ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
initiative and referendum;
appropriations
Excludes the appropriation
of monies from any initiative or referendum proposed by the people or the Legislature. This measure is subject to voter approval at
the next general election.
Article IV, Part 1, Section
1 of the Constitution of Arizona reserves the power to the people to propose
laws and amendments to the constitution, propose any measure and enact or
reject such laws and amendments in a popular vote. Under the Constitution, ten percent of the qualified electors
have the right to propose any legislative measure and 15 percent of the
qualified electors have the right to propose any amendment to the Constitution
of Arizona. Under referendum power, the
Legislature or five percent of the qualified electors may submit any measure
enacted by the Legislature to the people.
The House and Senate
Appropriations Committees must keep an accounting of projected revenues that
will be available for appropriation each fiscal year and the amount of
appropriation requests contained in various bills including the budget
bills. Initiatives and referendums with
appropriations proposed by the people in a general election bypass this formal
appropriation process.
S.C.R. 1001 prohibits the
appropriation of monies in initiatives and referendums. The Arizona Supreme Court defines an
“appropriation” as the setting aside from the public revenue of a certain sum
of money for a specified object, in such manner that the executive officers of
the government are authorized to use that money, and no more, for that object,
and no other.
There is no known fiscal
impact to the state general fund associated with this legislation.
1. Excludes the appropriation of monies from the reserve power of people to propose initiatives and referendums proposed by the people or the Legislature for a general election.
2. Directs the Secretary of State to submit this proposition to the voters at the next general election.
3. Makes technical and conforming changes.
4. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
January 16, 2002