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GOP ready to tackle state referendum law

Count me as a registered Republican who gets concerned when our Republican leaders bemoan the fact we've got "too much democracy" in Utah.

Do these guys ever listen to themselves?

When a political party becomes so powerful that they can pass laws in staggering opposition to the will of their constituents and diminish their constituents' ability to address this abuse of power, the constituents need to reconsider who they are voting for.

Take the time to let your elected representatives know that you oppose this attempt by the GOP to diminish the sovereignty of Utah's citizens, and let them know that you'll remember their votes on this issue when they come up for reelection.

The people have the constitutional right to act and confront their representatives and our government. By referendum or initiative it has put up roadblocks to the voice of the people. If people are being forced with these roadblocks then lobbyist should face the same roadblocks and must get public signatures to present legislative change. Lobbyist do not represent the people yet they are not required to present referendum or petitions. The peoples voice and choices should be an easy process and government actions and representation difficult. Government was never meant to be easy nor made up of professional career individuals. Career government leaders have undermined the laws and constitutional intentions. People elect representatives to represent the people, not business or CEO's or lobbyist. The people have been legislated out of the power to make our representatives accountable and responsible for their actions and middeeds. The people can no longer request or demand the impeachment of misrepresentation of corrupt elected officials. Only representatives can impeach each other now, this is not how our government was intended to perform. The referendum laws are another means of preventing the people from having their voice heard with their demands of their elcected representatives.

Bramble considers a single referendum a constant. Does he not know the definition of the word constant? If it is a CONSTANT that the people are going against what you are legislating, it isn't the people who are out of touch--it is the politician. It is time for Bramble to get out of politics as he is out of touch with Utah values.

I do agree with Bramble, it must be hard when the public wises up to his shenanigans and undoes his money schemes. Hopefully they undo his 'representing' the people and get in someone who actually represents.

I'm beginning to wonder if our Republican legislature believes that power resides with the people. It is almost like they are trying to create a legislative dictatorship. I wonder what kind of laws they will pass to further squelch political opposition and if they are making plays right out of Putin's handbook.

Referendum and initiative are important checks to a rigged two-party system.

FairVote: The Center for Voting and Democracy offers more competitive and representative electoral alternatives than the one used by the Ds and Rs to cheat us.

He actually says that they are elected to make decisions for the people, not to represent them? Amazing.

I agree that the repub leadership is getting pretty heavy handed and needs to back off.

We trust those who are elected to do what's right for Utah, not what's right for them. All to often once elected they forget to do what's right. We need to have a change in Utah. Make it less complex to let the people make things right if needed. With this threat of the people, then the law makers will do what's right for Utah. We need a strong threat of the people.

Let me see! As a die-hard republican, Utah state government has been dominated by republicans in the last 25 years, and Utahns pays more taxes than most states? Now, the Legislators are way too smart to know what we want despite what the referendum showed? Oh! They want to take the refendum out? Why did we go to Iraq for? Maybe it is time we camped out outside the state capitol to prevent Bramble and Company from preventing democratic process from the stupid citizens of the states.

Does it mean I trust the Democrats? Not only NO, but heck NO. They have their agenda in opposing this. Has nothing to do with you and me, just them. Democrats approaches have always been big government and more taxes. Heck, the republicans are doing that now and it stinks.

I remember when Karen Shepherd made the mistake of telling the press that she knew more than the people she represented. That was the end of her term in office. Now, we have powerful republican leaders telling us citizens we have no business messing with government. Is this for real? I agree with the GOP powergrab above: the republican party is too powerful in utah - and arrogant - and they don't even care. It is so sad. I think I will have to vote for a democrat this year - which will probably make my dad roll over in his grave. The republican party needs to learn that good government is the business of the people - and when they don't want to hear the voice of the people, then they cease to be good governors, and become tyrants.

Friends, Romans, Republicans, lend me your ear. I tend to vote Republican on a national level and I am quickly being converted to a Democrat on the state level. Can you believe the arrogance of Bramble, Valentine, et. al.? Two things have to happen: 1. Utah County voters have to have the courage to vote against Bramble and the other power grabbers (I promise you that you will not tear a hole in the universe if you vote against a Republican). 2. Voters statewide should take a serious look at Springmeyer for governor. He will veto any crazy piece of legislation that crosses the governor's desk. His veto may be overridden, but he will make them work for their bad laws. Huntsman doesn't have the backbone to stand up to the lunatic right. Stop complaining, take action.

"Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what's for dinner." My problem is that I am a sheep in a state full of wolves, so whether the wolves vote directly or through representatives, it is usually not in my best interests.

I don't know what to think about the initiative process. In the vouchers case, it really provided a protection mechanism to bring the legislature in line with public opinion. But I do think the system is capable of being abused and could result in some ghastly laws. Remember that the vile Amendment 3 was ratified by popular vote just a few short years ago.

It's funny that Bramble says that the Republicans listen to their constituents and then vote for what they want, yet the legislature passed the school voucher law, which his constituents then voted down by a 2-to-1 margin. Comical. Maybe those legislators need to clean the wax out of their ears and really listen to those who elected them! The U.S. is a republic not a dictatorship.

The Republican gerrymandering, lack of ethical reform, and their relationship with lobbyists is bad enough. Now they want to make the referendum process harder because they got spanked by the people with their voucher legislation because representing the people was not enough.

They know the will of the people but seem to think that most will be asleep and they can do as they want even if it goes against the constitution. It's amazing to me how someone like Bramble can be so hypocritical and arogant.

It's time to bring some balance back to Utah Politics.

It appears by the comments from our legislative leaders that they are really out of touch with their roles and the true will of the people. We, the people, are not subject to their will, rather they are subject to our will. It is difficult to fathom that Utah voters are so far into the Republican Party they can not see those Republican politicians usurping their freedoms and running roughshod over representative government. Utah, please throw out these self-centered, out of touch with the public, ignorant of their responsibilities as representatives of the people and wrong-headed legislators. While every state has some of these folks, we have too many of them: Bramble, Valentine, Curtis, Buttars, and many others. The people must guard against those who would limit their voices in self-government.

Hey Curt, Sorry about questioning your judgement! Name me the last five times the initiative process was used? The process is the last refuge from people like you and valentine!

I am a very conservative Republican.

I live in the People's Republic of Washington. We have a Democrat psudo-govenor (elected after two recounts and 9 separate discoveries of "uncounted ballots") and a Democrat Senate and House.

On issue after issue the polls show that the state is far more conservative than the Democrat dictators they keep electing.

Funny, the Democrat dictators here in Washington keep complaining about our initiative process. They sound just like the Republicans sound in this article.

In Washington the legislature can declair any bill to be an emergency. Doing this denies the people the right of referendum (easy to get). We can pass an initiative but we have to get far more signatures and it cannot simply invalidate a law like the referendum can do.

Elected representatives who don't like initiatives really want to be dictators. I know. I live in a liberal dictatorship.

The referendum process is one of the last lines of defense against an over-reading government. The current Utah State legislature acts as an over-reaching government. Of course they don't want to have their power taken away from them.

We need a less-restrictive referendum process, not a stricter one.

The unfortunate truth is that no one understands the word democracy anymore. Its former negative connotation has morphed into a denotation of liberty, or freedom . . . or something like that. Those who want to believe our country is a constitutional republic are privy (or need to become privy) to the reality that we are actually no longer constitutional, but rather democratic. So, our democratic republic will rule. Because of this, the majority of people can't even understand Curt Bramble's argument; it just makes no sense whatsoever. A bit of poetic justice for the few remaining Republicans who understand principled government. I'd say the Republicans are likely to get their just rewards. It is a sad and unfortunate truth. But the real irony is that the Democrats, whose name bears the form of government for which they so desperately fight, will actually eventually get what they want, and that's what it will take to realize that what they want is the exact opposite of what's best for them. And so goes the march toward tyranny and oppression, all by our own choice.