Colorado Springs Gazette: Governor should reconsider virtual petition signatures
Gov. Jared Polis comes up with good
ideas and seldom fears trying something new. It has worked for him in
business, where he has created a fortune, and in politics and as
governor during the pandemic.
Not all new ideas are good, even when based on good intentions.
Polis signed a surprise executive order on Friday night and revealed it Saturday. The old Friday-Saturday release is a means of downplaying an action or announcement. It is generally believed that journalists and consumers pay less attention on weekends.
The order allows anyone petitioning for ballot measures to gather signatures by email and mail. What could possibly go wrong?
Ballot measures change laws, so the process of gathering signatures involves the security of personal interaction. The governor expects Secretary of State Jena Griswold to develop rules for the virtual signatures. The system could be up and running in early June.
Polis wants to ensure the democratic process at a time when people are asked to stay home and distance themselves from each other. Some argue this makes signatures difficult to gather in the traditional manner. That’s debatable, given that signatures are typically collected in the parking lots of supermarkets, membership stores, and big-box outlets — most of which have remained open with full parking lots throughout the pandemic.
Assuming the virus has made signatures harder to gather, it has done so equally for everyone just as rain affects both teams during a sporting event.
Getting measures on a ballot is expensive and difficult, by design. We are not supposed to operate as a direct democracy in which the whims of popular sentiment churn out laws. Ours is a representative democracy in which we delegate most lawmaking to elected representatives who study and debate proposals before they become law. Ballot measures should require a significant movement of individuals willing to put real signatures on paper in the presence of a witness.
If anything, ballot measures are too easy to achieve in Colorado. Long-time residents have stories of lengthy ballots full of special-interest measures that confound average voters. Confused, overwhelmed voters can be easily duped into imposing bad laws. That has happened so many times in Colorado our state constitution is riddled with contradictions, such as mandates to increase spending (Amendment 23) and prohibitions on spending (Article X).
In addition to concerns about signature fraud, the new executive order will ease the process of cluttering the ballot with proposals to benefit special interests.
The order has ignited objection from diverse interests, with at least one lawsuit arising first thing Monday. Dan Ritchie, a businessman and Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Denver, filed in Denver District Court to challenge the proposed process change. Ritchie has often supported Polis and his agenda.
“The Governor has led our state admirably through these dark and difficult days, and so many of us have stood with him throughout,” Ritchie said in a written statement. “But Governor Polis’ Friday evening executive order, which would remove vital safeguards that go to the very heart of the integrity in the initiative process, reaches beyond the power given to the Governor by the people, and has to be challenged.”
Suzanne Staiert, the former Republican deputy secretary of state, announced she was preparing a suit against the order on behalf of the Initiative 120 campaign. The campaign has been gathering signatures the old fashioned way to put a late-term abortion ban on the ballot. A virtual signature process could ease the way for a measure to counter 120.
The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce expressed concerns in writing to Polis and is considering its next move. Expect more opposition and lawsuits in coming days.
Gov. Polis should reconsider this order and rescind it. We don't need more ballot-measure chaos that undermines representative democracy.
Not all new ideas are good, even when based on good intentions.
Polis signed a surprise executive order on Friday night and revealed it Saturday. The old Friday-Saturday release is a means of downplaying an action or announcement. It is generally believed that journalists and consumers pay less attention on weekends.
The order allows anyone petitioning for ballot measures to gather signatures by email and mail. What could possibly go wrong?
Ballot measures change laws, so the process of gathering signatures involves the security of personal interaction. The governor expects Secretary of State Jena Griswold to develop rules for the virtual signatures. The system could be up and running in early June.
Polis wants to ensure the democratic process at a time when people are asked to stay home and distance themselves from each other. Some argue this makes signatures difficult to gather in the traditional manner. That’s debatable, given that signatures are typically collected in the parking lots of supermarkets, membership stores, and big-box outlets — most of which have remained open with full parking lots throughout the pandemic.
Assuming the virus has made signatures harder to gather, it has done so equally for everyone just as rain affects both teams during a sporting event.
Getting measures on a ballot is expensive and difficult, by design. We are not supposed to operate as a direct democracy in which the whims of popular sentiment churn out laws. Ours is a representative democracy in which we delegate most lawmaking to elected representatives who study and debate proposals before they become law. Ballot measures should require a significant movement of individuals willing to put real signatures on paper in the presence of a witness.
If anything, ballot measures are too easy to achieve in Colorado. Long-time residents have stories of lengthy ballots full of special-interest measures that confound average voters. Confused, overwhelmed voters can be easily duped into imposing bad laws. That has happened so many times in Colorado our state constitution is riddled with contradictions, such as mandates to increase spending (Amendment 23) and prohibitions on spending (Article X).
In addition to concerns about signature fraud, the new executive order will ease the process of cluttering the ballot with proposals to benefit special interests.
The order has ignited objection from diverse interests, with at least one lawsuit arising first thing Monday. Dan Ritchie, a businessman and Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Denver, filed in Denver District Court to challenge the proposed process change. Ritchie has often supported Polis and his agenda.
“The Governor has led our state admirably through these dark and difficult days, and so many of us have stood with him throughout,” Ritchie said in a written statement. “But Governor Polis’ Friday evening executive order, which would remove vital safeguards that go to the very heart of the integrity in the initiative process, reaches beyond the power given to the Governor by the people, and has to be challenged.”
Suzanne Staiert, the former Republican deputy secretary of state, announced she was preparing a suit against the order on behalf of the Initiative 120 campaign. The campaign has been gathering signatures the old fashioned way to put a late-term abortion ban on the ballot. A virtual signature process could ease the way for a measure to counter 120.
The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce expressed concerns in writing to Polis and is considering its next move. Expect more opposition and lawsuits in coming days.
Gov. Polis should reconsider this order and rescind it. We don't need more ballot-measure chaos that undermines representative democracy.
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