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<br />Dennis plans <br />to propose a <br />change in the iV)IGICffJ <br />initiative process <br /> <br />/7)'" <br />, . <br />.. . . <br />'y'....-; <br /> <br />DENVER (AP) - A Republican legislative <br />leader plans to sponsOt.a bill in the upcoming <br />session 10 make it tougher for Coloradans to <br />place measures on the ballot. <br />Sen. Gigi Dennis, R.Pueblo, who opposed <br />two unsuccessful amendments on San Luis <br />Valley water, thinks il is too easy 10 put bad <br />initiatives before voters. AlI it takes is money to <br />pay people to circulate petitions and buy adver. <br />tising, she said. <br />"The power of money is changing public <br />policy," said Dennis, the newly elected Senale <br />GOP caucus chairwoman. <br />Three of the nine citizen.initiated proposals <br />on Colorado's Nov, 3 general election ballot' <br />were approved, In 1996, voters approved four <br />of eight, including a campaign finance law <br />being challenged in court, <br />legislatorS, alanned al the long list of initia. <br />tives each election, tried but failed in the past <br />two sessions 10 make it tougherto put proposals <br />on the ballol. Voters in 1996 rejected a move to . <br />require 60 percent, rather than a simpIe.major. <br />ity, to amend the Colorado Constitution. <br />Disillusion with initiatives is growing in the' <br />West, where they have been popular since <br />springing. from political reforms in the late <br />1800s, early 1900s, All but eight of the 24states <br />that allow initiatives are west of the Mississippi <br />River. <br />In Colorado, statewide petitions must be:: <br />signed by 5 percenl of the total number of . <br />people who voted in the last general electioii~ <br />Olher stales are tightening requirements: <br />Wyoming, one of the soictest states, is even <br />stricler afler last week's election. initiative suI>" :. <br />,porters.not (Jnly need signatures equal to 15 <br />percenl of votes' cast in the last general election, <br />but also must gather at least one signature each <br />from 16 of the state's 23 counties. <br />Ulah volers lasl week decided ballot mea. <br />sures on wildlife management need a two- <br />thirds, rather than simple, majority to pass, <br />Gerry Cummins of the Colorado League of <br />Women Voters does not think Coloradans wanl <br />restrictions on ballot ae.cess. <br />"The state Constitution permits citizens' ini- <br />tiatiY~s. and voters in the recent past have bee;n <br />relucumlto weaken that at all," Cummins said. . <br />"It's juS! part of the process, something we <br />have grown ac<;ustorned to in this state." <br />Colorado firsl used the initiative in 1912, <br />when 30 some proposals made the ballot. <br /> <br />8":-.;:.":. <br />---".....: <br />r.....' <br />,..' <br />