Letter: Bramble, Legislature trying to kill popular citizen initiative — again

In 1994, a citizens' initiative was launched that would have set term limits for elected public officials. The petition, which had overwhelming support among the public and seemed unstoppable, would have affected the ability of incumbents to sit for more than three terms. Before it could reach the ballot, however, the Utah Legislature set up a "compromise" that offered less-strict limits on fewer officials. This became law.

Ten years later, before any of the limits had been applied and after furor over the issue had died down, Sen. Curt Bramble sponsored a bill repealing every single one of the changes the people had requested. It passed.

Ten years after that, a petition calling for caucus reform has strong support among the public and seems almost unstoppable. This petition would affect the ability of incumbents to win re-election merely by demonstrating sufficient ideological purity.

Before it has even reached the ballot, however, Bramble is advancing a "compromise" that would offer significantly less reform ("Senate advances bill that would nullify Count My Vote initiative," Tribune, Feb. 20).

Let me ask: Given the track record of Bramble and the Utah Legislature, where will we be in another 10 years?

Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, and shame on us. We cannot allow SB54.

Jenica Jessen

Riverton