RE: Senate Bill 6449 requires registration, licensing, photo head shots, fingerprinting, criminal background checks, names, personal signatures & home addresses of citizens who collect signatures -- expedited house hearing Thursday (tomorrow), 8 am, O'Brien Bldg, Room D

Yesterday in the senate, the Democrats passed Senate Bill 6449 (vote was 29-19). It requires registration, licensing, photo headshots, fingerprinting, criminal background checks, names, personal signatures, & home addresses of citizens who collect signatures. It will have an expedited hearing in the House's State Government committee tomorrow morning at 8 am (O'Brien Bldg, Hearing Room D). Policies in SB 6449 are opposed by the Secretary of State.

For years, newspaper editorials have been passionate in their defense of the initiative process and scathing in their criticism of this bill and bills like it.

Here's yesterday's Olympian editorial -- Don't take away citizens' right to petition -- Senate Bill 6449 "goes too far. The Senate bill would intimidate sponsors and businesses from collecting signatures of voters. The legislation is clearly a shot across the bow of initiative sponsor Tim Eyman who has pressed multiple measures to the ballot. As Eyman says, 'This is supposed to be a citizen process, not government sanctioned process.' Lawmakers should reject Senate Bill 6449. Lawmakers must remember that erecting more barriers to the citizens' power to petition their government chips away at the very foundation of democracy."

The Democrats and their union backers REALLY want to identity and target ANYONE who collects signatures on petitions -- it's what they've always wanted. This appears on their own website:

"If you see a signature gatherer, we suggest you ask signature gatherers if they are being paid, find out their names and take their pictures (alone). 'We would like to identify as many as possible.'" "Keep an eye out. The best way to beat this is at the signature gathering stage. Please let us know if you see those paid signature hunters in your area and let them know in no uncertain terms what their job will do to your job! Every signature we stop is one more Eyman has to pay for." "If you see a signature gatherer, call us. We want to do all we can to stop them." Washington State Council of County and City Employees (AFSCME - AFL-CIO). Here's more with pictures.

Here's the 2 main reasons this anti-initiative bill is bad -- (1) THE SYSTEM IS WORKING (2) OPPONENTS WANT TO STOP IT FROM WORKING.

Now that this anti-initiative bill has a full head of legislative steam, we are hopeful that citizens, other newspaper editorial boards, writers, and columnists will weigh in on this issue. Our state Constitution makes it clear that the Legislature can only pass bills that facilitate the initiative process, they cannot pass bills that frustrate it. SB 6449 certainly does not make the process easier, it makes it harder. It should be rejected.

If their criminalization of participation infuriates you (and it should), please help us fight back by going here.