HOUSE BILL No. 5354

 

December 4, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Taub, Tabor and Richardville and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Urban Policy.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan election law,"                                                    

                                                                                

    by amending sections 482 and 488 (MCL 168.482 and 168.488),                 

                                                                                

    section 482 as amended and section 488 as added by 1998 PA 142.             

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 482.  (1) Each petition under this section shall be                    

                                                                                

2   8-1/2 inches by 14 inches in size and shall comply with this                

                                                                                

3   section and section 544c(2).                                                

                                                                                

4       (2) If the measure to be submitted proposes a constitutional                

                                                                                

5   amendment, initiation of legislation, or referendum of                      

                                                                                

6   legislation, the heading of each part of the petition shall be              

                                                                                

7   prepared in the following form and printed in capital letters in            

                                                                                

8   14-point boldfaced type:                                                    

                                                                                

9                          INITIATIVE PETITION                                  

                                                                                

10                    AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION                             

                                                                                


                                                                                

1                                   OR                                          

                                                                                

2                       INITIATION OF LEGISLATION                               

                                                                                

3                                   OR                                          

                                                                                

4                       REFERENDUM OF LEGISLATION                               

                                                                                

5                    PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION                            

                                                                                

6       (3) The full text of the amendment  so  being proposed shall                

                                                                                

7   follow and be printed in 8-point type.  If the proposal would               

                                                                                

8   alter or abrogate an existing provision of the constitution, the            

                                                                                

9   petition shall so state and the provisions to be altered or                 

                                                                                

10  abrogated shall be inserted, preceded by the words:                         

                                                                                

11      "Provisions of existing constitution altered or abrogated by                

                                                                                

12  the proposal if adopted."                                                   

                                                                                

13      (4) The following statement shall appear beneath the petition               

                                                                                

14  heading:                                                                    

                                                                                

15      "We, the undersigned qualified and registered electors,                     

                                                                                

16  residents in the                                                            

                                                                                

17  city                                                                        

                                                                                

18  township (strike 1) of ..........                                           

                                                                                

19                                                                               in the county of .........., state of Michigan, respectively                       

                                                                                

20  petition for (amendment to constitution) (initiation of                     

                                                                                

21  legislation) (referendum of legislation) (other appropriate                 

                                                                                

22  description)."                                                              

                                                                                

23      (5) The following warning shall be printed in 12-point type                 

                                                                                

24  immediately above the place for signatures, on each part of the             

                                                                                

25  petition:                                                                   

                                                                                

26                               WARNING                                        

                                                                                

27                                                                               A person who knowingly signs this petition more than once,                        


                                                                                

1   signs a name other than his or her own, signs when not a                    

                                                                                

2   qualified and registered elector, or sets opposite his or her               

                                                                                

3   signature on a petition  ,  a date other than the actual date the           

                                                                                

4   signature was affixed  ,  is violating the provisions of the                

                                                                                

5   Michigan election law.                                                      

                                                                                

6       (6) The remainder of the petition form shall be as provided                 

                                                                                

7   following the warning to electors signing the petition in section           

                                                                                

8   544c(1).  In addition, the petition shall comply with the                   

                                                                                

9   requirements of section 544c(2).                                            

                                                                                

10      (6) The certificate of the circulator shall be in the                       

                                                                                

11  following form:                                                             

                                                                                

12                      CERTIFICATE OF CIRCULATOR                               

                                                                                

13      The undersigned circulator of the above petition asserts that               

                                                                                

14  he or she is qualified to circulate this petition and that each             

                                                                                

15  signature on the petition was signed in his or her presence; that           

                                                                                

16  the circulator of the petition is not being compensated for                 

                                                                                

17  circulating the petition; and that, to his or her best knowledge            

                                                                                

18  and belief, each signature is the genuine signature of the person           

                                                                                

19  purporting to sign the petition, the person signing the petition            

                                                                                

20  was at the time of signing a qualified registered elector of the            

                                                                                

21  city or township listed in the heading of the petition, and the             

                                                                                

22  elector was qualified to sign the petition.                                 

                                                                                

23      Circulator--Do not sign or date certificate until after                     

                                                                                

24  circulating petition.                                                       

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

25      _____________________________________________________________           

                                                                                

26      (Printed Name and Signature of Circulator)          (Date)              


                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

1       _____________________________________________________________           

                                                                                

2       (City or Township Where Qualified to be Registered)                     

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

3       _____________________________________________________________           

                                                                                

4       Complete Residence Address (Street and Number or Rural Route)           

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

5       _____________________________________________________________           

                                                                                

6       (Zip Code)                                                              

                                                                                

7       Warning--A circulator knowingly making a false statement in                 

                                                                                

8   the above certificate, a person not a circulator who signs as a             

                                                                                

9   circulator, a person who circulates a petition for compensation,            

                                                                                

10  or a person who signs a name other than his or her own as                   

                                                                                

11  circulator is guilty of a misdemeanor.                                      

                                                                                

12      (7) An individual shall not circulate a petition under this                 

                                                                                

13  section for compensation.  An individual who circulates a                   

                                                                                

14  petition for compensation is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable             

                                                                                

15  by a fine of not more than $500.00 or imprisonment for not more             

                                                                                

16  than 93 days, or both.                                                      

                                                                                

17      Sec. 488.  (1) Section 544c applies to a nominating petition                

                                                                                

18  for an office in a political subdivision under a statute that               

                                                                                

19  refers to this section  ,  and to the circulation and signing of            

                                                                                

20  the petition.                                                               

                                                                                

21      (2) Section 482(1), (4), (5),  and  (6),  apply  and (7)                    

                                                                                

22  applies to a petition to place a question on the ballot before              

                                                                                

23  the electorate of a political subdivision under a statute that              

                                                                                

24  refers to this section  ,  and to the circulation and signing of            


                                                                                

1   the petition.                                                               

                                                                                

2       (3) A person who violates a provision of this act applicable                

                                                                                

3   to a petition  pursuant to  under subsection (1) or (2) is                  

                                                                                

4   subject to the penalties prescribed for that violation in this              

                                                                                

5   act.