A constitutional amendment, placed on the November ballot by GOP lawmakers, would severely restrict direct democracy through strict geographic requirements on ballot petitions.
Proponents of this change say it is necessary to ensure rural Arizonans have a voice in the process; they say citizen-led initiatives are typically pushed by voters in Maricopa and Pima Counties, the state’s two most populous.
They do have a say – at the ballot box.
Citizen lead initiatives for ballot measures are a means to determine whether or not a given issue is worth the broader population weighing in on. If they pass they don’t automatically create new laws, they just give the opportunity for everyone to vote on it. That’s why you only need something like 15% of the previous votes cast to sign on and not a majority.
There is no reason a rural county should be able to block a a state from even considering something.
This is purely a reaction to women and their allies putting forth their right to bodily autonomy and reproductive health on the ballot. It is nothing more than an attempt for the legislators to rule rather than represent.
As a rural Arizonan, I don’t care if Maricopa has more of a voice because there are more people, that is literally how democracy works. If there was a situation that suits Maricopa residents but isn’t ideal for me, then so be it. They shouldn’t suffer because I decided to live in the boonies, my signature shouldn’t be worth more than theirs. All this initiative does really is the same thing as gerrymandering, it give a bigger vote to the minority Republicans. They can’t handle all the losing they have been doing lately, Yet they keep being shitbags. Instead of stop being shitbags and realizing they are the minority they try to change the rules. Also, if I recall correctly I voted against something similar to this the last election.
It’s the latest in a long line of attempts to weaken citizen ballot initiatives in the state. It’s almost like the GOP minority doesn’t want the majority of citizens having a say in the legislative process. Especially when legislators repeatedly fail to meet the policy needs of citizens in Arizona.