Montini: Lawmakers just stabbed you in the back and said, 'You're welcome.'

You’ve got to give credit to the Republicans who control the state Legislature. They’ve got nerve.

Not integrity, maybe. Not sincerity.

But nerve? Tons of it.

On Thursday by way of a party-line vote the House Government Committee passed a bill (House Bill 2404) that will, essentially, kill Arizona’s initiative process.

In other words, your lawmakers just stabbed you in the back.

Not only that, but they would like you to thank them for doing so.

'Restoring integrity' to initiatives? Not at all

After shoving the initiative-killing proposal through committee the office of Republican Rep. Vince Leach sent out a press release under the headline: “House Government Committee Passes Legislation Restoring Integrity and Adding Transparency to Arizona Initiative Process.”

Just about the opposite of that is closer to reality.

I wrote about this earlier this month. Lawmakers have been trying stuff like this every year of late. There are several other proposals like it this session, all after the same thing. Ending direct democracy in Arizona.

It’s because the Republicans in charge of the Legislature hate the initiative process, which is the same thing, politically speaking, as hating you.

They hate the fact that Arizona citizens have the right under the state constitution to take issues directly to a statewide vote. Perhaps because you have a way of voting for what you want rather than what they want.

ROBERTS: SOS, 3.0: Your rights just took a hit

But instead of trying to get voters to change a constitutional guarantee they choose simply to create laws like HB 2402, which is designed not to restore integrity or add transparency but to make it virtually impossible to collect the number of signatures needed to put something on the ballot.

It’s like they’re saying to you:

“We've just rubbed out one of your precious rights as a citizen … you’re welcome.”