Bill targets paid name gatherers

Published 4:26 pm Friday, February 1, 2008

The Herald’s Jan. 29 editorial opposing efforts by the Legislature to regulate paid initiative signature gatherers was disappointing. No one is attempting to curb the grassroots power of voters to propose and approve initiatives. That is why the proposals do not apply to volunteer signature gatherers.

Historically, the state did not allow paid signature gatherers, but this prohibition was overturned by a federal court in 1994. As the law stands now, anyone with half a million dollars to spare can buy their way onto the November ballot. Signature gatherers who are being paid by the number of signatures they can get are not required to tell the truth, and often don’t. Do you really want someone who has been convicted of fraud being paid to gather signatures for a statewide initiative?

Mark Cotter