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Lawmakers debate SB 5382 changes to initiative signature verification
Summary
Senate bill 5382 would require matching initiative petition signatures to a registrant's address; proponents call it a modest verification step, critics warn it could unintentionally disenfranchise signers who moved between signing and later verification.
During the press availability Speaker 1 described senate bill 5382 as proposing that petition signatures be matched "up a signature with the address of a registered voter," a change framed as a step toward improving initiative verification.
Supporters in the exchange said matching addresses would bring initiative verification closer to the checks used for ballots; Speaker 1 said the reform "does not seem like a big leap" and compared the proposal to routine ballot verification. "If we're talking about people actually voting, we gotta make sure that it's, you know, matching up on the ballot," the speaker said.
Opponents raised concerns that the requirement could invalidate signatures from people who move between the time they sign a petition and when the secretary of state verifies signatures months later. One questioner noted that signatures gathered in July may be checked in December and a person may no longer live at the same address, arguing that the rule could exclude valid signers.
Speakers who reviewed past initiative processing described duplicate or improper signatures found during verification — examples cited to justify stronger verification — while others called the change potentially burdensome and warned it could delay initiatives reaching the ballot.
No final position was announced at the press availability. Lawmakers said caucus discussion and committee consideration remain to determine whether the proposal advances and how any changes would affect petitioners and the secretary of state's verification practices.
