Gov. Little Vetoes Bill Aimed at Initiatives
BOISE, Idaho (KLIX) – Gov. Brad Little said he has vetoed a bill that would have made it tougher for citizen initiatives to make it to the ballot box. He said he plans to also veto a second bill.
“I reluctantly vetoed S 1159 and plan to veto H 296 because I question the constitutional sufficiency of the bills and the unintended consequences of their passage,” the governor wrote in a letter to Senate President Janice McGeachin.
The Senate bill sought to change Idaho’s initiative and referendum process, while the House bill amends the original legislation.
“The bills invite legal challenges that likely will result in the Idaho initiative process being determined by the liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – the same Circuit that recently decided Idaho should pay for gender reassignment surgery for a transgender inmate serving time for molesting a child, "Little said in the letter. "We need to do all we can to control the rules of our initiative process.”
Little said he appreciates the opinions on both sides of the aisle and largely agrees with the goals of the bills, “Idaho cannot become like California and other states that have adopted liberal initiative rules that result in excessive regulation and often conflicting laws.”