In Re Initiative Petition No. 2

1910 OK 184, 109 P. 823, 26 Okla. 548, 1910 Okla. LEXIS 94
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 9, 1910
Docket1526
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 1910 OK 184 (In Re Initiative Petition No. 2) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Initiative Petition No. 2, 1910 OK 184, 109 P. 823, 26 Okla. 548, 1910 Okla. LEXIS 94 (Okla. 1910).

Opinion

WILLIAMS, J.

On December 31, 1909, Campbell Russell lodged in the office of Secretary of State initiative petition No. 2, being entitled “An act to create a district to be known as the New *549 Jerusalem District, and providing for the acquiring, location, survey and management of the same and making appropriation therefor.” On the 4th day of January, A. D. 1910, Frank Dale and others filed with the Secretary of State their objections to calling and holding an election thereon. On the 6th day of January, A. D. 1910, a hearing was had on said objections before the Secretary of State, and the same were overruled, and the said petition held to be sufficient in all particulars. A transcript of said proceedings was filed in this court on March 22, 1910.

Dpon the argument here on June 7, 1910, it was conceded that the proposition as to the right to question the repugnancy of the measure with the enabling act and state and federal Constitutions, in a hearing before the Secretary of State, had been decided against the appellant in the case of Threadgill et al. v. Cross, infra, 109 Pac. 558.

It is further urged, however, that the same measure as this herein sought to be initiated was rejected by the people through the powers of the initiative and referendum at the general November election in 1908, and as this measure is proposed by less than 25 per centum of the legal voters, based upon the total number of votes cast at the last general election for the state officer receiving the highest number of votes at such election for that reason this petition is insufficient. The First Legislature adopted Senate Joint Eesolution No. 8, being in w'ords and figures as follows:

"Submitting to a vote of the people the question of selecting a : location for the state capital.
“Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Eepresentatives of the State of Oklahoma:
“That the Secretary of State in and for the state of Oklahoma be and is hereby instructed to prepare and submit in due form and in accordance with the law, the following question to be voted on at the regular' election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1908.
“Do you favor the state of Oklahoma’s selecting and securing *550 a site for the location of a capital city., said site to be owned and controlled by, and the lots therein sold for the benefit of, the state ?
“Approved May 29, 1908”

Laws 1907-08, p. 775.

This question was accordingly submitted at said election, the total voting thereat being 252,022; the total number of voters answering “Yes” being 117,441, and in the negative 75,772. The question arises as to whether (1) this joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment, or (2) initiates a bill for the enactment of a statute, or (3) is it such a measure as is contemplated by section 6, art. 5, of the Constitution?

1. If the Legislature intended Senate Joint Resolution No. 8 as proposing an amendment to the Constitution, under section 1, art. 5, and section 1, art. 24 of the Constitution, it was necessary for a majority of all the electors voting at such election to vote in favor of such proposed amendment in order for it to be adopted. It did not receive such majority, and, if it be considered as a proposed constitutional amendment, it failed of adoption. If it be considered as a bill initiated by the Legislature, to take effect and be in force as a law when approved by the people, still it failed of passage and is ’of no effect. For section 3, art. 5, of the Constitution provides that any measure referred to the people by the initiative shall take effect and be in force when it shall have been approved by a majority of the votes cast in such election. If it be considered as a referendum measure, though it received a majority of the votes cast thereon, provided by section 3, art. 5, of the Constitution, still it is ineffective. For a referendum measure is (1) where either the Legislature enacts a law and provides that the same shall, not take effect and be in force until it shall have ,been approved by a majority of the votes cast thereon at an election at which it is to be submitted, or (2) when *551 an emergency is not declared to such measure by virtue of section 58, art. 5, of the Constitution, and within 90 days' after the adjournment of the session of the Legislature at which it was passed, a petition signed by 5 per cent, of the legal voters, based upon the total number of votes cast at the last election for the state officer receiving the highest number of votes at such election, is filed with the Secretary of State, demanding it to be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection. See section 7, art. 5, Const. Olda. In this case, by Joint Senate Eesolution No. 8, the Legislature does not purport to have enacted anything into a law or statute, but directs the Secretary of State to submit a certain question to the people, upon which they are to answer “Yes” or “No.” If it was intended to be a referendum measure, it was approved by having received a majority of the votes cast thereon; but it is ineffective, as it had never been enacted as a predicate for reference for rejection or approval.

Section 6, art. 5, of the Constitution provides:

“Any measure rejected by the people, through the powers of the initiative and referendum, cannot be again proposed by the initiative within three years thereafter by less than twenty-five per centum of the legal voters.”

Senate Joint Eesolution No. 8 appears to have been submitted merely for advisory purposes. On March 27, 1908, two days before the Joint Senate Eesolution No. 8 was passed, Joint House Eesolution No. 11 was passed, being in words and figures as follows:

“Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Old ahorna.
“Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Oklahoma:

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Bluebook (online)
1910 OK 184, 109 P. 823, 26 Okla. 548, 1910 Okla. LEXIS 94, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-initiative-petition-no-2-okla-1910.