Across the United States, Idaho is typically known for two things: Potatoes, and its conservative political tendencies.

Indeed, in 2010, only Wyoming bested the Gem State in terms of “redness.” So, suffice to say, Idaho is no Maryland.

However, it turns out the two states do have something in common: Both are looking at potential big increases in their respective cigarette taxes as legislators get ready for the 2012 session.

As previously noted here, a push is being made in Maryland to raise the state’s tobacco tax by $1 per pack.

Now, Idaho Rep. Dennis Lake, who is the Chair of Idaho’s House Revenue and Taxation Committee, is planning to try again for a cigarette tax hike he pushed last year — with no success. Lake is reportedly looking to raise the state cigarette tax by $1.25 per pack. Proponents claim the proposed tax hike could bring in more than $50 million a year in new revenue, though other states have not always met revenue targets associated with cigarette tax increases.

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If for no other reason, you have to admire the tenacity of some legislative leaders to look out for the interests of their teacher union sponsors.

The Idaho House of Representatives was debating a bill that would eliminate the cap on number of charter schools allowed in the state when the minority leader, Democrat John Rusche, accused proponents of an ethical violation.  Of what, you ask?  They were reportedly wearing free yellow scarves with the National School Choice Week logo and this, in his mind constituted a gift related to a bill being debated.

His complaint ultimately led to the tabling of the bill, which was originally expected to pass the Republican-majority House.  With only days remaining in the legislative session, Rusche likely succeeded in killing the initiative.

What an incredibly cheap stunt to block the expansion of school choice for hundreds if not thousands of kids in Idaho.

Rusche has been endorsed and financially supported by the Idaho Education Association.  Its parent, the National Education Association, is a leading critic of school choice and charter schools.

Perhaps if school choice proponents were throwing around thousand dollar campaign checks instead of free yellow scarves, they would have an easier time in the legislature.  Maybe Rusche was insulted with the cheap scarf.

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As Americans rise up all across the country to challenge a political elite that many believe does not listen to them, it is important to consider the tools that people in many states have employed to directly affect change: the petition.

In Missouri, our Constitution includes the following passage:

The people reserve power to propose and enact or reject laws and amendments to the constitution by the initiative, independent of the general assembly, and also reserve power to approve or reject by referendum any act of the general assembly, except as hereinafter provided.  (Article 3, Section 49)

The document  clearly states that the people possess the right to initiate laws and constitutional amendments, even though they grant those same powers to their representatives in the legislature.  This is an important since it permits the people to enact laws directly and without going through the standard legislative process.

Unfortunately, in Missouri and other states where the people enjoy this right, the initiative process is continually under assault from state legislatures—Republican and Democrat alike—even to the point of adopting unconstitutional limitations to them.  Such efforts have included the following:

• A 1969 law in Oklahoma required that petition circulators be state residents.  In December 2008, the Tenth Circuit Court unanimously struck down that law as unconstitutional.  The Court did the same to a similar law in Colorado in 2002.

• A 2005 law in Ohio that restricted petition gatherers from being paid per signature was struck down by the Sixth Circuit Court struck in March 2008.  Ohio appealed the decision but the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear it.  Similar pay-per-signature regulations have been overruled by federal district courts in Idaho, Maine, Mississippi and Washington.

• A Colorado law that required petitioners to wear badges with their name and whether they were a volunteer or paid circulator was struck down as unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1999.

A common argument for limiting the petition process is that it puts too much money into politics or that it invites fraud.  Yet courts have found this not to be the case.  In the 2005 ruling against Ohio, the Court concluded that prohibiting payment per signature would increase the costs and the time necessary to obtain the required signatures. The Court also rejected the evidence that this particular form of payment resulted in fraud.

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Today’s Pork Report from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) identies at least $315 million in wasteful Washington spending:

Congress boosts its own budget by $250 million; Increase will pay to hire consultants, hold receptions, and send postcards to voters

Only 16% of Americans believe Congress is doing a good job

Medicaid spends $65 million on prescription drug abuse, including paying for thousands of prescriptions for dead patients

Puppet theater in Philadelphia receives federal stimulus funds

80% of Boston’s music festival being paid for with federal stimulus funds; The six-concert, three-day event plans to “jump-start the classical music season and the national economy”

Nevada spending federal stimulus funds to underwrite “crucial festival director position”

Despite being in good financial shape, Idaho festival receives stimulus funds to pay for next year’s festival