Referendum on Enforcing the Separation of Powers of Government
7TH SENATE Senator Techiey No. 22
A RESOLUTION
to
Hold a public referendum to amend the Constitution of the State of Ridgeway to limit the
appointment of Senators to the Ridgeway State Senate by the Governor of the State of Ridgeway
and to limit the duration of such appointments.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF RIDGEWAY:
Section 1. Short title. The short title of this Resolution is “Referendum on Gubernatorial
Term Limit Amendment”.
Section 2. Enforceability. This Resolution shall be severable in that the unconstitutional
nature or unenforceability of any section or part thereof does not impact the
enforceability of the remainder of this Resolution.
Section 3. Effective date. This Resolution shall be effective upon adoption by a
supermajority (⅔) of the State Senate. The amendment described by Section 4 of this
resolution shall be effective upon adoption by a simple majority (½) of the ballots cast in
the referendum described by Section 5 of this resolution, per 7 R. Stat. § 4101 (S1-30,
Constitutional Amendment Act) and the State Constitution, Article VI, Section VIII.
Section 4. Amendment. The Constitution of the State of Ridgeway shall be amended as
follows.
Article III, Section VII shall be created to state: “The Governor shall have power
to appoint, in times of vacancy of a seat in the Senate, Senators pro tempore for a
period not exceeding 2 weeks. No vacant seat shall be filled by more than one
Senator pro tempore during the period of vacancy, and no subsequent appointment
of a Senator pro tempore to that seat shall be made until the vacancy is otherwise
filled in a manner consistent with this Constitution. Such appointments shall be
limited to less than ½ of the current membership of the Senate by those Senators
otherwise duly elected and such Senators pro tempore shall not be eligible for
appointment as the President of the Senate, pro tempore.”
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Article IV, Section I shall be amended to read: “The Governor, and in the
Governor's absence, the Lieutenant-Governor, shall have power to commission all
officers, and also to appoint officers, except where provision is, or shall be,
otherwise made by law or this Frame of Government; and shall supply every
vacancy in any executive office, occasioned by resignation or otherwise, until the
office can be filled in the manner directed by law or this Constitution. The
Governor is to correspond with other States, transact business with officers of
government, civil and military, and prepare such business as may appear
necessary, to lay before the Senate. The Governor shall have power to grant
pardons and remit fines in all cases whatsoever, except in treason in which the
Governor shall have power to grant reprieves, but not to pardon, until after the
end of the next session of the Senate; and except in cases of impeachment, in
which the Governor shall not grant reprieve or pardon, and there shall be no
remission, or mitigation of punishment, but by act of legislation. The Governor is
also to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. The Governor is to expedite
the execution of such measures as may be resolved upon by the Senate. The
Governor may grant such licenses as shall be directed by law; and shall have
power to call together the Senate, when necessary, before the day to which they
shall stand adjourned. The Governor shall be Commander-in-Chief of the forces
of the State, but shall not command in person, in time of war, or insurrection,
unless by the advice and consent of the Senate, and no longer than they shall
approve thereof. And the Lieutenant-Governor shall, by virtue of office, be
Lieutenant-General of all the forces of the State.”
Section 5. Severability. This Resolution shall not apply to any person holding the office
of Senator when this Resolution was proposed by the Senate, and shall not prevent any
person who may be holding the office of Senator, or acting as Senator, during the term
within which this Resolution becomes operative from holding the office of Senator or
acting as Senator during the remainder of such term.
Section 6. Referendum. The State Board of Elections shall include the following ballot
question in the next special or general election.
(a) With a title of “Question 1,” voters shall be asked: “Shall the State Constitution be
amended to establish that the Governor may only temporarily appoint Senators to
fill vacant seats instead of permanently in addition to capping such appointments
to less than ½ of the Senate membership?”
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