Hummel letter: Vote no on HJR 5

I am voting no on HJR 5, as Attorney General Lawrence Wasden wisely recommends. This measure would amend Idaho’s Constitution, reducing the authority of the executive branch — the governor and state administrative agencies — and place more power in the hands of the legislative branch. It also limits the authority of Idaho courts to determine the validity of agency rules and to be the final arbiter of questions concerning the separation of powers in our government.

Our Legislature already has oversight over agency rule making. Enshrining such an imbalance in our Constitution will undermine the checks on government power Idaho’s founders sought to achieve.

This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 11:39 PM with the headline "Hummel letter: Vote no on HJR 5."