The deadline to submit initiative petitions for signature verification by county election officials in Montana was Friday, June 18. According to the Billings Gazette, at least two of the ten petitions circulated this year have a good chance of qualifying for the ballot. One would regulate payday lenders and cap interest rates at 36 percent; the other would prohibit real estate sale and transfer taxes. Other initiatives submitted include one to change hunting license fees, a ban on trapping wild animals and birds, an anti-abortion "personhood" measure, and a repeal of the state's medical marijuana law.
Initiatives proposing changes to state law require signatures from 24,337 qualified voters, which must include signatures from five percent of the qualified voters in each of 34 of the state's 100 legislative districts. Constitutional amendments require 48,674 signatures, including signatures from 10 percent of the qualified voters in each of 40 legislative districts.
County officials have until July 16 to verify signatures and turn the petitions in to the secretary of state.
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