Opinion ID: 1976445
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: be it resolved by the house of representatives of the state of south dakota, the senate concurring therein:

Text: That at a special election held in the state on the second Tuesday in November, 1985, the Dakota Interstate Low-level Radioactive Waste Management Compact, which is hereby agreed to, shall be submitted to the electors of the state for approval. For the purpose of conducting the election required by this Resolution, all applicable provisions of Title 12 concerning general elections shall apply. HJR 1005 did not contain an enacting clause and was not signed by the Governor. Secretary of State Alice Kundert proposed to conduct the election as provided in Chapter 240 and HJR 1005. Plaintiffs, however, instituted this action seeking a Peremptory Writ of Prohibition to prevent the election and also a Declaratory Judgment that Chapter 240 was unconstitutional. Plaintiffs alleged that Chapter 240 was unconstitutional because it delegates legislative power, fails to provide standards to guide the electorate, and violates the Supremacy and Commerce Clauses of the United States Constitution. The plaintiffs and defendants stipulated that no factual question existed. The intervenors filed a motion to intervene. All parties filed briefs and a hearing was conducted on August 15, 1985. The trial court thereafter held that plaintiffs have standing and are proper parties; that a justiciable controversy exists; that intervenor is a proper party for intervention; that Chapter 240 is not unconstitutional as an improper delegation of legislative power; that it does not violate the Supremacy and Commerce Clauses of the United States Constitution; and that a Peremptory Writ of Prohibition will not be granted because: (1) adequate remedies at law exist, (2) the acts sought to be restrained are ministerial and not subject to a Writ of Prohibition, (3) the action was not timely commenced, and (4) it would be tantamount to an advisory opinion. The trial court also specifically declined to rule on the defendants' interpretation that Chapter 240 does not constitute a referendum upon Chapter 287 (the Compact) and declined to rule on the defendants' interpretation that HJR 1005 is not a properly enacted law and does not constitute a referendum upon the Compact. From the trial court's order, the plaintiffs have appealed. From the trial court's refusal to adopt defendants' additional proposed conclusions of law, the defendants seek review. From the trial court's conclusion that plaintiffs are proper parties, the intervenor seeks review. On August 30, 1985, this Court expedited the appeal and ordered the filing of simultaneous briefs. Oral arguments were heard on September 13, 1985. We address only those issues we deem relevant to this expedited appeal.