Letter to the editor: Legislature threatens the public’s initiative process

The Legislature is in session, again means we are in danger of losing more of our rights.

We are supposed to have a government for the people, by the people and of the people. We elect men and women as senators and representatives to go to Bismarck to represent our interests. But instead when they get down there, we find out they are attempting to legislate our rights away. It doesn’t take long to see that this is not accidental but intentional.

I am referring to our initiative, referral, repeal and recall process here in North Dakota. This is one of only 23 states in the U.S. to have this process and it’s under attack in all of them by the people they elect to represent them.

So far there are two House concurrent resolutions, HCR 3005 and HCR 3011; one Senate concurrent resolution, 4006; and one Senate Bill, SB 2183, which I believe are very unconstitutional. There could be more coming.

Space here does not permit me to go into detail on these pieces of legislation. But they all have three things in common:

1. Taking away our right of I initiative, referral, repeal and recall by making it increasingly difficult to obtain the signatures necessary to place a measure on the ballot and actually increasing the number of signatures needed to do so.

2. These resolutions and bill are only solutions looking for nonexistent problems.

3. They are totally unnecessary as adequate safe guards are already in place to prevent fraud and abuse.

Contact your representatives and senators as soon as possible. Tell them to vote “no” on all four.

Tags: north dakota legislature, opinion, letters