Court Opinion

ID: 9825127
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 12:08:44.430938+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:40:26.321995
License: Public Domain

On Petition for Rehearing.
(280 Pac. 495.)
Plaintiff has presented a petition for rehearing supported by very convincing and logical argument. Most of the contentions are repetitions of the argument in chief. If the matter of arranging petitions *308and other procedure for referring acts of the legislature to the voters by petition were regulated by the courts, we could accept without hesitation the views so ably presented by plaintiff. No doubt the act referred to as a “Bill” in the title prepared by the learned Attorney General is a completed and finished act so far as the legislative assembly is concerned. The Bill as introduced in the House passed into an Act when signed by the proper presiding officers and the Governor. But the question now presented is the name of the measure from the angle of the voter. The petition for referring the act to the people being sufficient the act as passed by the legislature does not become effective as a law until it shall have been passed by the people also. The matter of terms is not important. There can be no confusion because the measure is called a “Bill” when a more accurate technical term would be an “Act.”
 The matter is not open to doubt because the form prepared by the legislature refers to the measure as a Bill. It was the duty of the Attorney General to follow the language of the statute which he has done. According to the argument of the learned plaintiff and his attorney a large percentage of the voters would not know the difference between an “Act” and a “Bill.” That being the case such cannot be misled by the term applied to the measure. Others will not be misled because the ballot will clearly state that the measure was referred to the people: Or. L., § 4103.
“Measures referred by any governmental body shall be designated by the heading ‘Referred to the people by the (here name governmental body) ’; measures referred by petition shall be designated *309‘Referendum ordered by petition of the people’; * * ” Or. L., § 7199.
The court must take judicial notice of the required form of the ballot. Over the number submitting the Bill providing, for two additional judges will be the legend: “Referendum ordered by petition of the people.” There can be no confusion of the initiative with the referendum. In the light of these requirements any person desiring to be informed about how to cast his ballot cannot be misled by the short title.
Petition denied.
Brown, J., absent.