Two pieces of proposed legislation would make Maine’s referendum process more difficult.

Occasionally, the referendum process is abused. More often, bad ideas are able to gain enough initial support to be sent to voters, but the restrictions would not improve the overall process. They would only make it more difficult for ideas to be heard.

The first bill, which the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs passed last week, would prohibit people seeking signatures from being within 25 feet of the polls. Currently, signature seekers are allowed inside the buildings where people vote.

The second bill would limit out-of-state contributions to political action committees engaged in referendum campaigns. If passed, groups could collect no more than 20 percent of their money from away.

Both bills should be opposed.

Maine has a long tradition of an open – and relatively easy – referendum process. The state gains nothing by making it more difficult for petitioners to gather signatures from voters. No one is forced to sign and, as unfruitful signature campaigns during the last election show, being on-site is no guarantee that enough names will be collected.

On the surface, the idea of limiting out-of-state contributions to referendum campaigns sounds good. Much of the funding for the campaign to legalize slot machines at horse tracks and to allow a casino came from out of state. And both sides of the bear hunting referendum tried to tar the other by pointing to where the money came from.

But the restriction is probably an unconstitutional abridgment of free speech. And while money is often condemned as the root of campaign evils, making it more difficult to raise money only gives more influence to those who have it to easily throw around. Maine has the highest number of second homes on the East Coast. We call ourselves Vacationland. People who don’t live here full-time should be able to participate in our political process. With no voting rights for nonresidents, donations to political campaigns are a legitimate way to take part.

Referendums can be maddening. Issues come up again and again. And some of the ideas are plain bad. But Maine voters have shown themselves capable of deciding for themselves.

These hurdles to referendum campaigns, while well-intentioned, don’t merit support.