The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1912-09-06
Proposed Amendment to State
Constitution.


tary of State
TO whom it may concern: In obedience
to an act of the legislature, approved
March 10. 1911, entitled as follows An
Act to amend section l of article III of the
Constitution of the State of Washington,
relating to legislative powers, providing
for the initiative and referendum. and
striking section 81 of said article II, re,
lating to the time when laws take effect,
there is hereby published for the consid-
GRAFTON of the voters of the State OF
amendment to the constitution of said
state:
That at the general election to be held
in this state on the Tuesday next sue
ceeding the first Monday in November,
1872 there shall be supmittedto the quail
flied electors OF the state FOR adoption
and approval or rejection an amendme ehd
State of Washington. relating to legisI,
lative powers. by striking from article III
all of sections l and 81, and inserting in
lieu thereof as section l the following. so
that the same shall read as follows:
Article II. section 7. The legislative
authority of the State OF Washington
shall be vested in the legislature, consist
ing of a senate and house of representa-
tives, which shall be called the legisla-
ture of the State OF Washington, but the
people reserve to themselves the power
to propose bills, laws. and to enact or re.
ject the same at the polls, Independent OF
the legislature, and also reserve 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 leg
islature.
(a) Initiative: The first power re
served by the people is the initiative
Ten per centum. but in no case more than
fifty thousand. of the legal voters shall
be required to propose any measure by
shall include the full text of the measure
so proposed. Initiative petitions shall be
filed with the secretary of state not less
than four months before the election at
Va thew voted
less than ten days before any regular
session of the Legislature. If filed at least
four months before the election at which
they are to be voted upon. he shall sub
init the same to the vote of the people at
the said election If such petitions are
filed not less than ten days before any
regular session of the legislature. he shall
transmit the same to the Legislature as
soon as it convenes and organizes. Such
initiative measure shall take precedence
over all other measures in the legislature
except appropriation bills and shall be
either enacted or rejected without change
or amendment by the Legislature before
the end of such regular session. II any
such initiative measure shall be enacted
by the legislature it shall be subject to
the referendum petition, or il may be en-
acted and referred by the legislature lSa TO
next regular election. II it IS rejected on
if no action is taken upon ii by the legs-
lature before the end or such regular SEES
sion. the secretary of state shall submit
ii to the people for approval or rejection
at the next ensuing regular general cleo
ton. The legislature may reject any
ton and propose a different one dealing
with the same subject. and in such
event both measures shall be submitted
by the secretary of state to the people
for approval or rejection at the next en-
suing regular general election When
conflicting measures are submitted TO the
people the ballots shall be SO printed that
a voter can express separately by. making
one cross (X) for each, two preferences
first, as between either measure and
neither. and secondly, as between one and
the other If the ma 'ority of those Vot-
ing on the first issue is for neither. both
fail. but in that case the votes on the
second issue shall nevertheless lie care
fully counted and made public. II ma
jority voting OH the first issue is for
either then the measure receiving ma
jority Of the votes on the second issue
shall be law.
% Referendum. The second power
by the people Is the referendum,
and it may be ordered on any act. bill.
law: or any. part thereof passed by the
necessary for the immediate preservation
Of the public peace. health or safety, sup
port of the state government and its eX-
listing public institutions. either by petit
ton signed by the required percentage of
the legal voters. or by the legislature as
other bills are enacted. Six per centum.
but in no case more than thirty thousand.
OF the legal voters shall be required to
sign and make II valid referendum petit
ton.
{c) No act. law. or bill subject to ref
erendum shall take effect until ninety
days after the adjournment of the session
at which ii was enacted. No act. law, or
bill approved by majority of the cleo
tors voting thereon shall be amended or
repealed by the Legislature within u peri
cd of two years following such enactment.
But such enactment may be amended or
repealed at any general regular or special
election by direct vote of the people
thereon.
tD The filing of referendum petit
ton against one or more items. sections
or parts of any act, law or bill shall not
delay the remainder of the measure from
becoming. operative. Referendum peti-
islature shall be filed with the secretary
of state not later than ninety days after
the final adjournment of the session of
the legislature which J&ssed the measure
on which the referendum is demanded
The veto power Of the governor shall not
extend to measures Initiated by or re
measures referred to the people of the
state shall be had at the biennial regu-
lar elections. except when the legislature
shall order special election Any mea-
sure initiated by the people or referred
to the people as herein provided shall
take effect and become the law if it is
thereon: Provided. That the vote cast
upon such question or measure shall
equal one third of the total votes cast at
such election and not otherwise. Such
the thirtieth day after the election at
which 1t is approved. The style of all
bills proposed by initiative petition shall
be: BE it enacted by the people of the
state of Washington" This section shall
not be construed TO deprive any member
of the Legislature of the right to introduce
any measure. The whole number of cleo
tors who voted for governor at the regu-
lar gubernatorial election last preceding
the filing of any petition for the initiative
OF for the referendum shall he the basis
on which the number of legal voters nee
essary to sign such petition shall be
counted. All such petitions shall he 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 there
for. This section is eelf- executing. but
legislation may be enacted especially to
facilitate it's operation.
The legislature shall provide methods
of publicity of all laws or parts of laws
and amendments to the constitution re-
ferred to the people with arguments for
and against the laws and amendments so
referred. so that each voter of the state
shall receive the publication at least fifty
days before the election at which they are
to be voted upon.
There shall be printed on all ballots
provided for the said election. the words
For the proposed amendment of sec
ton of article II of the constitution of
the State of Washington relating TO leg
islative powers and providing. for the
initiative and referendum"
Against the proposed amendment Of
section / of article III OF the constitution
of the State of Washing ton, relating to
legislative powers. and providing for the
initiative and referendum
II of the constitution of the State Of
WASHINGTON by striking. section n