By BROCK VERGAKIS
Associated Press Writer
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Citizens initiatives would be much easier to keep off the ballot under a measure the Utah Senate gave its initial approval to Tuesday.
Senators voted 22-7 to make it easier for Utahns who change their minds to remove their names from petitions in support of a statewide initiative or referendum.
The effort is primarily in response to a citizens ethics initiative that many GOP lawmakers oppose.
Among other things, the initiative would ban gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers, place caps on campaign donations and ban corporations from giving directly to candidates.
Utah is one of a handful states that doesn't limit who or how much money can be given to a campaign.
Sen. Howard Stephenson, a Draper Republican who is sponsoring the measure, contends that those backing the ethics initiative are tricking voters into signing. It's a notion that Utahns for Ethical Government disputes but Stephenson maintains is true.
"This bill is an assault on hucksters in gathering signatures," said Stephenson.
Democrats decried the measure and said Republicans were insulting the intelligence of voters. Most people collecting signatures have copies of the initiatives with them and the initiative is also posted online.
Stephenson's bill would eliminate requirements that voters must submit a notarized statement to their county clerk to have their signatures removed.
If approved by two-thirds of the House and Senate, the bill would take effect as soon as Republican Gov. Gary Herbert signs it.
Usually, laws don't take effect until 60 days after adjournment of the Legislature. The expedited time frame would allow lawmakers to use the more lax requirements to keep the ethics initiative off this year's ballot.
To get an initiative on the ballot, about 95,000 voter signatures from 26 of the state's 29 Senate districts must be collected by April 15. County clerks have until May 15 to verify signatures.
The geographic requirement means that opponents could target only a few people in certain Senate districts to keep the initiative off the ballot.
Senate Bill 275 needs one more formal vote before advancing to the House.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
