Idaho Legislature: Ask Legislators to VOTE YES on SJR101 - Initiatives, signatures (posted 02/03/25)

• Bill: legislature.idaho.gov/s…

• Contact Legislators: emailidaho.com

(Check the linked page or use My Bill Tracker for the bill’s current status.)

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Currently in Idaho, well-funded activist organizations – often from out of state – engage in “venue shopping” to gather signatures in specific demographic areas that might be sympathetic to their cause. This activist ballot initiative process has caused some disasters (Medicaid expansion) and near disasters (Ranked Choice Voting) in Idaho. If SJR101 – a proposed amendment to Article III, Section 1 of the Idaho State Constitution – is adopted first by the Legislature, then by the voters, such abuse will be far less likely.

SJR101 will promote much fairer voter involvement in the initiative and referenda process, ensuring that voter voices from all of Idaho’s legislative districts are considered. Currently, the process allows just over half the legislative districts to weigh in (currently 18 of 35 total districts).

Note that SJR101 does not change the total number of signatures (at least 6%) currently required. But it does require a minimum number of those signatures to come from each state legislative district, as follows:

“Before any referendum petition or initiative petition may be submitted to the vote of the people, there must be affixed thereto the signatures of legal voters from each legislative district equal in number to at least six percent of the legal voters at the time of the last general election.”

If passed by the Legislature, SJR101 will appear on the November 2026 General Election ballot, so voters can decide whether to adopt the Resolution.

Related:

• Idaho State Constitution, Article III: sos.idaho.gov/elect/stc…

• Ballotpedia – Signature requirements for ballot measures in Idaho: ballotpedia.org/Signatu…

• IFF (+2): idahofreedom.org/senate…

• H0085 - Initiative petition, governor, veto: legislature.idaho.gov/s…

• H0085 Substack Note: