A Nevada committee has defeated a proposal that critics say would make it more difficult to file voter-led initiative petitions. The Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections Committee voted 4-6 on Tuesday to defeat SB434. The measure would have required petitions to gather at least 1,000 signatures from registered voters before being filed with the Secretary of State, and included more judicial review and oversight in submitting ballot questions.
Supporters said the measure would cut down on the number of frivolous ballot initiatives and ensure that only well-thought out policies make it to the ballot box.
The Nevada branch of the American Civil Liberties Union and lobbyists for minor parties testified against the bill and said it would make it much more difficult to successfully file an initiative petition.