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Senate committee hears SJR 10 to tighten rules for constitutional amendments; supporters and opponents clash
Summary
SJR 10 would raise the legislative threshold to 60%, require petition support in 45 of 75 counties at existing county vote levels, eliminate a 30‑day cure period and move petition deadlines to Jan. 15 and Apr. 15. Sponsors say it protects the constitution; petition organizers say it makes citizen initiatives impractical.
Senator Matt Pitch presented SJR 10 to the Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee, saying the amendment package would tighten how constitutional changes reach the ballot. "We call it the rule of 3 fifths," Pitch said, explaining the proposal would raise the legislative threshold from a simple majority to three‑fifths and require three‑fifths of counties (45 of 75) meeting existing county signature thresholds.
Pitch described four components: tighten the legislative vote to 60 percent, require geographic breadth from petition signatures (45 counties meeting the current 6 percent county threshold), eliminate the 30‑day "cure period" for signature irregularities and move…
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