Bozeman Plastic Ban Proposal Falls Short of Signatures for Ballot
A proposed ballot initiative aimed at banning certain single-use plastics in Bozeman narrowly missed its signature target. The Bozeman Plastics Ordinance sought to prohibit the sale or distribution of single-use plastic bags, with specific exceptions, as well as plastic straws and stirrers within the city limits.
The group advocating for the initiative began gathering signatures in June, with an Aug. 12 deadline to submit 7,128 signatures, representing 25% of registered voters in the city. However, they managed to collect only 6,739 valid signatures, falling 389 short of the requirement. According to Gallatin County Clerk and Recorder Eric Semerad, 3,743 signatures were rejected, primarily because the signatories were not registered voters in the district.
John Meyer, a lawyer from the Cottonwood Environmental Law Firm, expressed disappointment but noted that the group was not entirely surprised. “Asking a local citizen group to collect signatures from 25% of registered voters in 90 days is a very tall order,” Meyer stated. He mentioned that the group is considering legal action to challenge the requirement, arguing that they should have only needed 15% of voters' signatures.
According to city law, a ballot initiative requires 15% of signatures for a general election but 25% for a special election. City Attorney Greg Sullivan previously clarified that regular city elections occur in odd years, and this year's November election is considered a special election, requiring the higher signature threshold. This interpretation has been contested by Meyer and Bozeman resident Dan Carty, who pointed to a recent decision from a Lewis and Clark District Court judge that disagreed with the city's stance.
During a recent city commission meeting, Bozeman resident Natsuki Nakamura urged the city to reconsider its determination of the election's status, highlighting that over 6,700 valid signatures indicate strong community interest in voting on the initiative this year. Carty also expressed gratitude to those who supported the petition, acknowledging the widespread positive response from Bozeman residents.
In 2021, the state legislature passed a law prohibiting local governments or citizen initiatives from banning single-use plastics, a law Meyer challenged and successfully overturned earlier this year, paving the way for the signature collection effort.
