Case Title: Wagner v. Secretary of State

Citation: 

Docket Number: 663-a-2d-564-0

State: maine

Court: Maine Supreme Court

Date: 1995-07-26T00:00:00Z

Document:
Decided July 26, 1995. *565 Patricia A. Peard (orally), Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, Portland, Mary Bonauto, Gay & Lesbian Advocates, Boston, MA, for plaintiffs. Stephen C. Whiting (orally), Douglas, Whiting, Denham & Rogers, Portland, for Carolyn Cosby. Paul Stern (orally), Asst. Atty. Gen., Augusta, for G. William Diamond. Before WATHEN, C.J., and ROBERTS, GLASSMAN, CLIFFORD, RUDMAN and DANA, JJ. CLIFFORD, Justice. Plaintiffs Lise Wagner, James Martin, and Ruth Blackburn appeal from the entry of a summary judgment in the Superior Court (Kennebec County, Alexander, J.) in favor of the Secretary of State and Carolyn Cosby on their action to keep a citizen initiative off the November 1995 ballot. Contrary to the plaintiffs' contentions, we find no error with the trial court's conclusion that the initiative is not a disguised attempt to amend the Constitution and that it is not misleading, and affirm the judgment. Concerned Maine Families (CMF) is a political action committee chaired by Carolyn Cosby. Cosby invoked the citizen-initiative right set forth in Article IV, Part 3, Section 18 of the Maine Constitution[1] by submitting proposed legislation to the Secretary of State pursuant to 21-A M.R.S.A. §§ 901-906 (1993 & Supp.1994). After the Secretary of State *566 drafted a ballot question, Cosby circulated petitions for signatures.[2]Id. § 901(4). In January 1995, the Secretary of State certified the initiative petition as valid and presented it to the Legislature.[3]Id. § 905(1). The plaintiffs filed a three-count complaint seeking a declaratory judgment and review of final agency action against CMF and the Secretary. The complaint alleged that the initiative was an attempt to amend Maine's Constitution because it purports to give the electorate the power to limit enactment of future laws in violation of Article IV, Part 3, Section 18, and that the initiative violated the requirements of 21-A M.R.S.A. § 906(6)(A) and (6-A). Cosby moved for a summary judgment on Counts I and II,[4] and the plaintiffs cross-moved for a summary judgment. The Superior Court granted a summary judgment in Cosby's favor. The court found that the initiative was not a disguised constitutional amendment and was a proper subject to be presented to the voters. It also held that any constitutional concerns stemming from language purporting to limit future legislative action were not ripe for review. We review the grant of a summary judgment for errors of law, Kelly v. University of Maine, 623 A.2d 169 , 171 (Me.1993), and will affirm this decision if "there is no genuine issue of material fact and the movant is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Smith v. School Admin. Dist. No. 58, 582 A.2d 247 , 248 (Me.1990); M.R.Civ.P. 56(c). I. Maine's Constitution affords any Maine citizen the right to propose legislative enactments. Me. Const. art. IV, pt. 3, § 18. "The broad purpose of the direct initiative is the encouragement of participatory democracy." Allen v. Quinn, 459 A.2d 1098 , 1102 (Me.1983). Article IV, Part 3, Section 18 "must be liberally construed to facilitate, rather than to handicap, the people's exercise of their sovereign power to legislate." Id. at 1102-03. The plaintiffs argue that the initiated legislation purports to bind the lawmaking powers of future State legislatures and is therefore an attempt to amend the Constitution *567 in direct violation of section 18. We are unpersuaded by this argument. On its face, the proposed initiative legislation is not a constitutional amendment. It identifies itself as a statutory enactment that would be codified in Title 5 as section 4552-A. The Superior Court specifically addressed, and correctly rejected, the argument that the initiative was a disguised constitutional amendment, stating: A reading of the actual text of the proposed legislation and proponent's concession that it could not control future action by the Legislature, only repeal existing protections, resolves plaintiffs' principal objection that the proposal is a back door attempt to amend the Constitution. On its face, it is not, it is only a statutory amendment. It usurps neither the enacting powers of the Legislature nor the interpretive powers of the judiciary. The proposed initiative legislation does not present us with a subject matter beyond the electorate's grant of authority. See, e.g., Opinion of the Justices, 191 A.2d 357, 359-60 (Me.1963) (Article IX, Section 14 prevents submission of bond issue proposal to referendum until "two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary" and there has been "proper enactment"); Morris v. Goss, 147 Me. 89, 93, 106-08, 83 A.2d 556 (1951) (people lack power to revoke by referendum emergency tax laws enacted by Legislature); Moulton v. Scully, 111 Me. 428, 449-51, 89 A. 944 (1914) (removal of public officers not proper subject for referendum since power resides solely in Legislature and Governor under Art. IX, § 5). It is thus an appropriate matter to be submitted to the voters of this State. The plaintiffs nonetheless argue that the initiative would, in effect, be an amendment to the Constitution because it is an attempt to limit future state legislation. This argument concerns the future effect, enforceability, and constitutionality of the initiative if enacted. We agree with the Superior Court that this issue is not ripe for judicial review. The declaratory judgment statute is "`operative only in cases where a genuine controversy exists.'" National Hearing Aid Ctrs., Inc. v. Smith, 376 A.2d 456 , 458 (Me. 1977) (citation omitted); Berry v. Daigle, 322 A.2d 320 , 325 (Me.1974). To satisfy the controversy requirement, the case must be ripe for judicial consideration and action. Lewiston, Greene & Monmouth Tel. Co. v. New Eng. Tel. & Tel. Co., 299 A.2d 895 , 907-08 (Me.1973). Ripeness concerns the fitness of the issue for judicial decision and the hardship to the parties of withholding court consideration. Maine Pub. Serv. Co. v. Public Utils. Comm'n, 524 A.2d 1222 , 1226 (Me. 1987). In this instance, the initiative may never become effective. Thus, we are not presented with a concrete, certain, or immediate legal problem. See National Hearing Aid Ctrs., 376 A.2d at 459 (issue of constitutionality of statutory provisions enacted but not yet effective was ripe for decision when statute was certain to become effective and provisions would be enforced by Department of Health); Maine Sugar Indus., Inc. v. Maine Indus. Bldg. Auth., 264 A.2d 1 , 5 (Me.1970) (declaratory judgment statute permitted court to address the effect of enacted but not yet effective statutory amendment). Although the plaintiffs argue that the controversy is ripe because the holding of an illegal election is immediately harmful to them, we are not persuaded. The success of this argument would require us to conclude that the proposed legislation is an amendment to the Constitution, contrary to our earlier conclusion, or that it will have the effect of amending the Constitution, an issue not yet ripe for our consideration. Furthermore, even if it were to pass, the impact of the initiated legislation on other statutes and on future lawmaking is not certain. We could not, and will not, try to elaborate on the ramifications the initiated legislation might have on existing laws, because "[t]o express a view as to the future effect and application of proposed legislation would involve [us] at least indirectly in the legislative process," in violation of the separation of powers mandated by Article III, Section 2, of the Maine Constitution. Opinion of the Justices, 437 A.2d 597, 611 (Me. 1981). Any determinations about the constitutionality *568 of the initiative[5] if enacted would be premature at this time and more appropriately left for specific challenges in the future. See, e.g., Maine Pub. Serv. Co. v. Public Utils. Comm'n, 490 A.2d 1218 , 1222 (Me.1985) (Commission's orders relating to utilities' participation in power plant project was ripe for review because they required specific action within prescribed time limits and were operative immediately or sure to be so following the happening of a condition). II. The plaintiffs also contend that the initiative question is materially misleading because its promise of directing future state law cannot be fulfilled. Judicial review of whether an initiative's language is misleading focuses on whether the description of the subject matter is understandable to a reasonable voter reading the question for the first time and will not mislead a reasonable voter who understands the proposed legislation into voting contrary to the voter's wishes. 21-A M.R.S.A. § 905(2). A fair reading of the proposed question would not lead a voter wishing to limit the classes protected against discrimination to vote against the initiative merely because the statute cannot bind the State legislature from enacting laws in the future. Nor would voters opposed to the initiative be misled into voting in favor of it because state lawmakers would not be constrained by its passage. Although the question may inaccurately suggest the legislation will limit the actions of future state legislatures,[6] it is not misleading within the meaning of section 905(2).[7] The entry is: Judgment affirmed. All concurring.