"... I am committed to let the people of Idaho make a decision as important as this one."At first I thought, "How nice, he CARES what Idahoans want..." but then something in the back of my mind kept knock, knock, knocking...
Didn't Idahoans vote for term limits in 1994 and in 1998? Didn't our legislators fight against it? Didn't they repeal OUR vote in 2002? Hmmm... was Senator Hill (who wants Idahoans to make our own decisions for what we want in Idaho) one of those legislators who did NOT support what Idahoans wanted in Idaho back then (when we wanted something that wasn't in his own interest)? Gee...! He WAS!! I guess its been a long three years and he's forgotten? Or thought we had forgotten?
Here is a basic summary of how Idaho legislators respect the opinion of the people (or "See How Our Legislators Abuse Their Power"):
{I'm open to corrections if any of this is incorrect!}
IMPORTANT NOTE:In 1994, Idaho voters instituted term limits through a voter referendum. The measure passed with 59% of the vote.
Stunned, lawmakers put the measure on the ballot again in 1998. Despite a brutal campaign of political rhetoric and lies, the Idaho voters reaffirmed the measure with 54% of the vote, in favor of term limits.
Not to be dissuaded, lawmakers sued to overturn the term limits in 1999, on the grounds that term limits unconstitutionally denied voters the right to suffrage. The Legislature won their lawsuit, and term limits were struck down.
The decision was appealed to the Idaho Supreme Court, which ruled that the term limits law was indeed constitutional, and term limits were upheld.
Just days after the Idaho Supreme Court affirmed the term limits referendum, the Legislature drafted a bill to override the term limits.
Naturally it passed, and term limits were repealed.
Enter the Governor. The Governor sided with the will of the people, and vetoed the legislation. Term limits were upheld.
Within 36 hours, the Legislature overrode the Governor's veto. Term limits were repealed.
Down but not out, the citizens of Idaho have put a referendum on the 2002 ballot to restore term limits AGAIN.
However adding insult to the Idaho voters, the legislature used taxpayer
dollars to fund a misinformation campaign, and thanks to confusing wording on the ballot referendum (a "no" vote meant "yes"), term limits were defeated at the ballot box.
My own District #25 Senator Stennett and Representative Jaquet RESPECTED THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE and voted "NAY"!! REMEMBER THIS if the majority of the Idaho legislature decides to actually respond to the will of the people regarding term limits... because we can still WRITE IN!!!
You need to know who the current Representatives and Senators are who NOW declare that "YES!"-- they believe Idaho citizens should decide for themselves regarding same-sex marriages-- but OVERTURNED our previous demand for TERM LIMITS previously...
HOUSE Representatives who repealed the vote of Idahoans:
Barraclough, Barrett, Bedke, Bell, Black, Block, Bradford, Clark, Collins, Crow, Deal, Denney, Eskridge, Field(13), Field(20), McKague, Moyle, Raybould, Schaefer, Shepherd (8), Stevenson, Trail, Wood, Mr. Speaker
{Contact info HERE. Contact your Representative and see if they can explain this inconsistency. Of course, those of us in District #25 can just send our thanks to Representative Jaquet for respecting the will of the people!!}
SENATORS who repealed the vote of Idahoans:
Andreason, Brandt, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron, Darrington, Davis, Geddes, Goedde, Hill, Keough, Lodge, Richardson, Schroeder, Stegner, Williams
{Contact info HERE. Contact your Senator and see if they can explain this inconsistency. Of course, those of us in District #25 can just send our thanks to Senator Stennett for respecting the will of the people!!}
Does anybody want to take a WILD guess as to how many Democrats are on this list?????? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!
{See House Bill #25 here.)
More about how our State Legislature respects the will of the people...
From US Term Limits
"Idaho voters passed term limits on their legislature, statewide officeholders and local officeholders in 1994 by 59% of the vote. In 1998, the legislature placed an "advisory" question on the ballot, asking voters to reaffirm their support of term limits. Voters did so. In 2001, state and local office holders sued Idaho voters in a case that made its way to the Idaho Supreme Court, where the court ruled term limits constitutional. In February 2002, the Idaho Legislature ignored the vote of the people and became the first state in the nation to repeal their term limits law." (Emphasis mine.)From National Conference of State Legislatures
"Idaho made history today, becoming the first state to repeal term limits. The governor vetoed the bill, but the Legislature overrode the veto on a vote of 26-8 in the Senate and 50-20 in the House. Idaho lawmakers said they felt that term limits proponents had been dishonest in their campaign to impose term limits, and that voters didn't get fair information about the real consequences of term limits."
(Can we use this excuse to repeal an initiative for a ban on same sex marriage? I don't think it's fair to pretend that Idaho chooses this ban to support "family values"... that is DISHONEST. It's bigotry and homophobia in its simplest form.)
Top Ten Lousiest Excuses Used by Idaho Legislature to Overrule the Will of the PEOPLE
Here are the top two... check out the full article for the rest... it's funny!
#2 The 1994 Idaho Term Limits Initiative media campaign was bought with money coming from outside the state of Idaho.
FACT: So are most of our legislators. Sounds as if you are suggesting the people can be bought, but elected officials can't.
#1 The legislature is on an equal footing with the people and has the power to override a citizen initiative.
FACT: In Luker v. Idaho, (1943), the Idaho Supreme Court held that the legislature and the people are on equal footing. The legislature has the power to override an initiative because of this. It is pointed out in this court case, and many others, that there are legitimate reasons why the legislature has this power. Citizen initiatives may be constitutionally unsound or statutorily or fiscally impossible. However, the 1994 Term Limits initiative has been found to be sound, both constitutionally, and statutorily. Although the legislature has the POWER to repeal an initiative without legitimate reason, they do NOT have the moral authority. To do so is an ABUSE of power.
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