2-19-10 | Name removal bill sparks doubts | Salt Lake Tribune

A bill to make it easier to remove one's name from a statewide initiative or referendum petition cleared the Senate Government Operations Committee Friday on a 4-2 party-line vote.

Critics say SB275 appears to take clear aim at the citizens ethics initiative that many lawmakers adamantly oppose. They also say it would attempt to change the rules midway through the process.

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said his bill comes after lengthy discussion of the issue and is simply an attempt to adopt good policy.

"Sometimes people learn additional information and want their signatures removed," Stephenson said, "and find it difficult to do so under current law."

The bill would eliminate the need for a notarized request, as required under current law. Instead, voters could deliver a statement to their county clerk that includes their signature, name, address, driver license or state ID number, and the last four digits of their Social Security number.

SB275 contains a provision that, if approved by two-thirds of the House and Senate, the change would take effect as soon as the governor signs it. Usually, laws don't take effect until 60 days after adjournment of the Legislature -- or the second week of May.

Utahns for Ethical Government (UEG), sponsors of the 21-page reform initiative, need to gather 95,000 valid-voter signatures statewide by April 15. Those petitions are submitted to county clerks, who have until May 15

to verify and then hand them off to the Lieutenant Governor's Office.

"This seems like an attempt to block the ethics initiative," Sen. Ben McAdams, D-Salt Lake City, said of SB275. "The Legislature should never be seen to be working against the will of the people."

He could support Stephenson's bill, McAdams added, if its effective date was bumped to June 1. That would eliminate any effect on the current initiative petitions.

UEG's Dixie Huefner called the timing of SB275 "troubling."

"It's somewhat suspicious," Huefner said. "It seems clearly intended to make it more difficult for current initiatives to make it on the ballot."

The conservative Sutherland Institute, which opposes the UEG initiative, supports Stephenson's bill.

Sen. Jon Greiner, R-Ogden, favored taking the bill a step further, allowing people to erase their names with an e-mail message.

Since online signatures are not accepted, though, Stephenson said that electronic removal would be perceived as unfair.

Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake City, joined McAdams in voting against SB275, saying it would change the rules in the middle of the game.

"If we have a problem, let's fix it," Robles said, "but grandfather what's currently out there."

cmckitrick@sltrib.com