Opinion ID: 2521576
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: this dispute is ripe for a decision and at least one petitioner has standing to bring this action

Text: Ripeness is one element that must be satisfied for there to be a live case or controversy appropriate for judicial review. Ripeness asks whether there is any need for court action at the present time. Miles v. Idaho Power Co., 116 Idaho 635, 642, 778 P.2d 757, 764 (1989). The Secretary states that the repealed sections of the initiative have no effect upon any candidate who has filed a declaration of candidacy with the Secretary of Statethose statewide officers who would have been subject to term limits have not filed for reelection. The Secretary also argues that his office has no direct supervisory authority over the county clerks, so no writ of mandamus or prohibition would be effective against the county clerks. The primary election is scheduled for May 28, 2002. The term limits repeal impacts the primary election. If the repeal is invalid, candidates who would otherwise be eligible to be on the ballot will not be eligible. Those potential candidates, the county clerks and the public alike have a need to know who can and who cannot appear on the ballot before the primary election is held. A decision by the Court that will allow the electoral process to proceed with certainty is necessary. The case is ripe for review.
The Secretary of State is a proper respondent in this case. I.C. § 34-201 states, Secretary of state chief election officer.The secretary of state is the chief election officer of this state, and it is his responsibility to obtain and maintain uniformity in the application, operation and interpretation of election laws. Further, I.C. § 34-202 states that, [i]n carrying out his responsibility under section 17 [§ 34-201], the secretary of state shall cause to be prepared and distributed to each county clerk detailed and comprehensive written directives and instructions relating to and based upon the election laws as they apply to elections, registration of electors and voting procedures which by law are under the direction and control of the county clerk. I.C. § 34-203 states, [i]n carrying out his responsibility under Section 17 [§ 34-201], the secretary of state shall assist and advise each county clerk with regard to the application, operation and interpretation of the election laws as they apply to elections, registration of electors and voting procedures which by law are under the direction and control of the county clerk. The Secretary of State has the responsibility of issuing directives and instructions to the county clerks for compliance with the election laws, which could be that certain candidates would be ineligible because of term limits. The Secretary of State is a proper party.
It is a fundamental tenet of American jurisprudence that a person wishing to invoke a court's jurisdiction must have standing. Van Valkenburgh v. Citizens for Term Limits, 135 Idaho 121, 125, 15 P.3d 1129, 1132 (2000). The doctrine of standing focuses on the party seeking relief and not on the issues the party wishes to have adjudicated. Miles, 116 Idaho at 641, 778 P.2d at 763. In order to satisfy the requirement of standing, a party must allege or demonstrate an injury in fact and a substantial likelihood that the judicial relief requested will prevent or redress the claimed injury. Id. However, a citizen and taxpayer may not challenge a governmental enactment where the injury is one suffered by all citizens and taxpayers alike. Id. As such, a party must establish a peculiar or personal injury that is different than that suffered by any other member of the public. Selkirk-Priest Basin Ass'n v. State, 128 Idaho 831, 833-34, 919 P.2d 1032, 1034-35 (1996). Almgren argues that he has standing because he is a voter who voted in favor of the term limits initiative in 1994. Gibbons is running for the Ada County Commissioner seat against an incumbent who would be ineligible to run for office if the repeal were deemed unconstitutional. Regardless of whether Almgren has standing, it is clear that Gibbons has standing she is running for election against an opponent who would be ineligible to run for office if the repeal of the Term Limits Act were unconstitutional. The legislature's repeal impacts her campaign, and she demonstrates a particularized and sufficient injury to establish standing.