The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1914-04-17
CRAWFORD WOULD
TINKER INITIATIVE
$500 SUBSTITUTED FOR ClRCU-
LAIlOH OF PETITIONS.
Also Proposes Amendment
Giving Governor Section We
toing Privileges.

A. M. Crawford. present attorney
Reneial and republican candidate for
governor, believes that he sees need of
legislation to empower the governor
to veto sections or items in legislative
Hills, and he would also simplify the
manner of introducing initiative mea-
sures by abolishing the circulation Of
petitions, which would remove the OBJ
jeGtions to the present method, 50 he
alleges. and he has prepared two
amendments to the constitution to
effect changes as he would have
them.
1t will te noticed that Mir. Craw-
ford's amendment to the initiative
measure would abolish about every
feature of the present law. but the
man with 5000 to pay for fling his
petition could do 80, and no one would
know anything about 1t unless he
happened to Iun across an election
pamphlet. Crawford's proposal reads:
.s'The legislative authority of the
state shall be vested in legislative
assembly, consisting of q Senate and
House of Representatives,, but the peo-
pie reserve to themselves power 10
propose laws and amendments to the
constitution, and to enact or reject
the same at the polls. independent of
the legislative assembly, and also re-
serve power at their own option to ap-
prove or reject at the polls any act Of
the legislative assembly. The fret
power reserved by the people Is the
Initiative and ONE or more legal
voters may propose any measure by
petition. and every such petition shall
include the full text of the measure so
proposed. Initiative measures shall
be fled with the secretary OF State,
with FILING FEE OF 5000 ssaid
fee to bs applied on the cost OF print
ing and mailing Of election phamplets)
not less than four months before elec-
tion at which they are to te voted up.
on.
"The second power is the referen-
dun, and Il may be ordered texcept as
to laws necessary for the immediate
preservation Of the public peace.
health or eafety.) either by petition
signed by 5 per cent of the legal yot-
ers. or by the legislative assembly as
other bills ere enacted. Referendum
petitions shall be fled with the Sec-
retaiy Of state not more than 80 days
after the final adjournment Of the ses-
sion of the legislative assembly which
passed the bills on which the referen-
dunn is demanded. The veto power of
the governor shall not extend to mea-
sures referred to the people. All
elections on measures referred to the
people OF the state shall be had at the
biennial general election, except when
the legislative assembly shall order q
special election. Any measure referred
to the people shall take effect and be-
come the law when it is approved by
the majority of votes cast thereon. aud
not otherwise.
Relative TO vesting authority 10 The
| governor to veto single sections OF
items in legislative bills, Crawford'f
| proposal is:
"If any till presented to the COVER
nor contains two or more sections, Of
two or more items of appropriation
Of money. he may object to one OF
more Of said sections, or to one OF
more of said items of appropriation Of
money. and approve the other portionI
| of said bill.