Vote With Your Brain! Let’s Discuss ND Measure #2.

Bismarck/Mandan, five things to never bring up over Thanksgiving dinner- Masks, politics, Black Lives Matter, religion, and Donald Trump. But aren't politics and Donald Trump the same? No my friends, I don't believe they are. But we could discuss that all the way 'til Election Day. Maybe, even after Election Day dependent on results of course.

I confess to not always being familiar with our local candidates in our local districts. If you read the bios and Q&A's with the candidates you hear much of the same things- prudent use of taxes, improvement of schools, maintaining infrastucture, and why their opponent is not much good for any of them. I'm an independent, so I do try to do some research on the candidates instead of voting party lines. But, honestly, I find most every candidate wants what's good for the constituents in Bismarck, Mandan, and across the region.

Measures on the other hand, you're basically given all the information needed to form your own independent opinion on how you would like to vote. Unless of course it was the now removed Measure #3. Measure #3 was I mixed up jumble that I called "a packed sausage" in this article from a few weeks back. Measure #2 is pretty straight forward when you read it but, it may have some unwanted consequences. Here's how Measure #2 reads on the ballot. All of the underlined parts are the wording that is to be added to section 9 of Article III.

This constitutional measure would amend and reenact section 9 of Article III of the North Dakota Constitution. The amended section reads as follows:Section 9. A constitutional amendment may be proposed by initiative petition. If signed by electors equal in number to four percent of the resident population of the state at the last federal decennial census, the petition for a constitutional amendment may be submitted to the secretary of state. An initiative to amend the constitution may be placed on the ballot only at a general election. If electors approve an initiative for a constitutional amendment, the amendment must be submitted to the subsequent legislative assembly. If the initiative is approved by a majority of members of each house in the legislative assembly, the initiative is deemed enacted. If the legislative assembly does not approve the initiative, the initiative must be placed on the ballot at the next general election. If the majority of votes cast on the initiative are affirmative, the initiative is deemed enacted. All other provisions relating to initiative measures apply ~~hereto~~ to initiative measures for constitutional amendments.

The estimated fiscal impact of this measure is none.

[] Yes - Means you approve the measure as stated above.

[] No - Means you reject the measure as stated above.^[5]

”

If you want to take a peek at what that proposes- there's a breakdown with pretty easy to follow pictures right here.

In a nutshell- currently if a proposed constitutional amendment gathers the necessary signatures to get on the ballot and is approved by voters then it becomes effective.

Measure #2 means to get the state legislature directly involved in the process. Let's go with a legalize weed amendment and, in a fictional way, it gets passed by voters. The amendment would then go to the legislature. If they also approve it, then it's enacted, BUT, if the legislature rejects the voter approved amendment has to go back to the people for a second vote! If the voters approve it AGAIN it's enacted. If after approving it once, they dis-approve it on the second vote, it dies a terrible death at the hands of the same people that once liked it.

The folks at The Minuteman Blog had an interesting take on the stress it could place on "grassroots" organizations who won the first election, but upon rejection by the legislature, then have to put the resources together AGAIN for the second election.

I ain't gonna tell you how to vote- but maybe now Measure #2 has sunk into your brain a little more.