In the Matter of Title, Submission Clause for 2009-2010 91

235 P.3d 1071, 2010 Colo. LEXIS 508, 2010 WL 2563419
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedJune 28, 2010
Docket10SA135
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 235 P.3d 1071 (In the Matter of Title, Submission Clause for 2009-2010 91) 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
In the Matter of Title, Submission Clause for 2009-2010 91, 235 P.3d 1071, 2010 Colo. LEXIS 508, 2010 WL 2563419 (Colo. 2010).

Opinions

Justice HOBBS

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

Christopher Howes, a registered elector of the State of Colorado, filed this original proceeding pursuant to section 1-40-107(2), C.R.S. (2009), to challenge the Title Board's action in setting the title, ballot title and submission clause, and summary for 2009-2010 Initiative # 91 ("Initiative #91"). Under the stated broad purpose "to protect and preserve the waters of the state," Initiative # 91 proposes a constitutional amendment to article XVI, section 5 of the Colorado Constitution that would impose a tax on beverage containers, exempting containers that hold alcoholic beverages, dairy products, and medicines. The initiative would create a special fund into which the revenue generated by this tax would be placed, and it articulates that the fund shall be used as specified in the initiative.

Initiative #91 directs eighty percent of the beverage container tax revenue to be distributed to Colorado's nine basin roundtables and the interbasin compact committee for use as specified in section (5) of the initiative. In addition, section (10) of the initiative would impose a prohibition on legislative actions by the General Assembly through the last day of December 2014, banning it from altering the statutes currently governing the basin roundtables and the in-terbasin compact committee, or from creating or empowering any another agency with authority to supersede or be superior to the basin roundtables or interbasin compact committee.

Among other arguments, Howes contends that Initiative # 91 contains multiple subjects in violation of article V, section 1(5.5) of the Colorado Constitution. We agree. We hold that Initiative # 91 contains at least two subjects: (1) creating and administering a beverage container tax, and (2) prohibiting the General Assembly from exercising its legislative authority over the basin roundtables and interbasin compact committee until the year [1074]*10742015, while embedding these entities within the water sections of the Colorado Constitution and vesting them with significant new authority.

We therefore reverse the action of the Title Board and return this matter to the Board with directions to strike the title and return the initiative to the proponents. Because we determine that Initiative # 91 contains multiple subjects, we need not address Howes' remaining arguments that the title set by the Title Board is misleading and that the Title Board lacked jurisdiction because the proponents amended the initiative without complying with section 1-40-105(4), C.R.S. (2009). See In re Title, Ballot Title & Submission Clause for Proposed Initiative 2001-02 # 43, 46 P.3d 438, 440 (Colo.2002); In re Title, Ballot Title & Submission Clause, and Summary for 1997-98 No. 45, 960 P.2d 648, 650 (Colo.1998).

1.

On April 19, 2010, the Title Board set the title, ballot title and submission clause, and summary for Initiative #91. Howes filed a motion for rehearing pursuant to section 1-40-107(1), C.R.S. (2009), arguing that Initiative #91 contained multiple subjects, that the title was misleading, and that the Title Board did not have jurisdiction to set a title because the proponents made substantial amendments to Initiative #91 without highlighting the changes as required by section 1-40-105(4).

The Title Board granted Howes' motion in part, striking several terms in the title that it determined could be misleading.1 However, the Title Board denied Howes' motion with respect to all of his other arguments, including that Initiative #91 contained multiple subjects. Howes filed this original proceeding with us pursuant to section 1-40-107(2) to challenge the Title Board's decision, making the same arguments he made to the Board in his motion for rehearing.

Initiative #912 begins by stating, "(in order for the waters of this state to be available to future generations of Colorado citizens for both consumptive and noneon-sumptive uses, it is necessary and prudent to establish a means to protect and preserve the waters of the state." The initiative then declares that "[a] fee on containers that hold nonaleohol beverages for human consumption is rationally related to the protection and preservation of the waters of this state for future generations."

Accordingly, the initiative proposes a constitutional amendment to article XVI, section 5 of the Colorado Constitution imposing a tax on beverage containers in the amount of one cent for each six fluid ounces, up to a maximum of fifty cents on any single container. The initiative specifically exempts containers that hold alcoholic beverages, dairy products, and medicines, as well as containers filled with a fountain beverage that are intended for immediate consumption.

Initiative # 91 would create a special fund in the state treasury into which the estimated $110 million annual revenue generated from the beverage container tax would be deposited and instructs the State Treasurer how and when to distribute the funds. Section (5) of the initiative specifies that the bulk of the fund shall be available exclusively to the basin roundtables and the interbasin compact committee for:

(A) The protection, administration, and development of renewable surface waters and groundwater supplies for maximum utilization;
(B) The planning for and implementation of drought mitigation strategies;
(C) The development and implementation of measures designed to foster water conservation, the curtailment of wasteful uses of water, and the management of demand by water users;
[1075]*1075(D) Subject to the water laws of the state of Colorado, to maximize the efficient reuse of waters of this state;
(E) The full utilization of the water allocated to the state of Colorado in accordance with any interstate compact that the state of Colorado is party to;
(F) The development of practices to further the conjunctive uses of surface water and groundwater;
(G) The development of water storage, whether above ground or in the aquifers, to optimize the management of the water supplies of the state of Colorado;
(H) The improvement of water supply storage, treatment, and distribution systems to minimize water loss;
(I) The management and stewardship of the watersheds of the state of Colorado that are essential to the protection of the water supply that is generated by the watersheds including habitat for species of animals, birds and fish that are dependent upon the watersheds, erosion mitigation and control, and wildfire prevention; and
(J) Measures designed to improve the quality of the waters of the state of Colorado including meeting water quality mandates imposed by the state of Colorado or the United States.

Initiative # 91 specifies to whom the revenue will be distributed. Five percent of the beverage container tax revenue, up to six million dollars, is to be maintained as a reserve, and the state may borrow up to two-thirds of this reserve to defend against legal action pursuant to the Colorado River Compact.

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In the Matter of Title, Submission Clause for 2009-2010 91
235 P.3d 1071 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2010)

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Bluebook (online)
235 P.3d 1071, 2010 Colo. LEXIS 508, 2010 WL 2563419, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-the-matter-of-title-submission-clause-for-2009-2010-91-colo-2010.