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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Lost is found for Medford car lot victimized by thefts ... Rogue Farm Corps raises the next generation of farmers ... Some iPads stolen from Kids Unlimited recovered ... Lost is found for Medford car lot victimized by thefts ... Rogue Farm Corps raises the next generation of farmers ... Some iPads stolen from Kids Unlimited recovered ... OUR VIEW Our View: Forced referendum measure goes too far Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jun. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jun. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News A proposed ballot initiative that would require the Legislature to refer to voters any changes in voter-passed laws is overly broad and unnecessary to address the wrongs its sponsors believe they have suffered. The measure in question is sponsored by two medical marijuana activists who are upset over changes lawmakers made in the medical marijuana program and in the voter-approved Ballot Measure 91 that legalized recreational marijuana. Their proposed initiative would amend the Oregon Constitution to require that any change the Legislature makes in a voter-approved law be referred to the voters for approval. That could potentially prevent lawmakers from fixing badly written initiatives, which is an important function of the Legislature in a state that allows citizens to make laws directly. The proponents argue that lawmakers have always sought voter approval in the past when making changes in voter-passed laws. While that may be true, it doesn't necessarily follow that it must happen in every case. Voter initiatives are an important part of Oregon's system, but they differ from ordinary legislation in that they bypass the usual process of making laws in which bills are debated in committees and amended, often multiple times, before final passage. This allows interested parties to raise concerns about the effect of the proposals and seek changes to improve them. Initiatives are written by their sponsors, without going through that process, and presented to the public for a single up-or-down vote. Increasingly complex legislation has been enacted in this way in recent years, requiring the Legislature to fix problems and prevent unintended consequences. The recreational marijuana measure essentially required the state to set up a completely new, suddenly legal industry, balancing the recreational marijuana market with the existing medical marijuana system. That task was bound to make some people unhappy, but requiring a public vote on every change to Ballot Measure 91 would have been extremely cumbersome and delayed implementation of the new system. Oregon voters do have the right through the referendum petition process to challenge laws passed by the Legislature, and here is where the critics have a valid point. The Oregon Constitution grants voters the power to repeal laws, but only those that take effect 90 days or more after the end of the session in which they are passed. Lawmakers can and frequently do add an "emergency clause" to laws they pass, causing the new laws to take effect immediately upon the governor's signature. This prevents them from being overturned through an initiative. Sidestepping the referendum process in this way is a valid concern. It could be addressed by a constitutional amendment removing the 90-day language and allowing all new laws to be challenged. That's a narrow solution to a specific problem. Requiring a referendum on every change to a voter-passed initiative essentially takes away the power of the Legislature to act on its own in what it sees as the public interest. If lawmakers are to be trusted that little with the people's business, voters might as well dissolve the Legislature entirely and hold a public vote on every matter of state business, transforming a representative form of government into a pure democracy. No one would be happy with that. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jun. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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