Here is a riddle. Which measure on the November ballot has over 45 organizations, every major state newspaper, and countless state legislators on both sides of the aisle asking you to vote “NO”? Is it Measure 3 related to legalizing recreational marijuana? While this is also a bad measure that needs your “NO” vote, I’m actually talking about Measure 1 Review the list of organizations opposed to Measure 1 and read more about why you should vote “NO” on Measure 1.
I’ve written about Measure 1 in the past and why it’s a really bad idea. All of the beneficial parts of this measure are already covered in state law, including ethics rules that our legislature places on itself. The measure would require an unbelievable amount of duplicative reporting, create a State Ethics Commission with unlimited and unchecked power, and frankly create hurdles to your exercise of free speech. That may all sound somewhat esoteric, so let me make it personal.
If Measure 1 is approved as part of our North Dakota Constitution (not just a law, an actual Constitutional Amendment!), you would be:
- Required to document and report to the State of North Dakota any money you spend to testify on a bill or talk to your legislators about bills/laws. This would include the aggregate of any money spent on fuel, meals, lodging, or similar expenses over $200.
- Reported by name to the State of North Dakota by businesses, charities, trade associations, labor unions, religious organizations, the media, and other groups, if they are involved in influencing public policy and you financially supported them in any way.
- Pay more taxes to support millions of dollars in state legal fees to fight an endless stream of lawsuits, if it is believed to be unconstitutional (this is almost a certainty) or that its regulations have not been met. You would also need to fund that shiny new State Ethics Commission.
And those are just a few examples of how it will affect you. Are you a big fan of more government intrusion and monitoring on how you spend your money? Are you eager to sign up for more taxes to operate and defend unnecessary government programs? Do you want to create a government entity with virtually unchecked power? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
Please vote with Kansas Family Voice of North Dakota® and a host of other originations you know and trust and say “NO” to Measure 1 on November 6, and please get the word out to others that this is an ill-conceived and dangerous measure! This measure seems like a gentle sheep, but if you look more closely, it’s actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Sincerely,
Mark Jorritsma
President and Executive Director
Paid for by Kansas Family Voice of North Dakota