Amendment ASA2-SJR2

LRBs0020/1

MPG:kjf:rs

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

ASSEMBLY SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 2, TO SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 2

January 22, 2015 - Offered by Representatives C. Taylor, Barca, Subeck, Sargent and Zamarripa.

SJR2-ASA2,1,2 To amend section 4 (2) of article VII of the constitution; relating to: election of chief justice (first consideration).

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

  This constitutional amendment, proposed to the 2015 legislature on first consideration, directs the supreme court to elect a chief justice by open ballot for a term of two years and make the ballot cast by each justice available for public inspection.   A proposed constitutional amendment requires adoption by two successive legislatures, and ratification by the people, before it can become effective.

SJR2-ASA2,1,3 Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That:

SJR2-ASA2,1 Section 1. Section 4 (2) of article VII of the constitution is amended to read:

SJR2-ASA2,2,5 [Article VII] Section 4 (2) The justice having been longest a continuous member of said court, or in case 2 or more such justices shall have served for the same length of time, the justice whose term first expires, shall be the chief justice. The chief justice of the supreme court shall be elected for a term of 2 years by open ballot by a majority of the justices then serving on the court, and the court shall promptly make the open ballot cast by each justice in such an election available for public inspection. The justice so designated as chief justice may, irrevocably, decline to serve as chief justice or resign as chief justice but continue to serve as a justice of the supreme court.

SJR2-ASA2,2,8 Be it further resolved, That this proposed amendment be referred to the legislature to be chosen at the next general election and that it be published for three months previous to the time of holding such election.

SJR2-ASA2,2,9 (End)