Montana Representative Braxton Mitchell (R-Columbia Falls) has introduced HB 201, to require paid petitioners to wear a badge that says they are being paid and also to give their state of residence. It has many co-sponsors. The bill also says the petitioner must orally tell everyone he or she approaches that he or she is being paid.
Why not just ban out of staters and or paying people to petition?
Ban both.
If the state were smart, they could allow candidates and issues to get on the ballot with just filing fees, and then collect all the money that might otherwise go to paid petitioners.
It would be smarter not to have candidates, ballots, or issues.
The US Supreme Court already ruled unanimously that it violates free speech to ban paying circulators. Meyer v Grant, 1988.
Bad ruling, but they can still ban out of staters as well as reverse the bad old ruling.
Would standing count work for ballot initiatives?
Ballot initiatives are a bad idea. Ultimately, the law should be very simple and very difficult to change, like a constitution but more so. Until then, legislators have a job and division of labor is a good thing.
I don’t want all my neighbors to have to do all their own plumbing. I wouldn’t want to smell what would happen if they had to. Initiatives are bad for the same reason.
ALL THE LARGER LEGIS BODIES IN THE USA —
MINORITY RULE GERRYMANDER MATH 001 —
1/2 OR LESS VOTES X 1/2 RIGGED CRACKED/PACKED GERRYMANDER AREAS = 1/4 OR LESS CONTROL
MUCH MUCH WORSE PRIMARY MATH.
EST 5-12 PCT REAL CONTROL
—
NO PRIMARIES
PR
Puerto Rico must never be allowed to be a state!
Incumbents running for re-election should be forced to wear a badge stating how much they’ve raised taxes.
Maybe petioners could wear outfits like in this campaign video around 2:10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuYysRnzBPY