Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed the second of three proposals pushed by the state's top business group that together amount to a major tightening of laws overseeing citizen initiatives.
Ducey on Friday approved legislation making it easier to keep citizen initiatives off the ballot by increasing the legal standard proponents must meet. He said voter-approved laws make permanent changes and called it a common-sense reform.
The governor signed legislation late last month making it easier for opponents to sue over initiatives and banning paying petition circulators by the signature.
The third measure awaits a final Senate vote. It imposes a slew of registration and penalty provisions on citizen initiative petition circulators and initiative backers.
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce backed the measures after a minimum wage increased passed.
