Matter of Proposed I. Const. Amendment

830 P.2d 1023
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedJune 1, 1992
Docket92SA98
StatusPublished

This text of 830 P.2d 1023 (Matter of Proposed I. Const. Amendment) 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
Matter of Proposed I. Const. Amendment, 830 P.2d 1023 (Colo. 1992).

Opinion

830 P.2d 1023 (1992)

In the Matter of the Title, Ballot Title and Submission Clause Approved February 14, 1992, with regard to the PROPOSED INITIATED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING LIMITED GAMING IN the TOWN OF BURLINGTON, Evans, Lamar, Las Animas, Sterling, Antonito, Garden City, Granada, Holly, Julesburg, Milliken, Ovid, Peetz and Sedgwick, and the Counties of Logan, Prowers and Sedgwick (Limited Gaming III), and the Motion for Rehearing Denied on February 28, 1992.
James E. Klodzinski and Charles R. Sarner, Petitioners, and
Paul Nielsen and Jerry Haynes, Respondents, and
Ray Slaughter, Doug Brown and Natalie Meyer, Title Setting Board.

No. 92SA98.

Supreme Court of Colorado, En Banc.

June 1, 1992.

*1024 Charles R. Sarner, pro se.

James E. Klodzinski, Trinidad, for petitioners.

Berry & Singer, John Berry, Denver, for respondents.

Gale A. Norton, Atty. Gen., Raymond T. Slaughter, Chief Deputy Atty. Gen., Timothy M. Tymkovich, Sol. Gen., Maurice G. Knaizer, Deputy Atty. Gen., Denver, for Title Setting Bd.

Justice ERICKSON delivered the Opinion of the Court.

James E. Klodzinski and Charles R. Sarner, registered electors (petitioners), pursuant to section 1-40-102(3)(a), 1B C.R.S. (1991 Supp.), seek review of the validity of the title, submission clause,[1] and summary set by the Initiative Title Setting Board (Board)[2] for a proposed amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning limited gaming. The petitioners assert that the title, submission clause, and summary set by the Board do not reflect the true intent and meaning of the proposed Initiative and petitioned for a rehearing. The Board held a hearing and considered the substance of petitioners' motion to amend the language set by the Board. The petitioners' proposed amendments to the title, submission clause and summary were not accepted and the petitioners' motion for rehearing was, therefore, denied. We affirm.

I

The Board conducted the public meeting required by section 1-40-101(2) and it set the title, submission clause, and summary for an initiated constitutional amendment (Initiative) to articles IX and XVIII of the Colorado Constitution. The Initiative would extend limited gaming to several Colorado cities, towns, and counties, and would add to games of chance that may be conducted where limited gaming is permitted. In addition, the Initiative would allow the general assembly to increase the maximum single bet above the present limit, and would change the gaming tax revenue allocation from the general fund to the public school fund. The text of the Initiative is included as an appendix to this opinion. Petitioners contested the validity of the title, submission clause, and summary fixed by the Board and filed a motion for rehearing under section 1-40-102(3)(a), 1B C.R.S. (1991 Supp.).[3] The Board heard the petition for rehearing on February 28, 1992, and the proposal for amendment of the language of the title, submission clause, and summary, and denied the motion. Pursuant to section 1-40-102(3)(a), review is sought in this court.

II

The question is whether the language set by the Board for the title, submission clause, and summary fairly and correctly expresses the true intent and meaning of the Initiative and adequately informs signers *1025 of petitions and voters of its effects.[4] We answer the question in the affirmative.

The title, submission clause, and summary at issue provide:

Title
AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE XVIII OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION TO PERMIT LIMITED GAMING, SUBJECT TO AN AFFIRMATIVE LOCAL VOTE, IN THE CITIES AND TOWNS OF BURLINGTON, EVANS, LAMAR, LAS ANIMAS, STERLING, ANTONITO, GARDEN CITY, GRANADA, HOLLY, JULESBURG, MILLIKEN, OVID, PEETZ, AND SEDGWICK AND THE COUNTIES OF LOGAN, PROWERS, AND SEDGWICK; TO ADD TO THE TYPES OF GAMES WHICH MAY BE CONDUCTED WHERE LIMITED GAMING IS PERMITTED; TO ALLOW THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM SINGLE BET ABOVE THE PRESENT FIVE-DOLLAR LIMIT; TO ALLOCATE TAX REVENUES DERIVED FROM LIMITED GAMING ACTIVITIES; AND TO CHANGE THE TAX REVENUE ALLOCATION FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUND IF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONTINUES SCHOOL FUNDING AT NO LESS THAN THE LEVEL ESTABLISHED AT THE 1992 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
Submission Clause
SHALL THERE BE AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE XVIII OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION TO PERMIT LIMITED GAMING, SUBJECT TO AN AFFIRMATIVE LOCAL VOTE, IN THE CITIES AND TOWNS OF BURLINGTON, EVANS, LAMAR, LAS ANIMAS, STERLING, ANTONITO, GARDEN CITY, GRANADA, HOLLY, JULESBURG, MILLIKEN, OVID, PEETZ, AND SEDGWICK AND THE COUNTIES OF LOGAN, PROWERS, AND SEDGWICK; TO ADD TO THE TYPES OF GAMES WHICH MAY BE CONDUCTED WHERE LIMITED GAMING IS PERMITTED; TO ALLOW THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM SINGLE BET ABOVE THE PRESENT FIVE-DOLLAR LIMIT; TO ALLOCATE TAX REVENUES DERIVED FROM LIMITED GAMING ACTIVITIES; AND TO CHANGE THE TAX REVENUE ALLOCATION FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUND IF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONTINUES SCHOOL FUNDING AT NO LESS THAN THE LEVEL ESTABLISHED AT THE 1992 LEGISLATIVE SESSION?
Summary

This measure authorizes limited gaming in the cities and towns of Burlington, Evans, Lamar, Las Animas, Sterling, Antonito, Garden City, Granada, Holly, Julesburg, Milliken, Ovid, Peetz and Sedgwick and the Counties of Logan, Prowers, and Sedgwick upon the approval of the electorates of such cities, towns and counties at special elections to be called by March 1, 1993, and set and conducted within thirty to ninety days of the call. All gaming under this measure is subject to regulation by the Colorado limited gaming control commission subject to licensing pursuant to local ordinances and subject to enabling legislation to be in place by May 1, 1993. The measure allows the General Assembly to increase the maximum single bet above the present five-dollar limit. The measure requires that gaming activities be confined to areas designated by local ordinances and within those areas, to structures, conforming to applicable local ordinances. It prohibits gaming between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. The measure adds big 6 wheel to the limited gaming activities which may be conducted in all communities where limited gaming is permitted, including Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek. The measure *1026 also specifies how gaming tax revenues shall be spent, with fifty percent of the revenues generated from all limited gaming activity and 75% of the revenues generated from gaming in the above-named locations allocated to the state public school fund so long as the general assembly continues to appropriate money to the schools at levels at least equal to the level of funding established at the 1992 legislative session.

Limited gaming in the specified additional cities, towns, and counties and the authorization of additional games are expected to increase revenues to state and local governments. However state and local governments are expected to incur increased costs of administration, law enforcement, roads, infrastructure, and special elections required as a result of this measure. The amounts of these revenues and costs are indeterminate. In addition the revenues to the state public school fund will be increased while the general fund revenues will decrease.

III

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830 P.2d 1023, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matter-of-proposed-i-const-amendment-colo-1992.