Opinion ID: 849204
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Referendum v Initiative

Text: I find objectionable, also, the palliation offered by two of my colleagues in the majority that the intervening defendant retains the direct remedy of the initiative process. Chief Justice Corrigan's op. at 298; Justice Young's op. at 310. Although I agree that the initiative process is available here, I find their observation misplaced. First, any alternative remedy that exists is irrelevant to the issue before us: whether Act 381 constitutes an act making appropriations for state institutions within the meaning of art. 2,  9. Moreover, there are real and heightened practical difficulties associated with pursuing an initiative process, as compared with referendum. Not only does the initiative process require far more petition signatures than the referendum process, it also involves much more complicated procedures. Const. 1963, art. 2,  9. Also, this case presents the exact situation for which the referendum power was created. The power exists to permit citizens to suspend or annul laws passed by the Legislature until the people can vote on the merits of the law. See Alabam's Freight v. Hunt, 29 Ariz. 419, 424, 242 P. 658 (1926); see also Const. 1963, art. 2,  9. Thus, if Act 381 is referable, it would not become effective until the people voted it should be the law of this state. Const. 1963, art. 2,  9. The power of initiative, on the other hand, is intended to protect against a Legislature that fails to act. [14] It does not suspend the effective date of a law passed by the Legislature. Const. 1963, art. 2,  9. Therefore, even if a successful initiative drive were pursued, the people would not vote on the law until at least November 2002. By then, Act 381 would have been operative for over sixteen months and potentially thousands of additional concealed weapons would be carried by thousands more Michiganians. Thus, from intervening defendant's perspective, the availability of the initiative process is an unsatisfactory remedy. [15]