INITIATIVE: Keep your hands off

The people want the right to petition left alone, unchanged. I think the citizens at the meeting in the Coeur d’Alene library were feeling angry about the Legislature’s efforts to change the initiative process and make it harder to get an initiative on the ballot. I don’t believe they are uncaring about people being fully informed. They just don’t want the Legislature to mess with the process.

A petition already has a short explanation on it when people are asked to sign. If Mary Souza is concerned that information is too short and not enough to fully inform people, the Legislature could mail out a booklet or pamphlet which would give pros and cons regarding the change in the law prior to the election. California does this and both sides have a chance to express their opinion.

I think the people are feeling a great deal of anger over actions by Brent Regan to try to overturn the law once it passed and Mary Souza’s effort to be untruthful about the motives behind these efforts to change the initiative process. It’s obvious the real motivation is to make it harder for the citizens to take action the Legislature is unwilling to take. Politics usually get in the way of progress.

JACQUELINE VELEZ

Rathdrum