Opposition to Senate Bill 1110
I want to express my opposition to Senate Bill 1110 being considered by the state legislature. I ask that Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy vote against this legislation as she did with similar legislation two years ago.
I was one of many volunteers who worked to get the 2018 Medicaid Expansion initiative on the ballot and then to pass it. As part of that effort, I talked to people throughout our community, walking everywhere from the hills east of Moscow to neighborhoods near the university. In January, I was cold as I stood downtown, asking for signatures from passersby. I and many other volunteers talked to our neighbors one by one.
The initiative made it on the ballot and passed in District 5 with 66 percent of the vote, meaning that tens of thousands of Idahoans can now get health insurance. That’s why I put in so much effort.
It is extremely hard to get an initiative on the Idaho ballot, requiring 6 percent of registered voters from 18 districts in the state.
It was a herculean and nearly miraculous effort and really, really hard work at the grassroots level. There were volunteers from small towns and big cities around the state who spent hours gathering signatures, counting, tabulating and getting signatures to Boise. In fact, since 2013, only two initiatives have made it on the ballot.
Senate Bill 1110 would make it virtually impossible, requiring 6 percent of registered voters from all 35 districts.
The right for voters to petition for change through the initiative process is enshrined in our Idaho state constitution. I urge everyone to contact Rep. Troy and our other state legislators and ask them to oppose this bill that is attempting to revoke this important constitutional right.
Tina Hilding
Moscow
