HELENA (AP) - Gov. Brian Schweitzer wants voters to decide if elected officials should have to wait at least two years after leaving office before becoming a lobbyist.

Schweitzer submitted a draft of his initiative to the Legislative Service Division for review. Once the language is approved, Schweitzer said he will rely on volunteers to gather the 22,308 signatures of registered voters needed to put it on the November ballot.

Schweitzer's initiative, rejected by the 2005 Legislature, would apply to legislators, other elected officials including the governor, department directors, appointed state officials and members of the personal staff of any elected officials.

"This affects me more than anybody else," Schweitzer said. "This is closing a door on myself, moi. There is no out for me. This is clear that this means that I have closed the door on me working for special interests. You look at former governors. Where do they go work?"

In his State of the State address in January 2005, Schweitzer first called for putting higher barriers before former elected officials could join the ranks of lobbyists. His proposal came nearly a year before the ongoing congressional debate over lobbying abuses.

Although Schweitzer's bill died in a House committee last year, he vowed to take his case to voters. He said he believes Montanan voters will support the measure.

"I think this will send a clear signal to the Legislature that enough is enough," Schweitzer said. "It's time to clean up our act."

As a follow-up, Schweitzer said he will present a bill to the 2007 Legislature to require more detailed reporting of how lobbyists spend money trying to influence elected officials through meals, trips and other gifts. It would also require more frequent reporting.

Montana already requires elected officials and their staffs to wait a year after leaving office before becoming a lobbyist, but Schweitzer said it is not enforced.

Under his plan, the ban would be enforced by the political practices commissioner.

House Republican Leader Roy Brown of Billings said Schweitzer's measure should also require lobbyists to wait two years after they quit lobbying before going to work for an elected official.

"He's got a whole bunch of people that were lobbyists that went to work for him," Brown said.

House Democratic Leader Dave Wanzenried, D-Missoula, who sponsored Schweitzer's 2005 bill, supports the initiative.

"We just have to do everything we can to take another look at how business is done," he said.