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Committee backs readability requirement for citizen-initiated ballot titles after divided debate
Summary
The House committee approved a measure to require ballot summaries for citizen initiatives to meet an objective readability standard (Flesch–Kincaid grade level), prompting debate about whether the test is practical and whether it should also apply to legislatively referred amendments.
The committee voted to pass as amended a proposal that would require certain citizen‑initiated ballot titles and summaries to meet an objective readability standard intended to make ballot summaries easier for voters to understand.
Representative Ryan Rose, sponsor of House Bill 17 13, said the bill uses the Flesch–Kincaid grade‑level formula to require ballot titles and summaries to be written at or below an eighth‑grade level. “Voters deserve the ability to make informed decisions when asked to sign a petition without confusion, without legalese,” Rose said, adding the change is content‑neutral and intended to remove subjectivity from how readability is judged.
The bill drew extensive questioning. Representative Clowney and Representative Collins challenged the practicality of compressing complex constitutional amendments and technical measures to an eighth‑grade reading level; Clowney produced examples—casino and marijuana amendments—that the sponsor acknowledged would score at a college or postgraduate level under the formula. Rose argued the test is widely used by government agencies and other states and that it helps draft more digestible summaries for the average voter.
Opponents warned of unintended effects. Attorney JP Tribble called the requirement “disingenuous” and asked why a different standard would apply to citizens’ initiatives but not to legislatively referred amendments; Dr. Gail Choate, an educator, urged stronger investment in civic education rather than a rigid grade‑level cutoff and noted that the formula does not capture context and nuance.
Supporters argued the requirement would reduce barriers to civic participation. Jerry Cox of Family Council and other witnesses said the change targets the ballot summary (the text presented in the voting booth) and not the full text of an initiative; proponents said that summary can and should be written in clear, plain language so voters can grasp the key effect of a measure before voting.
After debate and an amendment clarifying the test, the committee adopted the amendment and voted to pass the bill as amended. The chair announced “the ayes have it.”
