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Republicans call SB 5382 an "initiative killer," warn additional verification would curtail ballot access
Summary
Senate Bill 5382 would add verification requirements for initiatives; Republican leaders called the measure an "initiative killer," said it could be unconstitutional and would make signature-gathering more difficult and costly.
OLYMPIA — Senate and House Republican leaders criticized Senate Bill 5382, which would impose additional verification requirements on ballot initiatives, calling it an obstacle to direct democracy.
Asked by a Seattle Times reporter about the bill, Sen. John Braun described SB 5382 as an "initiative killer" that would make it harder for people and groups to collect valid signatures, expose signature-gatherers to significant penalties for errors and potentially be unconstitutional. He said the change would be less democratic and risk excluding citizen-initiated measures.
House Republican leader Drew Stokesberry echoed Braun’s concerns, saying recent measures Democrats favor show a pattern of rule changes — from adding fiscal-impact statements to other requirements — that make qualifying initiatives more difficult. Stokesberry characterized those efforts as attempts to suppress dissent rather than expand voter participation.
Neither leader described specific legal analyses or court opinions that support the constitutional claim; both framed their comments as political and policy objections. SB 5382 was listed on the executive committee calendar for action later the same day.
No formal action on SB 5382 occurred during the press availability; reporters were told committee calendars and hearings will determine its next steps.
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