Arizona Proposition 134: Debate on signature requirement changes for Arizona ballot initiatives

Senator Anna Hernandez (D) and Danny Seiden, CEO of Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, joined “Arizona Horizon” to debate Prop 134, which will be included on the upcoming ballot.

Prop 134 is a proposed constitutional amendment put on the ballot by lawmakers to create a signature distribution requirement for citizen-initiated ballot measures based on state legislative districts.

Under current law, signature gatherers need 10% of votes cast in the last gubernatorial election for new or reformed state statutes and 15% of votes cast in the same election for constitutional amendments. These signatures can come from anywhere in the state as long as the required total is met.

Prop 134 changes this process by requiring 10% of the last gubernatorial vote in each legislative district for state statutes and 15% in each district for constitutional amendments.

Seiden, who supports the measure, said the initiative would support rural voters. Hernandez, who opposes the measure said the measure threatens direct democracy in Arizona

”Why not make it to where rural voters, farmers, all the rural voters in Arizona on tribal land can sign initiative petitions online? This would be another path to make this more equitable.” Hernandez said.

“I agree they all should get to vote on initiatives and they all should have to sign for it too. Let’s be honest on how these things happen, special interests will come into Arizona, they will rush to get signatures to get something on the ballot” Seiden said.

“They will said ‘this is about education’ and [urban residents] will just sign their name willingly. I will tell you what happens when you go to rural Arizona you go to rural small businesses, or a rural grocery store. They take the time, they read it. They take a lot of care and concern when they sign their name on something” Seiden said.

”If we are being honest, let’s make this equitable across the board. You are saying that if this one district doesn’t want something, that is the equivalent of what is happening at the legislature. Democrats represent almost 50% of the voters in Arizona and who is the majority of the legislation that is heard? It is not legislation that is the benefit to all of Arizona,” Hernandez said.