Republican state lawmakers on Thursday agreed to impose two new sets of restrictions on initiatives that opponents say in combination with already-approved measures will effectively deny the ability of voters to propose their own laws.
SB 1236, approved by the House, would make the group pushing a ballot measure financially responsible for any acts of fraud or forgery committed by anyone who is paid to gather signatures. Those fines would be $1,000 for each violation. It still needs full Senate approval.
Separately, the House gave final approval to a Senate-passed bill to require that initiatives be in "strict compliance'' with election laws to get on the ballot and would overturn prior rulings of the Arizona Supreme Court concluding that initiatives may be in quote "substantial compliance'' with the law.
House Speaker J.D. Mesnard argues the changes are not only appropriate but actually required in the state constitution.
"Section 12 reads there shall be enacted registration and other laws to secure the purity of elections and guard against abuse of the elective franchise," Mesnard said.
The timing of the three bills is not by happenstance. They come on the heels of voters approving the increase in the state's minimum wage last fall.
Arizonans have had the right of initiative since the first days of statehood.