There is already talk about the quick legal challenge to passing billions of dollars of tax increases with a 2/3rds vote of the legislature. But chew on this — undoubtedly a referendum will also be filed on these bills if signed into law. From my basic understanding of how that process works, just the start of the qualification process of a referendum halts the implementation of the laws for months… Chew on that! Anyone have the forms I need to submit to start the ball rolling? I think I just need to send in a letter a $200 check…
December 18th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Referenum provisions are in Article II, Section 9 of the state constitution:
“SEC. 9. (a) The referendum is the power of the electors to approve
or reject statutes or parts of statutes except urgency statutes,
statutes calling elections, and statutes providing for tax levies or
appropriations for usual current expenses of the State.
(b) A referendum measure may be proposed by presenting to the
Secretary of State, within 90 days after the enactment date of the
statute, a petition certified to have been signed by electors equal
in number to 5 percent of the votes for all candidates for Governor
at the last gubernatorial election, asking that the statute or part
of it be submitted to the electors. In the case of a statute enacted
by a bill passed by the Legislature on or before the date the
Legislature adjourns for a joint recess to reconvene in the second
calendar year of the biennium of the legislative session, and in the
possession of the Governor after that date, the petition may not be
presented on or after January 1 next following the enactment date
unless a copy of the petition is submitted to the Attorney General
pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 10 of Article II before
January 1.
(c) The Secretary of State shall then submit the measure at the
next general election held at least 31 days after it qualifies or at
a special statewide election held prior to that general election.
The Governor may call a special statewide election for the measure.”
December 18th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I’ll help pitch in for the cost if it can get this monster stopped in its tracks.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:00 am
“except urgency statutes,
statutes calling elections, and statutes providing for tax levies or appropriations for usual current expenses of the State”
It sounds like they can wiggle out of a Referendum???
I will gladly write the check for the $200 fee.