The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1912-10-17
Proposed Amendment to State Con-
StitutiOn.
State of Washington.

I IeBIsIALuTe, AppfOVeU MATCH
10, 1911, entitled follows: IAN Act to
amend section l Of article II of the Con.
stltution of the State of Washington, relat-
mug to legislative powers, providing for the
ton 81 of said article II, relating to the
time when laws take effect there Is hereby
published for the consideration of the voters
OF the State of Washington the following
proposed amendment to the constitution Of
said state
That at the general election to be held in
| his state on the Tuesday next succeeding
| the first Monday in November, 1922 there
shall be submitted to the qualified electors
of the state for adoption and approval
| or rejection an amendment to article IL
Of the Constitution OF the State OF Wash
lngton, relating to legislative powers, by
striking from article II ali OF sections / and
81, and inserting in lieu thereof as section
the following, SO that the same shall read
as follows:
Article II, section 1. The legislative su-
thority of the State of Washington shall be
I, vested in the legislature, consisting of
senate and house OF representatives, which
snail be called the legislature OF the State
| OF Washington, but the people reserve to
| themselves the power to propose bills, laws,
and to enact or reject the same at the polls,
| independent of the legislature, and also re-
| serve power, at their own option, to approve
| or reject at the polls any act, item, section
| or part of any bill, act or law passed by the
| legislature.
la) Initiative: The first power reserved
by the people is the initiative. Ten per-
centum, but in no case more than nifty thou.
sand, of the legal voters shall be required
| 20 propose any measure by such petition,
and every such petition shall include the
| null text of the measure so proposed lnitiA-
| tive petitions shall be filed with the sec
rotary of state not less than four months
| before the election at which they are to be
| voted upon, or not less than ten days before
any regular session of the legislature. II
filed at least four months before the election
az which they to be voted upon, he shall
tSIIh mi n
the said election. Ii such petitions are filed
not less than ten days before any regular
| session of the legislature he shall TRANSMIT
| the to the legislature as soon as it
convenes and organizes. Such initiative
measure shall take precedence over all other
| measures the legislature except appropria-
tion bills and shall be either enacted or re-
| ected without change or amendment by the
| legislature before the end of such regular
session. If any such initiative measure shall
| De enacted by the legislature it shall be sub
Ject to the referendum petition, or it may
be enacted and referred by the legislature
| to the people for APPROVAL or rejection At the
| next regular election. If it is rejected or if
no action is taken upon it by the legislature
before the end of such regular session, the
secretary of state shall submit it to the peo-
pie for approval or rejection at the next en-
suing regular general election. The legisls-
lure may reject any measure so proposed by
initiative petition and propose q different one
| dealing with the same subject, and in such
event both measures shall be submitted by
| the secretary OF EL8Ce TO the people IOr Ap-
| prevail or rejection at the next ensuing regu-
lar general election. When conflicting meas
ures are submitted to the people the ballots
shall be so printed that voter can express
separately by making one cross (X) for each,
two preferences, first, between either
| measure and neither, and secondly, IS be-
| tween and the other. Ii the majority of
| those voting on the first issue is for neither,
both fail, but in that the votes the
| second issue shall nevertheless be carefully
counted and made public. If majority
voting ON the first issue is for either, then
the measure receiving a majority of the
votes the second issue shall be law.
CD Referendum. The second power re-
served by the people is the referendum, and
1t may be ordered on any act bill, law. or
any part thereof passed by the legislature,
except such laws as may be necessary for
the immediate preservation of the public
ipeace, health or safety, support of the state
government and its existing public insttu-
lions, either by petition signed by the
quired percentage of the legal voters or by
the legislature other bills are enacted. Six
per centum, but in no case more than thirty
thousand, of the legal voters shall be re-
CURED to sign and make valid referendum
petition.
tcJ No act, law, or bill subject to refer
endum shall take effect until ninety days
after the adjournment OF the session at which
is was enacted. No act, law, or bill ap-
proved by majority of the electors voting
thereon shall be amended or repealed by the
legislature within a period of two years fol-
lowing such enactment. But such enactment
may be amended or repealed at any general
regular or special election by direct vote OF
| the people thereon.
! (d) The fling of referendum petition
against one or more items, sections parts
Of any act, law or bill shall not delay the
remainder of the measure from becoming OPP
| erative. Referendum petitions against meas
ures passed by the legislature SHALL be filed
| with the secretary of state not later than
| ninety days after the final adjournment OF the
| session of the legislature which passed the
1
handed The veto power OF the governor
| shall not extend to measures initiated by or
referred to the people All elections on
measures referred to the people of the state
| shall be had at the biennial regular elections,
except when the legislature shall! order
| special election. Any measure initiated by
| me people or referred to the people as herein
| provided shall take effect and become the
| law if it is approved by majority OF the
votes cast thereon; Provided, That the vote
cast upon such question or measure shall
equal one third of the total vote cast at such
election and not otherwise. Such measure
shall be in operation ON and after the thlr-
approved The style of all bills proposed
by initiative petition shall be: BE it en-
acted by the people of the State of Wash,
Ington.' This section shall not be construed
| to deprive any member of the legislature OF
| the right to introduce any measure Inc
| whole number of electors who voted for gov
ernor at the regular gubernatorial election
last preceding the fling of any petition for
the initiative or for the referendum shall be
the basis on which the number of legal voters
necessary to sign such petition shall be
counted. All such petitions shall be filed
with the secretary Of state, who shall be
guided by the general laws in submitting the
same to the people until additional legislation
shall especially provide therefor. This sec
ton is self executing, but legislation may be
enacted especially to facilitate it's o-eration:
The legislature shall provide methods Of
publicity of all laws or parts OF laws, and
amendments to the constitution referred to
the people with arguments for and against
the laws and amendments so referred. so that
each voter of the state shall receive the pub
LEGATION at least fifty days before the election
at which they are to be voted upon.
There shall be printed on all ballots pre-
vided for the said election, the words:
For the proposed amendment of section
1 of article II of the constitution of the State
of Washington, relating to legislative powers
and providing for the initiative and referen-
dunn
"Against the proposed amendment of sec.
tiun 1 of article II of the constitution of the
State of Washington, relating to legislative
powers, and providing for the initiative and
referendum
''For the proposed amendment Of article
II of the constitution of the State of Wash
ington by striking section 81 therefrom,