Hayes v. Ottke

2013 CO 1, 293 P.3d 551, 2013 WL 104911
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedJanuary 7, 2013
DocketNos. 12SA117, 12SA130
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2013 CO 1 (Hayes v. Ottke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hayes v. Ottke, 2013 CO 1, 293 P.3d 551, 2013 WL 104911 (Colo. 2013).

Opinion

Justice MARQUEZ

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

1 1 In this opinion, we review the actions of the title setting board ("Title Board") in setting the titles and ballot titles and submission clauses (collectively, "titles") in two groups of initiatives. These original proceedings are brought by registered electors of the State of Colorado pursuant to section 1-40-107(2), C.R.S. (2012).

T2 In Case No. 12SA117, Petitioner Philip Hayes challenges the Title Board's actions in setting titles for Initiatives 2011-2012 Nos. 67, 68, and 69 (unofficially captioned the "Citizen Initiative Process" by legislative staff for tracking purposes). Respondents David Ott-ke and John Slota are the designated representatives for these proposed initiatives. If adopted by voters, these initiatives would alter the way the General Assembly may amend or repeal citizen-initiated statutes. Initiatives No. 68 and No. 69 would also reduce the number of signatures required to propose an initiated statute.1

T3 In Case No. 128A1830,2 Petitioners Barbara Walker and Don Childears challenge the Title Board's actions in setting titles for Initiative 2011-2012 No. 94 (unofficially captioned "Establishment of Banks Owned by Political Subdivisions" by legislative staff for tracking purposes) and No. 95 (unofficially captioned "Establish a State-Owned Bank" by legislative staff for tracking purposes) (collectively, the "Banking Initiatives"). Respondents Earl Staelin and Robert Bows are the designated representatives for these proposed initiatives. If adopted by voters, Initiative No. 94 would amend the state constitution to allow political subdivisions of the state to establish and operate banks, and Initiative No. 95 would amend the constitution to establish a bank owned and operated by the State of Colorado. These initiatives also set forth provisions concerning the regu[553]*553lation, governance, and capitalization requirements of such government-owned banks.3

" 4 Petitioners raise several challenges 4 to the Title Board's actions. However, the common threshold question presented in both 128A117 and 128A180 is whether the Title Board had authority to act on motions for rehearing to address challenges to the titles previously set, where fewer than both of the designated representatives of the initiative's proponents appeared at the rehearing.

T5 Because section 1-40-106(4)(@), C.R.S. (2012), requires "[elach designated representative" to appear at "any title board meeting at which the designated representative's ballot issue is considered," and because a rehearing qualifies as a "meeting" of the Title Board under sections 1-40-106(1) and 1-40-107(1)(c), C.R.S. (2012), we hold that these provisions require both designated representatives to appear at a rehearing on challenges to a previous decision or title set by the Title Board. Further, because section 1-40-106(4)(d), C.R.S. (2012), states that "[the title board shall not set a title for a ballot issue if either designated representative of the proponents fails to appear at a title board meeting," and because the title setting process is not complete until the Title Board has resolved a timely motion for rehearing, see Armstrong v. Davidson, 10 P.3d 1278, 1282-83 (Colo.2000), we hold that, where, as here, fewer than both designated representatives appear at a rehearing, the Title Board lacks authority to take action with respect to the challenged titles. Rather, under section 1-40-106(4)(d), the Title Board may defer consideration of the challenges raised in the motion for rehearing to the Title Board's "next meeting," so long as both designated representatives appear at that meeting. Accordingly, we reverse the actions of the Title Board with respect to the initiatives at issue here, and return the measures to the Title Board for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

I. Relevant Procedural Background

A. 128A117, Initiatives 2011-2012 Nos. 67, 68, and 69 (the "Citizen Initiative Process" Initiatives)

T 6 On April 4, 2012, the Title Board held a public meeting to set the titles and submission clauses for Initiatives 2011-2012 Nos. 67, 68, and 69. Thereafter, Petitioner Hayes filed a timely motion for rehearing. On April 11, 2012, an employee from the Elections Division at the Secretary of State's office sent an email to Mr. Ottke and Mr. Slota, the designated representatives for the initiatives, informing them that a motion for rehearing had been filed, and that "[plursuant to seetion 1-40-106(4)(a), C.R.S., both designated representatives will need to appear at the rehearing." The following day, however, the same employee sent Mr. Ottke and Mr. Slota another email, stating that they were not required to appear at the hearing, and apologizing for giving incorrect information in the previous email.

T 7 Only Mr. Ottke attended the rehearing before the Title Board on April 19, 2012. At the beginning of the rehearing, counsel for Petitioner Hayes argued that section 1-40-106(4)(a) required both representatives to participate, and that because only one was present, the Board should deem the motion for rehearing admitted. The Board rejected that argument by a two-to-one vote. The [554]*554Title Board proceeded to amend the language of the titles in response to other arguments raised in the motion for rehearing not relevant here, and denied the motion in all other respects.

B. 128A130, Initiatives 2011-2012 Nos. 94 and 95 (the "Banking Initiatives")

T8 On April 18, 2012, at the last regularly scheduled meeting of the Title Board in the 2012 election cycle, the Board set titles and submission clauses for Initiatives 2011-2012 Nos. 94 and 95. At the conclusion of that meeting, a member of the Title Board informed everyone present that any motion for rehearing must be filed within seven days and that, because the titles had been set at the Board's last meeting in April, any motion for rehearing would be heard within forty-eight hours after the expiration of the seven-day filing period for such motions. See § 1-40-107(1)(a), (c), C.R.S. (2012).

T9 Petitioners Childears and Walker thereafter filed timely motions for rehearing. On April 26, 2012, the Title Board held the rehearing. Of the two designated representatives, Mr. Bows did not attend the rehearing meeting at all, and although Mr. Staelin attended a portion of the meeting regarding Initiative 2011-2012 No. 94, he was absent during the entire discussion regarding Initiative 2011-2012 No. 95.

{10 At the beginning of the rehearing, counsel for Petitioner Childears argued that section 1-40-106(4)(a) required both designated representatives be present, and that under section 1-40-106(4)(d), the Title Board lacked authority to set a title if either designated representative failed to appear. On a two-to-one vote, the Board rejected Petitioner's argument, concluding that it had already set title for the initiatives at the April 18, 2012 meeting, and that the applicable statutes did not provide a remedy for the designated representatives' failure to attend the rehearing. After rejecting Petitioner's single-subject and clear-title challenges, the Title Board amended the language for the titles of both initiatives and voted to deny the motions for rehearing.

II. Analysis

A. Standard of Review

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Bluebook (online)
2013 CO 1, 293 P.3d 551, 2013 WL 104911, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hayes-v-ottke-colo-2013.