The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-01
Mcneil Brings in Bill for
Constitutional Amendment
tcontiued from Page -

(Contiued from Page -
A bill proposing an amendment 10
the Constitution and providing for the
initiative and referendum.
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section /. The legislative power
of this state shall continue to be vest
ed in the General Assembly. but the
people reserve to themselves the
power to propose laws and amend
ments to the constitution and to re-
ject the same at the polls. indepen-
dent of the General Assembly and
option to approve or reject at the
polls any act Of the General Assem-
bly,.
Section 2. The first power reserved
by the people is the initiative and
eight percentum Of the legal voters
shall have the right to propose any
legislative measure and fifteen per
centum shall have the right to pro-
pose amendments to the constitu-
ton by petition and every such petit
ton shall include the full text of the
measure SO proposed. The second
power is the Referendum and it may
be ordered Except as to laws neces-
sary for the immediate preservation
of the public peace, health, or safe
ty) either by petition signed by five
the General Assembly as other bills
are enacted. The ratio and percen-
tage of legal voters as hereinbefore
stated shall be based upon the total
number Of votes cast at the last gen
eral election for the state officer re-
ceiving the highest number of votes
at such election.
Section 3. Referendum petitions
shall be filed with the secretary of
state. not more than 80 days after
the final adjournment Of the session
of the General Assembly which pass
ed the bill on which the Referendum
Is demanded. The veto power of the
Governor shall not extend to meas
ures voted on by the people. All
elections on measures referred to the
the next election throughout the
state except when the General AS
sembly or the Governor, shall order a
special election for the purpose of
making such reference. Any meas
ure referred to the people by the In
force when it shall have been approx
ed by a majority Of the votes cast in
such election. Any measure refer
red to the people by Referendum
shall take effect and be in force when
it shall have been approved by a ma
Jority of the votes cast thereon and
not otherwise.
The style of all bills shall be: Be
it enacted by the people of the State
Of Connecticut.
Section 4. Petitions and orders for
the Initiative and for the Referendum
shall be filed with the secretary Of
the state and addressed to the gov
ernor of the state who shall submit
the same to the people. The Gen
eral Assembly shall make suitable
provisions for carrying into effect the
provisions Of this article.
Section 5. The Referendum may
be demanded by the people against
one or more items, sections or parts
of any act of the General Assembly IN
the same manner in which the power
may be exercised against a complete
act. The filing of a Referendum Pc
tition against one or more items, sec
lions or parts of an act shall not de-
lay the remainder Of such act from
becoming operative.
Section 6. Any measure rejected by
the people through the powers of In
itiative and Referendum cannot be
again proposed by the Initiative with
in three years thereafter by less than
twenty-five per centum of the legal
voters. Nor shall the powers of In
itiative and Referendum be ever used
to change the method or manner of
choosing representatives to the House
of Representatives as now provided
by the Constitution
Section z. The reservation of the
powers of Initiative and Referendum
in this article shall not deprive the
General Assembly of the right to re-
peal any law, propose or pass any
measure which may be consistent
with the constitution of this state and
the constitution of the United States
Section 8. Laws shall be provided
to prevent corruption in making, pro-
curing and submitting initiative and
Referendum petitions,