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Second bill mirrors proposal to raise constitutional vote threshold; sponsor says process unchanged, opponents reiterate concerns
Summary
Representative Jodie Etchart presented HB 822, a bill similar to HB 821 that would raise the approval threshold for constitutional amendments to 60%; opponents reiterated that access-to-ballot rules already provide higher hurdles and that the bill would limit voters' ability to update the constitution.
Representative Jodie Etchart opened the hearing on House Bill 822 by noting it mirrors HB 821 and again asked whether Montana should require a three-fifths majority to change its constitution.
"Same opening, same closing," Etchart said, indicating HB 822 seeks the same change in post-ballot approval thresholds.
Opponents repeated earlier testimony. Hunter Losing of the Montana Federation of Public Employees opposed HB 822, saying the legislature already faces significant hurdles to placing items before voters and arguing it would be hypocritical to impose the same extra barriers on citizen initiatives. CB Pearson, testifying online, reiterated that signature-distribution and ballot-access requirements already differ for constitutional amendments and that altering the post-ballot vote threshold is unnecessary.
During questioning, Representative Strand asked whether raising the bar would make it harder to keep the constitution current. Etchart replied that HB 822 does not change the process of getting measures on the ballot but raises the approval requirement when deciding whether to change the constitution.
The sponsor closed and the committee closed the hearing on HB 822; no executive action was taken at the hearing.
