WY Bill Would Repeal Pay-Per-Sig Ban
Wyoming’s law banning initiative campaigns from paying petition circulators according to the number of signatures they gather is facing legislative repeal. This week, the Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee in the state senate voted to pass the repeal legislation, Senate File 35, unanimously.
Current Cowboy State law allows groups to use either volunteers or paid circulators to collect the signatures required, but does not allow pay based on the amount of signatures, instead mandating groups offer a flat-fee or hourly rate. Similar pay-per-signature bans have been deemed unconstitutional by federal judges in other states, including: Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi and Washington. Last year, Nebraska’s unicameral legislature voted unanimously to repeal their state’s pay-per-signature ban.
With Wyoming’s initiative process arguably the most difficult in the country, and accordingly, used the least, repealing the pay restriction will help. But much more reform is needed.
Wyoming Tribune Eagle: Pay-per-signature petition ban could be struck down:
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