Hello Boise!
I’m Luke Mayville, Executive Director of Reclaim Idaho, and I’m here to say a word about HJR 4.
HJR 4 is on your ballot. But it wasn’t put there by a grassroots campaign. HJR 4 was placed on the ballot by Idaho legislators.
The effect of it would be to remove the power of Idaho citizens to use citizen initiatives to change laws related to Marijuana and a wide range of drugs and medicines.
The legislators who put HJR 4 on the ballot want you to think it’s all about drugs.
The truth is…HJR 4 is not mainly about drugs; it’s mainly about power.
HJR 4 is an attempt to convince us to give up our own rights. Yes or no question: are you willing to vote for that?
[No!]
We have a proud history of initiative rights in this state. We’ve used the initiative process to reform our campaign finance system. We’ve used it to create the Department of Fish and Game. We’ve used it clean up our rivers and streams. We’ve used it to expand Medicaid.
As we speak, Idahoans are using the initiative process to challenge one of the most extreme abortion bans in the nation.
The Idaho Supreme Court has ruled that the citizen initiative process is a fundamental right of the people of Idaho.
HJR 4 infringes on that right. If HJR 4 passes, it would be the first constitutional amendment restricting our citizen-initiative rights in over 90 years.
This is not about drugs; it’s about whether we consent to give up a big piece of our power as Idaho citizens.
I have a Yes or no question, Boise. Are you willing to surrender your power?
[No!]
Are you willing to vote away your own rights?
[No!]
Yes or no: how are you going to vote on HJR 4?
[No!!!]
And after you’ve talked to your friends and neighbors during the next 17 days, how are THEY going to vote on HJR 4?
[No!]
Remember everyone, we have a simple message: HJR 4 is not mainly about drugs. It’s about our power as citizens to shape our own future. And no matter how we feel about drug policy, we can all agree that we should not surrender our power.
Thank you everyone!