Committee passes bill requiring ballot‑measure sponsors to provide approved language to Secretary of State for public posting

Senator Tucker introduced Senate Bill 188, which would require sponsors of citizen‑initiated ballot measures to submit the attorney general's approved ballot language and the attorney general's certification letter to the Secretary of State, enabling the Secretary of State to post that language on its website.

Tucker said the change reflects a recognition that there is no centralized public repository for approved initiative language and that making approved text widely available would help voters and petition signers know what they are being asked to support. He said the Secretary of State's office supports the bill.

Committee questions focused on who bears the burden to supply the language and whether there are penalties for failing to do so. Tucker said the earlier draft had the Attorney General automatically sending the language to the Secretary of State, but the attorney general's office declined to accept statutory responsibility for that; the sponsor therefore placed the responsibility on sponsors. The bill does not impose criminal or civil penalties for noncompliance, and it allows the Secretary of State to post the language independently if the office identifies an actively circulated measure.

Committee members asked hypotheticals about sponsors deliberately withholding language; Tucker said the bill is designed to improve public access and transparency and is intentionally non‑punitive.