A House committee advanced a bill Thursday to push the pause button on any of the ballot initiatives that may pass in November’s election as one lawmaker openly worried about giving citizens too much power to derail the Legislature’s “deliberative“decision-making.
“I’m nervous about the concept of empowering the citizenry to intervene so swiftly and rapidly as to even derail the deliberative and systematic processes of the Legislature,” newly appointed Rep. Travis Seegmiller, R-St. George, said.
“I am not nervous about empowering the citizenry,” countered Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek. “I trust the public. The process to get an initiative on the ballot is already very difficult and needs to be respected.