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Nineteenth Legislative District state Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, has proposed establishing a 25-foot buffer zone around signature gatherers, a proposal three legislators say is needed following a rise in intimidation tactics.
On Friday, Wilson pre-filed Senate Bill 5820, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley. If passed, the bill states that “no person may publicly protest another person collecting signatures for or signing any initiative or referendum petition within 25 feet of the person collecting signatures or the person signing or attempting to sign any initiative or referendum petition.”
In a statement Monday, Wilson and Padden, along with Senate Republican leader John Braun, R-Centralia, said additional protection is needed for signature gatherers attempting to qualify six conservative initiatives to the Legislature. According to the trio of lawmakers, the state Democratic Party and the ACLU have encouraged residents to report signature gatherers to a hotline, and signature gatherers have been disrupted and harassed in “widely reported” incidents.
“This case ought to disturb anyone who believes voters should be able to decide things for themselves,” said Wilson, ranking Republican on the Senate State Government and Elections Committee. “It’s bad enough that one of our major political parties would back this nonsense. But what gets me is that this effort to squelch civil liberties would be promoted by a group that claims to support them, the American Civil Liberties Union.”
Wilson’s proposal would strengthen state law around signature gathering, which the lawmakers say is “a protected form of political speech.” In Washington, it is a gross misdemeanor to interfere with signature gatherers.
“Reports that the Democrat Party is hiring people to disrupt signature gatherings are disappointing. It’s also illegal. If Democrats are so threatened by the initiative process, it’s a sign they know the people will reject the ideas they have forced on Washingtonians,” Braun said in a statement. “It shouldn’t take legislation to protect the act of collecting signatures by requiring a 25-foot buffer zone around the signature table because one party has such complete disrespect for our citizens, but apparently it does.”
According to the lawmakers, the bill will be a priority when the Legislature resumes in January.
“Redressing government policy is a fundamental constitutional right that must be protected,” Padden, ranking member on the Senate Law and Justice Committee, said in a statement.
The deadline to submit signatures for the six initiatives is Dec. 29.
