Court Opinion

ID: 6739061
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-07-20 23:20:37.917113+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:01:53.944682
License: Public Domain

Bronson, J.
(specially concurring). I concur in the determination made that the judgment must be reversed and the action ordered dismissed upon the ground that chapter 136, Laws 1917, was not ever adopted as the law of this state, and that therefore the information does not state a public offense. Under § 58 of the Constitution no law shall be passed except by a bill adopted by both Houses, and under § 65 of the Constitution no bill shall become a law unless, on its final passage, the vote be taken by “yeas” and “nays” and the names of those voting be entered on the journal. As set forth in the opinion of Justice Christianson, and as disclosed by the Journals of the House and Senate of the legislative session of 1917, chapter 136, Laws of 1917, was, in fact, never up before the Senate for a third reading and final passage in the form that it was adopted, and it never was, in fact, voted upon by the members of the Senate in 1917. Although the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House signed the engrossed bill in the form that it now appears as an apparent law, and the bill became by signature of the governor and filing’ as ordinarily required an apparent law, nevertheless in fact, it was never adopted as such by the Senate of 1917. Although high presumptions should obtain as to the conclusiveness of the engrossed bill, yet the provisions of the Constitution are mandatory, and a bill that was in fact not passed cannot be made a law by the mere certification of the state officers, when it has, in fact, not been passed by the legislative body having the power so to do.