September 14, 2006, Introduced by Rep. Elsenheimer and referred to the Committee on House Oversight, Elections, and Ethics.
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, by amending section 2 of article XII, to
revise the petition filing deadline and the petition signature
requirements for amending the state constitution.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, to revise the petition filing deadline and
the petition signature requirements for amending the state
constitution, is proposed, agreed to, and submitted to the people
of the state:
ARTICLE XII
Sec. 2. Amendments may be proposed to this constitution by
petition of the registered electors of this state. Every petition
shall include the full text of the proposed amendment, be signed by
at least 1,000 registered electors in each of at least 1/2 of the
congressional districts of this state, and be signed by registered
electors
of the this
state equal in number to at least 10
percent
of the total vote cast for all candidates for governor at the last
preceding
general election at which a governor was elected. Such
petitions
Petitions shall be filed with the person
authorized by
law
to receive the same at least 120 days before the election at
which
the proposed amendment is to be voted upon. Any such
secretary of state, as provided by law. The petition shall be in
the form, and shall be signed and circulated in such manner, as
prescribed
by law. The person authorized by law to
receive such
canvass the petition shall upon its receipt determine, as provided
by law, the validity and sufficiency of the signatures on the
petition,
and make an official announcement
thereof of the
validity and sufficiency of the signatures on the petition at least
60 days prior to the election at which the proposed amendment is to
be voted upon.
Any
An amendment proposed by such petition
shall be
submitted ,
not less than 120 days after it was filed, to the
electors
at the next general election. Such The
proposed
amendment, existing provisions of the constitution which would be
altered
or abrogated thereby by the proposed amendment,
and the
question as it shall appear on the ballot shall be published in
full
as provided by law. Copies of such the
publication shall be
posted in each polling place and furnished to news media as
provided by law.
The
ballot to be used in such the
election shall contain a
statement of the purpose of the proposed amendment, expressed in
not
more than 100 words, exclusive of the
caption. Such The
statement
of purpose and caption shall be prepared by the person
authorized
by law state director of
elections, and shall consist
of a true and impartial statement of the purpose of the proposed
amendment
in such language
as shall create that creates no
prejudice for or against the proposed amendment.
If the proposed amendment is approved by a majority of the
electors voting on the question, it shall become part of the
constitution, and shall abrogate or amend existing provisions of
the constitution at the end of 45 days after the date of the
election at which it was approved. If two or more amendments
approved by the electors at the same election conflict, that
amendment receiving the highest affirmative vote shall prevail.
Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be
submitted to the people of the state at the next general election
in the manner provided by law.