Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-10-01
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO
THE STATE CONSTITUTION.
Chap. 93 IS. T.. No. 5-BcsScsSeny 1911
Session Laws.
Chap. 101 Is. b. No. 3o-Ovcrson) 1913
Session Laws.
PROVIDING FOR THE INITIATIVE
AND REFERENDUM AS TO
LEGISLATION.

To amend Sec. 20 of Article III of the
Constitution to provide for the enact
mcnt or repeal of laws or parts of
vote taken ut the polls, thus reServ-
ing to the people n part of the power,
now granted exclusively to the legiS-
llture, to enact or reject laws.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION for an
amendment to the Constitution provid-
ing for the initiative and referendum.
Be it Resolved by the Scnatc of the State
"f North Dakota. the House of Repre-
S"lltltlveS cOncurring:
That the following amendment to the
constitution of the state of North Dakota.
adopted by the Twelfth legislative AS
By hS'''i it referred red 1 to tn" OF T ;hGrt" iI,NI hegi .nu
tiN" Assembly of said state for approval
or rejection, is hereby agreed to and such
amendment shall be submitted to the quail
itird electors Of the state at the next gel
erAl election Tor approval or rejection in
accordance with the provisions of section
2n2 OF the constitution Of the state of
North Dakota.
.ANENDMENT.l Section - of article
. OF the constitution of the state of North
%!>ah"tA is hereby amended to read as fol
section -. The legislative authority of
til" state of North Dakota shall DO vested
In Il Legislative assembly consisting of u
Sr1at" and house of representatives. but
thu people reserve to themselves power TO
propose laws and to enact or reject the
Sa&l" at th" polls. Independent Of the Log
islativc assembly. am! also rrSrry" power,
III fil"!r own option, t" appr"N" Of reject
II I'll" polls. amy act. item. section or
pat of amy act or mrasurc PASSED by the
lcs:~l9tivc assembly. TIC FIRST power re
served NY tn" people is til" initiative, or
actrlvlt into laws. and II least ten per
cor, OF the legal vntrrS TO he secured in
q 'uaiority OF the counties of this state
Si"!! he required to propose any measure
by initiative petition. and cvcry such pc
tition shall includ" the full text of the
measure so propoScd. Initiative petitions
shall be fled Will, the secretary of state
not less than thirty days before any rcgu-
shal! transmit the sam" 10 the Legislative
initiativc measure shall take precedence
over al other measures in the legislative
assembly except appropriation bills. and
shall be either enacted or rejected with
out change or amendment by the lcsisla-
tive assembly within forty days. If any
such initiative measure shall be enacted
by the lcgiSlativ" assembly it shall be
subject to referendum petition. or it may
he referred by tn" Legislative assembly TO
the people for approval or rejection. If
it is rejected or n" action is taken upon
ii by the Legislative assembly within said
forty days. the secretary of state shall
submit it to tn" people for approval or
rejection at the next ensuing regular
general election. The Legislative assem-
bly, may reject amy measure so proposed
by initiative petition and propose :; diff
frrcnt one to accomplish tho same pur-
pose. and in amy such event both meas
urcs shall be submitted by the secretary
Of state to the people for approval or re-
lection at the next ensuing regular cleo
ton. If conflicting measures submitted
to the people ri the next ensuing cleo
ti"n shall h" approved by 4 majority of
the votes Srv"rHllN cast for and against
the &;tinr. the one receiving the highest
number Of affirmative votes shall thereby
become valid. and the other shall there
by h" rejected. The second power is the
referendum. or the power to order any act.
item. or part Of any act TO he referred to
the people for their approval or rcicc-
ton at the polls. ana it may he ordered
Except rs to liwS necessary for the i'm
NEEDN'T" preservation Of TIL" public peace.
health or safety. as 10 any measure or
any parts. items or sections of any meas
urcs passed Ivy tn" lcgislntiv" assembly
either Ivy Il petition signed by ten per
cont of III" legal voters of the state from
a majority Of the counties. or by the log
%iSlatirr assembly. if II majority of the
members elect vut" therefor. When it is
| necessary for th" Immediate preservation
of the public peace. health or safety that
Il Law shall h"com" "ifrrtiv" without de-
lay. such necessity and the facts creating
the same shall h" stated in on" section
OF the bill. and if upon aye and no vote
in each house two-thirlS of I'LL tn" mem
hers elected to each house shall vote on Il
separate roll call in favor Of the said law
going into instant operation for the i'm
mrdi"t" preservation of the public peace.
health or safety. such law shall hccom"
opnrativc upon approval by the governor.
I'll" filing of II referendum petition
against one or more items. sections or
parts of an act shall not delay the re
mnindcr Of that act from becoming OPP
@erative. Referendum petitions against
measures passed by the legislative assem-
bly, shall hc filed with lh" secretary Of
state not more than ninety days after the
final adjournment of iii" session of the
legislative assembly which passed the
measure OIL which the referendum is de-
mHndcd. The veto power of the governor
shall not extend 10 measures referred to
the people. All elections on measures
referred to the people of the state shall
be had Mt biennial regular elections. eX-
cept rs provision may he made by law for
a special election or elections: Any meas
ure referred to the people shall take cf-
feet when it is approved by 4 majority
of tn" votes cast thereon and not other
wise, and shall b" in force from the date
of the official declaration of the vote.
The rnacring clause of all tho initia-
tive bills shall be. "Be it enacted by the
people Of the state of North Dakota"
This section shall not be construed to
deprive any member of the legislative as.
sembly of the right to introduce any meas
ure. The whole number of votes east for
secretary Of state at the regular election
last preceding tho filing 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 pc
tition shall be counted.
Petitions and orders for the initiative
and for the referendum shall be filed with
the secretary Of state. and in submitting
the same to the people he and all other of
ticers shall be guided by the general laws
and the act submitting this amendment
unit! legislation shall be specially pro
vided therefor.
This amendment shall be self executing
but Legislation may be enacted to facili
tate its operation.