February 18, 2004
NEWS COLUMNState Representative Al Juhnke rep.al.juhnke@house.mn
281 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
651/296-6206
3951 Horizon Hills Circle, Willmar, MN 56201
320/235-4442
INITIATIVE BILL GIVES MORE POWER TO METRO
The old idea of "initiative and referendum" is enjoying one of its periodic revivals at the State Capitol. Despite having been rejected by Minnesota voters at the polls in 1980, and stirring minimal support in the Legislature since then, the idea never quite goes away. Those of us who hope for a better future in Rural Minnesota should hope it stays in its grave this time, too.
Under initiative and referendum, sometimes known simply as I&R, groups can write a proposed law (the "initiative"), and if they can collect enough signatures, put it on the ballot to be voted up or down
at the next election (the "referendum"). Perhaps the reason I&R keeps coming back is that California has it, and some proposal or another from out there always seems to get national news coverage.
California is initiative-crazy: They average more than 20 proposals per election, and often have proposals that are in direct conflict with each other. And judging by the chaos that led to recall of the governor last year, it doesn't seem I&R has done much to make California a well-governed state.
The people advocating I&R say it cuts through the roadblocks imposed by the legislative process. Why is that a good thing? It should be hard to get something written into law. The founders of American government designed checks and balances into the system precisely to make it hard to get things written into law.
I&R advocates respond that many good ideas fail to make it through the legislative process. That's true. But many bad ideas also fail to make it through. The problem is that what some people call
"good ideas" are what others call "bad." And that, in a nutshell, is why I&R could be very dangerous to Rural Minnesota.
Metro area interests could easily put on the ballot initiatives that could be very damaging to the agricultural and timber industries of Rural Minnesota. Our hunting and fishing community - and the
tourism-related businesses they support - could face onerous regulations in initiatives proposed by animal rights groups. The metro area already has a majority in both houses of the Legislature, and I&R does nothing to remove that numerical advantage.
This year's version of I&R has a provision that pretends to address that issue. It would require that any proposition get a majority of votes in at least five of Minnesota's eight congressional districts in order to pass. But that's just a fig leaf. Three congressional districts are wholly within the metro area. Two more are basically suburban, with a few rural counties attached. That makes five metro districts.
So instead of protecting rural interests, this complicated arrangement in fact makes it harder for a rural-oriented initiative to pass. A rural-oriented initiative would have to win in all three rural districts and at least two of the five metro districts. If we're looking at a proposal to direct more state money to rural roads, for example, the deck is stacked against us.
Representative democracy, and the legislative process that is at the heart of it, is indeed complex. It can be frustrating, not just for the public but for legislators as well. It can be slow-moving. It can
be partisan. But it also forces people to discuss the issues, to listen to each other's concerns, to compromise, and to seek solutions that work for everybody. It prevents one group or one part of the state from simply imposing its will on another group or section. And in the 228-year history of America and the 146-year history of Minnesota, it has created the world's freest and richest society.
I want Minnesota to be strong and prosperous, and that means making Rural Minnesota strong and prosperous. I&R threatens to rob Rural Minnesota of control over its own future. And I believe our
future is more secure with a strong legislative process than with an unproven and chaotic system like initiative and referendum.
