Citizens in Charge

Legislators like State Senator Frank Morse (R – Albany) and State Representative Larry Galizio (D – Tigard) Larry are talking about reforming the initiative process. For one thing, both want to give the Legislature a chance to review and react to any proposed initiative before it goes to the ballot; once signatures were gathered, the measure would not go directly to the voters, but would go to the Legislature first.

In addition, according to the Register-Guard:

“Morse would also like each measure’s ballot title to indicate whether the proposal has an identifiable source of revenue. If it does not, the ballot title would inform voters that approval might result in program cuts or tax increases. Morse says that voters obtain 80 percent of their information about initiatives from the ballot title — and it’s essential that they understand which choices would impose unfunded obligations on state government.”

Having spent much of the past twelve years in initiative battles, I agree with Morse, Galizio et al. on the need for some reforms. But I have slightly different takes on the concepts of changing the ballot titles and having a screening process for initiatives. I’ll take up the second issue first. I generally agree with Morse on ballot title reform. Today, for the most part, ballot titles for initiatives that cost money, either by cutting taxes or imposing unfunded mandates, don’t give voters much sense of the trade-offs involved. This means, basically, that Sizemore and Mannix can offer the voters free candy. Mandatory minimums! Tax cuts! No money down!

But I don’t think that “might result in program cuts or tax increases” would be very helpful. It’s too vague. Polls show that voters don’t have very good information on what ‘programs’ the State funds. In 2005, Adam Davis of Davis and Hibbitts found that when voters were asked what percentage of income taxes were spent on services less important than education, health care and public safety, those who had any opinion at al estimated – on average – over 30%. In fact, over 90% of the State General Fund, income-tax-funded budget goes to education, health care (of one kind or another) and public safety.