24 February 2016

Marsy’s Law is a bad idea

I was going to explain why CI-116, aka Marsy’s Law, formally known as the Victim’s Rights Initiative, is a bad idea — but Edward R. Burrow at Logicosity beat me to the keyboard, making all the arguments I was planning to make.

Marsy’s Law originated in California, where the state’s constitution is larded-up with statutes masquerading as constitutional principles. See California Crackup. If CI-116 passes, the larding of Montana’s constitution with statutes begins.

I won’t sign a petition to put CI-116 on the ballot. If it makes the ballot, and it probably will, I’ll vote against it. If it passes, and it just might, I’ll probably revise downward my opinion of the intelligence of the average Montana voter.