Justices hear lawyers for administration, Legislature spar over amendment titles

The Dayton administration argues a 1919 law gives the Secretary of State the power to write the titles of Constitutional amendments that appear on the ballot. Lawyers for the Legislature say the Constitution gives lawmakers that authority. Supreme Court justices will need to decide who's right before the end of August, so this fall's ballots can be prepared.

Author:
BMTN Staff
Updated:
Mar 8, 2018
Original:
Jul 31, 2012

The Dayton administration argues a 1919 law gives the Secretary of State the power to write the titles of Constitutional amendments that appear on the ballot. Lawyers for the Legislature say the Constitution gives lawmakers that authority. Supreme Court justices will need to decide who's right before the end of August, so this fall's ballots can be prepared.

Screen Shot 2020-08-14 at 6.45.53 PM

The girl was found by a concerned citizen around 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Screen Shot 2020-12-27 at 8.33.49 AM

Around 1,000 goats and a litter of puppies were killed when a barn caught fire on Friday.

ambulance

The suspect fled police in Osseo and was going south on County Road 81.

1497 S Ferry St, Anoka, MN 55303, United States - August 2021

The individual's name has not yet been released.

Northtown Mall Carnival

Police say a large fight was happening on the ferris wheel before kids fled into the mall.

Screen Shot 2021-05-27 at 9.29.03 AM

Jensen beat to multiple other hopefuls for the endorsement at Saturday's convention.

900 W Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota - July 2021

Both men died at the scene.

storm

Monday-Wednesday should be fantastic weather in Minnesota.

MissingMankatoWomanSideBySide

A canoer found the body in a swamp near Eagle Lake Friday.

kim crockett facebook sos

Kim Crockett was endorsed as the party's candidate for secretary of state, while Jim Schultz won the endorsement for attorney general.

FSmb9kkWAB0UBqk

The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 63-year-old Ryan Erickson died when a grain bin fell on him.

Juan Ramos, standing outside of his Taco Chon Mexican Grill, in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

The local Mexican restaurant is fighting a case presented by Taco John's over naming rights, among other things.

Minnesota Supreme Court justices will hear arguments Tuesday about the titles of the Constitutional amendments that will appear on the fall ballot. Backers of the marriage and voter ID amendments want the court to get rid of the titles supplied by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and restore the original titles the Legislature wrote. The court refused to extend the time limits for attorneys to make their arguments.

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie's changes to the title that will appear over the marriage amendment on the fall ballot came under attack in papers filed with the state Supreme Court. Lawyers for Republican lawmakers and other backers of the amendment say Ritchie's changes will make voters less likely to approve the Constitutional amendment. They also argue that it's up to the Legislature - not the Secretary of State - to write the title. A hearing before the court is coming up later this month.

Groups that are challenging the proposed Constitutional amendment that would require an ID to vote filed paperwork with the Minnesota Supreme Court in advance of the hearing later this month. They say if the court approves the ballot question as is, it will send the message that the Legislature is free to mislead or deceive voters.

Each side is digging in in the fight over the titles of the proposed Constitutional amendments that will appear on Minnesota's fall ballot. Attorney General Lori Swanson filed papers with the Supreme Court insisting it's up to the Secretary of State to come up with the titles. Meanwhile, a Senate committee scheduled a Friday hearing to question Secretary of State Mark Ritchie about his changes to the titles suggested by the Legislature.

The Minnesota Supreme Court is going to have a busy day July 31. The court Friday scheduled a case that seeks to undo Secretary of State Mark Ritchie's chosen title for the photo ID constitutional amendment the Legislature put on the November ballot. The other, previously scheduled, is for arguments over a nearly identical protest over Ritchie's title for the amendment to ban same sex marriage.

The Minnesota Supreme Court had plenty of questions for lawyers arguing the merits and shortcomings of the voter ID ballot question. Groups including the League of Women Voters say the question that will appear before voters does not accurately characterize the changes the amendment would make to the Constitution. Lawyers for the Legislature say it's up to lawmakers - not the courts - to write ballot questions.

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie tells the Minnesota Supreme Court that election officials need to know by August 27th whether the voter ID question will be on the November ballot. The Legislature voted to put the Constitutional amendment before voters. But a lawsuit claims the question is misleading and should be changed or left off the ballot. Justices will hear arguments in the case on July 17th.

Critics of the Voter ID question on Minnesota's fall ballot will have their day in court on July 17th. The state Supreme Court will hear arguments then on a petition to have the question removed from the ballot. Four groups argue the question does not accurately describe the amendment.

DONTCHA KNOW?

You Can Get BMTN Special Offers!

Get Our Newsletter

CLOSE

CLOSE

CLOSE

CLOSE