Failed House
Initiatives, signatures
REFERENDA AND INITIATIVES – Proposes a state constitutional amendment to require any referendum petition or initiative petition to be signed by at least 6% of legal voters at the last general election in each legislative district.

RS30062 / SJR101

The Joint Resolution will more fairly distribute voter involvement and inclusivity for initiatives and referenda by giving every legislative district in the state a voice. The Joint Resolution will ensure that the wishes of all thirty-five legislative districts are considered versus only eighteen legislative districts as is currently allowable.

The Joint Resolution will eliminate the current practice of “venue shopping” by well-funded activist organizations. For example, under the current system, it is possible to acquire more than one half of the total number of signatures required to place a question on the ballot from a single legislative district.

This Joint Resolution will maintain the same total number of signatures that are currently required, but it will also require a minimum number of those signatures come from each of the thirty-five legislative districts.

If passed by the legislature, the Joint Resolution will be placed on the November 2024 General Election ballot and voters will ultimately decide whether or not to adopt the resolution.

Bill Events
Date Description
01/25 Introduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing
01/26 Reported Printed; referred to State Affairs
02/02 Reported out of committee; to 14th Order for amendment
02/14 Placed in the Committee of the Whole
Reported out without recommendation, as amended
Amendments ordered printed; referred for engrossment
02/15 Amendments reported printed
Reported engrossed, filed for first reading, as amended
Read first time as amended, filed for Second Reading
02/16 Read second time as amended, filed for Third reading
02/23 Retained on calendar
02/24 Retained on calendar
02/27 Read third time in full as amended – ADOPTED - 27-8-0
AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Bjerke, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Hartgen, Herndon, Lakey, Lee, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Ricks, Toews, Trakel, VanOrden, Winder, Zuiderveld
NAYS – Just, Rabe, Ruchti, Schroeder, Semmelroth, Taylor, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow
Absent and excused – None
Floor Sponsor - Okuniewicz
Title apvd - to House
02/28 Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
Read First Time, Referred to State Affairs
03/21 Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
03/22 Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
03/23 U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
03/28 U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
03/29 U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
03/30 Read Third Time in Full – FAILED - 39-31-0
AYES – Alfieri, Andrus, Barbieri, Boyle, Cannon, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dixon(1), Durrant, Ehardt, Ehlers, Gallagher, Handy, Hawkins, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Horman, Kingsley, Lambert, Mendive, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Palmer, Pickett, Price, Redman, Scott, Shepherd, Skaug, Tanner, Vander Woude, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Wroten, Young(Cannon), Mr. Speaker
NAYS – Allgood, Berch, Blanksma, Bundy, Burns, Cheatum, Chew, Clow, Dixon(24), Erickson, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Lanting, Manwaring, Mathias, McCann, Mickelsen, Nash, Necochea, Nelsen, Petzke, Raybould, Raymond, Roberts, Rubel, Sauter, Weber, Yamamoto
Absent – None
Floor Sponsor - Alfieri
Order ret’d to Senate
Returned from House Failed; to Secretary of Senate
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