A look at three statewide issues

Only three of six statewide ballot measures survived legal challenges this year, two of which are citizen initiatives.

We've already weighed in against the minimum wage increase proposal (I-151) because of the additional expense and inconvenience of the built-in cost-of-living adjustment. The minimum wage should be increased, but let's do it through legislative action and keep it simple.

Initiative 153, which prohibits certain former state officials from becoming licensed lobbyists for two years after leaving office, is probably worth trying, although it is more symbolic than substantive.

If approved, it would be a small step to try to lessen the power of special interests and to shut the "revolving door" between public service and private profit. There is something unseemly about legislators and others developing knowledge and connections while working for the people of Montana, and then turning around and making money off that knowledge which they gained as a public "servant."

For those who are skeptical, take note that the citizen who initiated this proposal was none other than Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

Finally, Constitutional Amendment 43 proposes a small change in the state Constitution, but one which seems unnecessary, expensive and uncalled for. The amendment would change the name of the state auditor to the insurance commissioner.

We encourage anyone who thought this was a compelling matter to vote for the change.

Everyone else should vote no, hopefully in large numbers, to let the Legislature know that the people of Montana expect their representatives to be engaged in serious business, and not wasting time and money on matters of absolutely no import.

The argument by the amendment's legislator sponsors is that no one knows what the state auditor does anyway, so let's change the name. Lord knows, it's too much to expect the citizens of Montana to learn what the state auditor does. And besides which, the auditor is more than an insurance commissioner. The proponents don't explain, however, how they are making things better by ignoring the auditor's equally important work as commissioner of securities in the proposed new name.

Maybe we should change the job's name again in a few years to reflect the actual duties: "The person paid a large salary to put out press releases taking credit for work done by hired state employees to protect citizens from fraudulent insurance and securities schemes."

Vote no on Constitutional Amendment 43.