Opinion ID: 2217214
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Alterations Per Trial Judge

Text: The trial court, Judge Giddings, has very carefully analyzed those provisions of the Constitution impacted beyond the article on taxation and there is no question but that the Tisch Amendment alters or abrogates sections of the Constitution other than those listed on the initiative petition as altered or abrogated. The learned trial judge held that the Tisch Amendment altered or abrogated the following sections of the Constitution: Art 2, ง 9. Initiative and referendum etc. Art 4, ง 1. Legislative power. Art 4, ง 33. Bills passed; approval by governor or veto etc. Art 4, ง 34. Bills, referendum. Art 4, ง 40. Liquor control commission; liquor tax etc. I do not agree with the learned judge that MCL 168.482 was violated. I would, however, hold that with respect to each of the above mentioned sections, art 12, ง 2, ถ 2 was violated. I will examine these sections seriatim. Art 2, ง 9 and Art 4, ง 34 It takes no great effort or analysis to immediately see that one particular provision in both art 2, ง 9 and art 4, ง 34 has been altered or abrogated. Article 2, ง 9 in pertinent part provides: No law as to which the power of referendum properly has been invoked shall be effective thereafter unless approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon at the next general election. (Emphasis added.) Article 4, ง 34: Any bill passed by the legislature and approved by the governor, except a bill appropriating money, may provide that it will not become law unless approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon. (Emphasis added.) The significant point in the above two sections of the Constitution is that whether a referendum is caused by popular initiative (art 2, ง 9) or action by the Legislature (art 4, ง 34), the people can exercise their will by a majority vote. The Tisch Amendment would change all this. It would deny a majority of the people the significant right to approve a new tax or increase an old one. The denial of majority decision is effected by the proposed art 9, งง 2 and 2(a) of the Tisch Amendment. Proposed art 9, ง 2 in pertinent part provides: The Legislature shall not impose any new    [or increased old tax] until such proposed tax or increased tax is first approved by affirmation of the electors   . Proposed art 9, ง 2(a) provides: Sixty (60) percent of the votes cast in favor of the question shall constitute affirmation. It is not, of course, the office of this Court to comment as to a policy of the people speaking in an election by a 60% vote as opposed to a majority vote, but it is clearly the office of this Court to determine whether the change is an alteration or abrogation of our existing Constitution that must be brought to the attention of the people deciding to adopt a proposed amendment. Taking away the right of the majority to exercise their will in initiative and referendum actions most definitely impacts the operative affect [sic] of our form of government. That there has been an alteration or abrogation is as clear as the fact that if the proposed Tisch Amendment were adopted the people could no longer approve a tax increase or new tax by majority vote. Article 4, ง 1 Article 4, ง 1 provides: The legislative power of the state of Michigan is vested in a senate and house of representatives. It is axiomatic that the Legislature has the power of the purse, i.e., the power to tax and appropriate. Article 9, ง 1 recognizes the Legislature's taxing and appropriating power in providing as follows: The legislature shall impose taxes sufficient with other resources to pay the expenses of state government. Proposed Tisch Amendment art 9, ง 2 in pertinent part provides: The legislature shall not impose any new [or increased old tax] until such proposed tax or increased tax is first approved by affirmation of the electors   . The existing Constitution vests the legislative power, including the power to tax, in the Legislature. However, proposed Tisch, art 9, ง 2, prohibits the Legislature from exercising that power in certain instances without affirmance of the electors, incidentally by 60% (proposed art 9, ง 2[a]). In effect, proposed art 9, งง 2 and 2(a) alter or amend art 4, ง 1 to read as follows: The legislative power of the state of Michigan is vested in a senate and house of representatives EXCEPT THAT NEW OR INCREASED TAX LEGISLATION CAN BE ENACTED ONLY WHEN FIRST APPROVED BY AFFIRMATION OF THE ELECTORS. Clearly, proposed Tisch art 9, งง 2 and 2(a) alter or abrogate a fundamental existing provision of the Constitution, namely that the legislative power is vested in a Senate and House of Representatives, and I would so hold. [9] Article 4, ง 33 The analysis applied to art 4, ง 1, can be utilized with equal force to find art 4, ง 33 has been altered or abrogated by the proposed amendment. That section provides: Every bill, passed by the legislature shall be presented to the governor before it becomes law   . If he approves, he shall within that time sign and file it with the secretary of state and it shall become law. With the advent of art 9, ง 2 and 2(a), set forth above, the process described would be augmented by the additional step of voter affirmance whenever the bill involved imposition of new taxes or changes in taxes extant in 1978. Once again, the proposed amendment would essentially write in a limitation phrase, curtailing the operation of this section where tax matters are concerned. Thus, art 4, ง 33 is altered or abrogated by the proposal, and must be published by the express terms of art 12, ง 2, ถ 2. Article 4, ง 40 In pertinent part, art 4, ง 40 establishing a state liquor control system, provides: The legislature may provide for an excise tax on such sales. It is obvious that the proposed Tisch Amendment alters or abrogates this provision. Section 2 of the proposed Tisch Amendment provides in part as follows: The legislature shall not impose any new tax    until such proposed tax or increased tax is first approved by affirmation of the electors   . As we have seen, existing art 4, ง 40 provides: The legislature may provide for an excise tax on such sales, but the proposed Tisch Amendment provides The legislature shall not impose any new tax, and tax is defined to include any money collected by the state, unless first approved by affirmation of the electors. In other words art 4, ง 40 is effectively altered to read: The legislature may provide for an excise tax on such sales provided that if it is a new or increased excise tax it is first approved by an affirmation of the electors.