Reclaim Idaho prepares initiative to restore citizen rights
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI)-After the Idaho Legislature passed a bill changing the rules for citizen initiatives, Reclaim Idaho filed an initiative with the Secretary of State called the Idaho Initiative Rights Act of 2022.
The new law, SB 1110, now goes to the Governor. It requires citizens to collect signatures from 6% of registered voters in all 35 legislative districts. Reclaim Idaho would give Idaho the most restrictive initiative rules in the nation.
Opponents argued it would make any future initiative measures virtually impossible and claim it will probably be found unconstitutional.
The new initiative hopes to beat those odds by restoring the initiative rights of Idaho citizens.
“If a highly motivated group of citizens in North Idaho or Eastern Idaho wants to place an initiative on the ballot, they shouldn’t be required to collect large numbers of signatures from all 13 of the districts in Ada and Canyon counties,” said Luke Mayville, founder of Reclaim Idaho. “It’s hard enough to collect signatures from 6% of the state’s registered voters.”
Mayville emphasized that Reclaim Idaho will only campaign for the passage of the Initiative Rights Act in the event that Senate Bill 1110 becomes law and survives court challenges:
“The Initiative Rights Act is an insurance policy for the people of Idaho. If neither the governor nor the courts decide to protect citizen initiative rights, we believe that Idaho citizens should have the opportunity to take the matter into their own hands,” he said.
The Idaho Constitution states that “all power is inherent in the people,” and it grants to the people the right to exercise their power through the initiative and referendum process, according to Mayville.
