2008 Ballot Propositions Transcript

PROPOSITION 105, MAJORITY RULES - LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE:

Secretary Brewer Explanation of a Yes and No Vote

SECRETARY JAN BREWER: A yes vote shall have the effect of requiring the majority of registered voters approve any initiative measure, establishing, imposing, or raising a tax fee, or other revenue, or mandating a spending obligation, whether a private person, labor organization, other private legal entities, or the state, in order to become a law.

A no vote shall have the effect of retaining the current law, under which an initiative measure is enacted upon approval of a majority of registered voters that vote on the measure.

Argument For Proposition 105

MS. MICHELLE CLEMENTS: Good evening. The initiative process in Arizona is an important one. Prop 105 will help strengthen the process by adding greater transparency. Prop 105 seeks to make it harder to pass ballot initiatives that will raise our taxes or increase state spending. These initiatives would require the support of a simple majority of all registered voters to pass.

Why do we need Prop 105? First, it raises the bar on those who seek to raise our taxes. Unelected and unaccountable private interest groups should have to make their case to all voters. Arizonans have already voted to require that the legislature pass tax increases by a two-thirds majority vote. A similar threshold should apply to those who seek to raise taxes.

Second, Arizona is facing another billion-dollar-plus budget deficit this year. If the state does not get spending under control, large tax increases will be necessary to balance the budget. The initiative process is currently the easiest way to pass tax increases. And thanks to Arizona's Voter Protection Act, they are virtually permanent.

Who supports Prop 105? A majority of Arizona small business owners, as well citizen watchdog groups, including the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, the Arizona Tax Research Association, and the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers.

There's one final point I want to make very clear. It's simply not true that Prop 105 will end the initiative process. It does not apply to referendums referred to the ballot by the legislature. And it does not apply to initiatives at the city, county, and local levels of government. Again, it only applies to statewide ballot propositions that seek to increase taxes and spending.

If taxes are going to be raised on all Arizonans, it makes sense that a majority of voters should cast a yes vote before that happens. Prop 105 is not only reasonable, it's necessary. Please join me in voting yes on 105 November 4th. Thank you.

Argument Against Proposition 105

MR. ANDREW MORRILL: Good evening. My name is Andrew Morrill. I'm a high school English teacher representing the voters of Arizona against Proposition 105. Proposition 105 makes Arizona elections unfair. 105 will make citizen initiatives in Arizona virtually impossible to pass by requiring a majority of all registered voters to vote yes for an initiative. Prop 105 is a deceptive amendment that will automatically assign a no vote to any voter who does not vote in an election. This is an attack on your voting rights.

Prop 105 will automatically count the following as no votes: Anyone who just doesn't bother to vote; those who choose to exercise their right not to vote on an initiative because they are undecided or don't know enough about it; people who have moved out of the state or even within the state; and deceased voters still on the voter roles. All of these would be counted as no voters. That's not just unfair, it's wrong.

The issue at stake is protecting the act of voting. A true majority occurs when your voice is heard because you choose to vote. All of the initiatives passed in Arizona voter -- passed by Arizona voters during the past 40 years, and enacted into law, would have failed under this proposed amendment. And that's the real goal of Prop 105, to do away with the citizen initiative process that has impacted public policy on a wide range of issues, including education, public safety, the environment, and economic development.

Prop 105 will silence the voice of Arizona voters at the grass roots level. That's not just unfair, it's wrong. Prop 105 does not belong in our constitution. The purpose of our state constitution is to protect the rights of our citizens. Prop 105 tramples our voting rights. 105 is an amendment that will undermine belief in our election process by counting those who don't vote. That's wrong. That's why chambers of commerce, teachers, business organizations, and a host of community leaders from across Arizona are urging you to vote no on Prop 105.

MODERATOR CAREY PFEFFER: Two minutes. Thank you very much.

MR. ANDREW MORRILL: Thank you.

Questions and Answers for Proposition 105

MODERATOR CAREY PFEFFER: Our question for Proposition 105 comes from Gary in the audience: If Prop 105 passes, and considering the normal voter turnout here in Arizona, I doubt that a majority of registered voters would ever be achieved to pass future propositions. Am I understanding Prop 105 correctly? And I'll repeat the question: If it passes, and considering the normal voter turnout, Gary believes that he would doubt that a majority of registered voters would ever be achieved to pass future propositions. Is he understanding the proposition correctly?

MR. JOSEPH KANEFIELD: Thank you for the question. I can't speculate as to the turnout in future elections, so I can't say for certain whether or not enough voters will vote in a future election.

Let me just speak historically for a moment. In Arizona, our voter turnout will, historically speaking, have been higher in years where the president is on the ballot up for election, and not as high in years when there's not a presidential election. We may -- we've seen turnouts as high as 80 percent, and we've seen turnouts in the low 50 percent. So it really will depend on the number of voters that -- that decide to vote in a given election. Of course, as election officials, we want all the voters to vote, and if all the voters vote, then this measure would simply require a majority of those voters.

MODERATOR CAREY PFEFFER: Our next question is from Megan on Proposition 105: How is Proposition -- Proposition 105 is the Majority Rules Proposition - Let the People Decide -- how is Proposition 105 different from the way ballot measures are currently passed into law? How is Prop 105 different than the way ballot measures are currently passed into law?

MR. JOSEPH KANEFIELD: In order for a ballot measure to be passed into law under the current constitution in our state, it requires a simple majority of those voters that vote in the election. If Proposition 105 passes, it will require an initiative measure that proposes to raise a tax, fee, or other revenue, or mandates a spending obligation to pass with the majority of those voters who are registered to vote. It's depending on the number of voters registered who vote will result in -- will determine whether or not a measure passes.

MODERATOR CAREY PFEFFER: A question from Joshua on Proposition 105, the Majority Rules - Let the People Decide Measure: How would this bill counter lack of voter participation? The question dealing with Proposition 105: How would this measure counter lack of voter participation?

MR. MIKE BRAUN: Carey, by its terms, I don't know that we could directly answer that question. I suppose that in any particular campaign, if voters were to realize that it was not only a majority of those who voted, but actually a majority of those who were registered to vote in the state that would be required to enact a measure, it may have some effect of inspiring more people to get out to vote. But that's pure speculation on my part.

MODERATOR CAREY PFEFFER: A question about Proposition 105, the Majority Rules - Let the People Decide Measure. The question from Jim is: Why didn't the legislature include itself regarding initiatives that it places on the ballot regarding taxes, including its own pay raises like Proposition 300? Why didn't the legislature include itself regarding initiatives that it places on the ballot regarding taxes, including its own pay raises like Prop 300?

MR. JOSEPH KANEFIELD: This measure is a citizen initiative. So, it was proposed by the people through the signature-gathering petition process. It wasn't proposed as a referendum from the legislature. So, I think that's the best way to answer that question.