The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-10-23
PROPOSED AMENDMENT

Section Is of article of the constitu-
ton of the state of North Dakota shall
be and hereby is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 25.-The legislative authority of
the state of North Dakota shall be vested
in legislative assembly consisting of a
senate and house of representatives, but
the people reserve to themselves power
to propose laws and amendments to the
constitution, and to enact or reject the
same at the polls, independent of the
legislative assembly, and also reserve
power, at their own option, to approve
or reject at the polls any act, item, Sec
ton or part of any act or measure
passed. by the Legislative assembly.
The first power reserved by the people
is the iniative, and not more than eight
per cent. of the legal voters shall be re.
quired to propose any measure by mi,
tiative petition, and every such petition
shall include the full text of the meas.
ure SO proposed, but the same constitu-
tional amendment shall not be pro.
posed oftener than once in ten years
Initiative petitions shall be filed with
the secretary of state not less than
thirty days before any regular session OF
the legislative assembly. He shall
transmit the same to the legislative as.
sembly as soon as it convenes. Such
initiative measures shall take prece.
dence over all other measures in the
Legislative assembly except appropria.
ton bills, and shall either be accepted
or rejected without change or amend
ment by the legislative assembly within
forty days. If any such initiative
measure shall be enacted by the legis-
lative assembly it shall be subject to
referendum petition or it may be re-
ferred by the legislative assembly to the
people for approval or rejection. If it is
rejected or no action is taken upon it by
the legislative assembly within said
forty days, the secretary of state shall
submit it to the people for approval or
rejection at the next ensuing general
election. The Legislative assembly may
reject any measure so proposed by ini-
tiative petition and propose different
one to accomplish the same purpose, and
in any such event both measures shall
be submitted by the secretary of state
to the people for approval or rejection
at the next ensuing election. If con-
ficting measures submitted to the peo-
pie at the next ensuing election shall be
approved by a majority of the votes
severally cas-. for and against the same,
the one receiving the highest number of
affirmative votes shall thereby become
valid and the other shall thereby be
rejected.
The second power is the referendum,
and it may be ordered Except as to
laws necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health,
or safety as to any measure or any
parts, items or sections of any measure
passed by the legislative assembly,
either by petition signed by five per
cent. of the legal voters or by the legis-
lative assembly if majority of the
members elect vote therefor. When it
is necessary for the immediate preseva-
ton of the public peace, health or safe
ty that law shall become effective
without delay, such necessity and the
law creating the same shall be stated
in one section of the bill, and il upon
aye and nay vote in each house two
thirds Of all the members elected to
each house shall vote on separate roll
call in favor Of the said law going into
instant operation for the immediate
preservation Of the public peace, health
or safety, such law shall become opera
tive upon approval by the governor.