The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-05-10

The SPEAKER: The Chair lays be
fore the House as special assignment
the following:
Resolve proposing an amendment
to article four of the constitution of
the State of Maine, establishing a
peoples veto through the optional
referendum, and a direct initiative by
petition and at general elections.
Mr.. HIGGINS of Limerick: Mr..
Speaker, ! would ask whether upon
its final passage it requires a two
thirds vote of the House?
The SPEAKER: The constitution so
reads, two thirds of those present.
The question being on concurring
with the Senate in adopting the mi
nority report.
Mr.. MERRILL of Skowhegan: Mr..
Speaker and gentlemen of the House,
perhaps you don't all understand full
ly the purpose of this bill. 1t is call
ed the initiative and referendum. In
it's principles it is very simple. 1t is
something that we have and always
have had in this State in all of our
towns in the management OF our
town affairs. You will all recall the
fact that if there is any measure that
is desired to be brought to the at
tention of your town, that by virtue
of our statute ten legal voters OF the
town may ask the selectmen of the
town to call town meeting, and they
may ask that a certain article may be
inserted into the warrant in that
town meeting, and submitting to the
people that proposition and asking
them to vote upon it. Now, that pc
tition to the selectmen of the town
and asking them to insert certain
article into the town warrant is IN
fact the initiative. BY putting that
article into the town warrant you
init ate the measure upon which the
people of that town, your town or my
town, are called upon to vote. Now,
that is right that we have always
enjoyed in this State; that is the tax
ing of the first or iDitiatory step to
call upon the citizens of the town and
ask them to do what you want them
to do; that is your constitutional
right. When that article is inserted
in the warrant, the people OF the
town assemble, and then the article
is submitted to the vote of the people
of the town, whatever it may call for,
and is decided by a majority vote.
That is your right today. Now, when
the people vote upon that article, and
the majority vote for it or the major
ity vote against it, that determines
the question, that is the referendum.
Now, gentlemen, there are the
principles involved i'll this bill, asking
of this Legislature to extend that
same principle of initiative law III
this State, and asking for the refer
endum of those laws to the people OF
the State. Now, in town matters
ask YOU, gentlemen, has it not always
been a success, has it not always met
with the approval of every law abld-
ing citizen, and should this Legisla-
ture attempt to take away from the
people of this State the right to init
ate a measure in the town meetingsP
Would you grant it for moment?
This law simply asks that this Legis-
lature extend that principle one step
further; it asks that the people of the
State, instead of limiting it to the in
dividual in the town, it asks that the
people of the State, upon petition
signed by ten or twelve per cent OF
the legal voters of the state petitlon,,
ing and initiating a bill, when signed
by that percentage of the legal vol
ers, reckoned upon the last preceding
vote at the State election, signed by
ten per cent of the legal voJers of the
State of Maine asking that Dill De
considered by the incoming Leglsla-
ture of this State, by their represen-
tatives, when that ten per cent OF the
voters of the State ask that law be
presented to this Legislature, then II
becomes the duty of this Legislature
under this law to introduce that Dill,
and then if the Legislature passes 1t,
well and good; and then 1t becomes
q law.
Now, gentlemen, | want to read
some Of the provisions of this bill IN
order that you may understand more
fully lust what it is. THAT the tol-
lowing amendment to the constltu-
ton of this State be proposed for the
action of the legal voters of this State
III the manner provided by the con
stitution, to wit:
Article 4. Part third is hereby
amended by adding thereto the fol-
lowing sections:
Section IS. No act of the Legisla-
ture not passed to be enacted by a
two thirds vote of each house, taken
by yeas and nays, shall take effect
until 80 days after the recess of the
Legislature passing it," Or, in other
words, when measure passes THIS
House, or both branches of this Leg
islature by two-thirds vote, taken
by the yeas and nays, when it be
comes a law without referring 1t to
the people; but an act not so passed
does not become the fixed law and go
into effect until after the expiration
of 80 days, and during that period Of