Does KSL believe in the referendum process or not?

In his March 14, 2007 KSL editorial Duane Cardall took the position the voucher referendum was a waste of time given the legislature had debated the issue for years and finally spoken on it with the passage of HB 148 during the 2007 legislative session. In response I submitted the following the next day to KSL:

KSL recently editorialized regarding the use of Utah’s referendum process in an attempt to overturn private school voucher legislation passed during the 2007 legislative session. This legislation has significant implications for every public school and family in the state, and was previously opposed by KSL.

Regardless of your opinion on vouchers, the use of referenda to put laws passed by the legislature to a vote of the people is written into the Utah Constitution, which explicitly recognizes the ultimate power in our state rests with the people, not the legislative or executive branch.

With public opinion polls showing strong opposition to vouchers and support for our neighborhood public schools, it is the legislature which is putting Utahns through an unnecessary and divisive referendum battle. Had the legislature adequately represented the will of the people, Utahns would not be asked to vote on this issue in 2008.

KSL wrongly takes the position referenda are a waste of time rather than a valuable check on legislative power or an important means of fostering debate within our representative democracy. Referenda are a necessary check on legislative power, especially in a state that has seen considerable gerrymandering making it difficult for the people to truly hold their representatives accountable on Election Day.