fiscal note of the expected cost of the proposed law.

For the full story, pick up a copy of the Mountain Home News or click on this link to subscribe to the newspaper's online edition.