| What exactly is an "initiative"? |
| In Utah, citizens are allowed to draft their own laws. It isn't easy. First they draft their initiative. They they have to let the citizens know about it. by having at least 7 hearings around the state to inform people of the initiative, they have to get about 95,000 signatures, and then it can go to vote in the general election. |
| Why is an initiative different from a normal bill? |
| A normal bill is passed by the House and Senate, and signed into law by the governor. Because of the bi-partisan nature of the State Legislature, elected officials with opposing points of view come together to debate, discuss, examine, and craft a bill. In contrast, an initiative is written by unelected citizens who want something very much and believe they can pursuade Utah voters to support it. Because they are not elected, there is no guarentee that the bill is representative of the will of the people. It is extremely important for every citizen to read and understand every initiative before signing a petition or voting for it in the general election. There are no other checks or balances! |
| Why would someone want to propose an initiative? |
| When citizens feel that their elected officials are not listening to them, or if they feel something is wrong and they need to take the matter into their own hands, an initiative can be useful. The initiative process can also be abused. The fact that this initiative has been proposed has already encouraged the Legislators to begin working on their own ethics bills. The message has been sent. Lets give them a chance to respond to citizens complaints before we enact into law such a flawed plan. |