"When you put an initiative before the public, it's really easy to disguise the cost associated with it or not ever talk about it," he said.

Being up-front with initiative costs may also take some of the heat off legislators, Rep. Eric Hutchings added. Though half of the state's debt burden is created by citizen initiatives, Hutchings said taxpayers still point fingers at legislators for higher taxes.

"People are voting for stuff right and left all over the place that increase their debt load and taxes. We have nothing to do with that," he said.

---

Highlights of HB 142

• Requires the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget to prepare a fiscal impact estimate for all initiatives

• Requires a fiscal impact estimate to be prominently displayed on petition signatures sheets

• Gives the Legislature the power to repeal the initiative if the final fiscal impact exceeds the estimate by 15 percent or more

---

E-mail: estewart@desnews.com