Thursday, February 18, 2010
Accountability bill for paid initiative workers hits snag
The Olympian: Elements of a bill that holds paid signature gatherers to higher standards in initiative campaigns have been watered down by state Rep. Sam Hunt in a bid to find common ground. But critics say they still have enough votes to kill the measure again this year.
Professional initiative promoter Tim Eyman and others testified this morning against Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6449 in the House State Government Committee, which Hunt chairs. They said it would "chill" the citizen right of initiatives that is guaranteed in the state Constitution. Eyman also said a provision requiring registration and photos of paid signature gatherers that that Public Disclosure Commission could publicly release after campaigns would subject the campaign workers to harassment.
Hunt, an Olympia Democrat, isn't giving up. He said his alternative proposal is to drop requirements that paid signature-gatherers carry photo identification, get training and register for every initiative they work on — instead letting them register once a year at the PDC. He also would bar petition sponsors from from accepting petitions that have voter signatures but do not have the signature of the registered signature gatherer on the back (or front, as Hunt's morphing alternative might ultimately require).
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