Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO and President Glenn Hamer recently released comments on why Arizona should push for initiative reform across the state to better serve its citizens.

“Last July, proponents of a higher minimum wage in Arizona submitted over 270,000 petition signatures to the secretary of state’s office in hopes of securing a spot on the November ballot," Hamer wrote. "Tens of thousands of those signatures were apparently fraudulent. Arizona is now paying the price. Caregivers to the developmentally disabled are cutting services. Schools are scrambling to adjust budgets. Small businesses are raising prices and laying off workers."

Hamer said the initiative process needs detailed guidelines to be passed. 

“America is vulnerable,” he said in regards to how legislative leaders are dealing with mandates and proposed bills. Some of these bills include how many were supportive of Proposition 205, which would have legalized marijuana.

To fix this, state Rep. Vince Leach (R-Tucson) has introduced legislation that would ensure political leaders comply with all laws and regulations. 

“Ambiguous statutes, weak enforcement measures, and no way to fix unintended consequences make for a bad citizen initiative system," Hamer said. "But unfortunately, that’s what Arizona has.”