You'd think it would be illegal to accept money in exchange for removing your initiative from the ballot. Turns out, everybody has their price.

More on that in a moment on the Face The State Radio minute.

The state’s biggest labor unions recently agreed to pull four anti-business initiatives from the November ballot. Colorado business paid a $3 million ransom as part of the deal.

Representative Amy Stephens and Senator Mike Kopp say it’s a shameful arrangement, even if it’s technically legal. They plan to introduce legislation in the 2009 session that would build on current law preventing candidates removing their names from the ballot for money. If passed, it would prevent these types of last minute, back-room negotiations that resemble nothing more than blackmail.

Your vote isn’t for sale, so why should a ballot initiative be? This sort of behavior undermines the citizen initiative process.

For FaceTheState.com, I'm Kate Melvin.