Court Opinion

ID: 9854860
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:15:38.063127+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:30.788321
License: Public Domain

Duckworth, Chief Justice,
dissenting. To my mind one thing stands out too plainly to be overlooked, and that is — that since this proposed amendment refers to every municipality in this state outside of Cobb County, it is general in scope, concerns every citizen in the state, and hence should be voted upon by every voter of the state. Its sole purpose is to control the manner in which the corporate boundaries of any city outside of *686Cobb County might be extended in that county, thus affecting Cobb County, every existing city in the state and every future charter the legislature might grant outside of Cobb County — • thus affecting every citizen of this state. It is foolish to say that this might involve the City of Whigham in Grady County, 250 miles away; hence the people of Whigham but not the other people in Grady County outside of Whigham should vote on it.
I think it was unsound for the Governor and his associates to order that only voters in the countless municipal corporations of this state vote upon the amendment along with the voters of Cobb County. Their act can not be justified as an exercise of a sound discretion because it is unquestionably a bold violation of the Constitution and laws. In such a case both injunction and mandamus are available remedies. Why should this court sit here idly by while the proposed amendment passes through the process of adoption at exorbitant expense to the taxpayers only to wait until that time is over and then later rule that it was illegally adopted and is void — which must certainly be our holding if it is voted on only by residents of municipalities and Cobb county?
The proper function of courts is to render judgments to fix rights by deciding cases. The majority in my opinion completely miss the mark when they cite cases asserting that courts will not interfere with the process of legislation before it is finished. Amending the Constitution is not legislation in the true sense of the word, and too, the relief sought here neither stops nor hurtfully affects this amendment. Indeed, it would give the judicial help needed to avoid waste of money and time to obtain only a void amendment, and I think the remedies sought should be applied. If it is too late to advertise legally, it is not too late to stop the waste of money to further advertise it illegally. I would reverse and direct that the proposed amendment be advertised as required, and that it be placed on the ballot and be voted on state-wide.
The proposed amendment is a monstrosity, and our Constitution will profit by its destruction. Yet, the people and not the Governor and his associates should have this right. Vetoes of proposed constitutional amendments are not permitted under the *687Constitution. Code Ann. § 2-8103; Const, of 1945. Nor was the authority granted to the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of State to determine whether an amendment is general or local in the constitutional amendment of 1956 (Code Ann. § 2-8101; Const, of 1945, amended Ga. L. 1956, p. 637; ratified November 6, 1956) intended to amount to one. Who knows how many new municipal corporations will be created by the legislature? Who is so blind that he would give Cobb County or the people of Cobb- County power to prevent municipalities from crossing its county lines? Who would question the right of every voter of the state to cast his vote on whether such an unreasonable amendment to his Constitution is adopted? Who knows that the legislature will not, at any time, exercise its undeniable power and grant charters combining entire counties, yet be stymied by the people of Cobb County who would prevent such legislation involving any part of the territory of Cobb County? Creation, changing and abolishing municipalities are powers solely within the legislative function. No sensible or tangible reason now appears why the Constitution should concern itself with such matters; and before the Constitution, now for the first time, does so, the people who are the authors of the Constitution should be allowed to make that radical decision.
I am unwilling to remain passive when this court is asked to speak out clearly on this vital constitutional question.