Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0147 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- S 0147
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7	7	LC000913
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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14	14	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
15	15	TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
16	16	AMENDMENT TO THE CON STITUTION OF THE STATE (GOVERNOR AND
17	17	LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TO APPEAR JOINTLY ON THE BALLOT)
18	18	Introduced By: Senators Picard, and Pearson
19	19	Date Introduced: February 01, 2023
20	20	Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs
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23	23	RESOLVED, That a majority of all members elected to each house of the general 1
24	24	assembly voting therefor, the following amendment to the Constitution of the State be proposed 2
25	25	to the qualified electors of the state in accordance with the provisions of Article XIV of the 3
26	26	Constitution for their approval and that, if approved, it take the place of Article IV Section 1 4
27	27	which is hereby amended to read as follows: 5
28	28	SECTION 1. Election and terms of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, 6
29	29	attorney general, general treasurer, and general assembly members. – The governor, lieutenant 7
30	30	governor, secretary of state, attorney general and general treasurer shall be elected on the Tuesday 8
31	31	after the first Monday in November, quadrennially commencing A.D. 1994, and every four (4) 9
32	32	years thereafter, and shall severally hold their offices, subject to recall as provided for herein, for 10
33	33	four (4) years from the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election and until their 11
34	34	successors are elected and qualified. No person shall serve consecutively in the same general 12
35	35	office for more than two (2) full terms, excluding any partial term of less than two (2) years 13
36	36	previously served. 14
37	37	Commencing with the general quadrennial election in A.D. 2026, all candidates for the 15
38	38	offices of governor and lieutenant governor shall form joint candidacies in the manner prescribed 16
39	39	by law, in order that each voter shall cast a single vote for a candidate for governor and a 17
40	40	candidate for lieutenant governor running together. In primary elections, candidates for the office 18
41	41	of governor may choose to run without a lieutenant governor candidate. 19
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45	45	The senators and representatives in the general assembly shall be elected on the Tuesday 1
46	46	after the first Monday in November, biennially in even numbered years, and shall severally hold 2
47	47	their offices for two (2) years from the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election and 3
48	48	until their successors are elected and qualified. 4
49	49	Recall is authorized in the case of a general officer who has been indicted or informed 5
50	50	against for a felony, convicted of a misdemeanor, or against whom a finding of probable cause of 6
51	51	violation of the code of ethics has been made by the ethics commission. Recall shall not, 7
52	52	however, be instituted at any time during the first six (6) months or the last year of an individual's 8
53	53	term of office. 9
54	54	Such a recall may be instituted by filing with the state board of elections an application 10
55	55	for issuance of a recall petition against said general officer which is signed by duly qualified 11
56	56	electors equal to three percent (3%) of the total number of votes cast at the last preceding general 12
57	57	election for that office. If, upon verification, the application is determined to contain signatures of 13
58	58	the required number of electors, the state board of elections shall issue a recall petition for 14
59	59	circulation amongst the electors of the state. Within ninety (90) days of issuance, recall petitions 15
60	60	containing the signatures of duly qualified electors constituting fifteen percent (15%) of the total 16
61	61	number of votes cast in the last preceding general election for said office must be filed with the 17
62	62	state board of elections. 18
63	63	The signatures to the application and to the recall petition need not all be on one sheet of 19
64	64	paper, but each such application and petition must contain an identical statement naming the 20
65	65	person to be recalled, the general office held by said person, and the grounds for such recall set 21
66	66	forth in a statement of one hundred (100) words or less approved by the board of elections. Each 22
67	67	signatory must set forth his or her signature as it appears on the voting list, the date of signing, 23
68	68	and his or her place of residence. The person witnessing the signatures of each elector on said 24
69	69	petition must sign a statement under oath on said sheet attesting that the signatures thereon are 25
70	70	genuine and were signed in his or her presence. 26
71	71	If the requisite number of signatures are not obtained within said ninety (90) day period, 27
72	72	the recall effort shall terminate. Upon verification of the requisite number of signatures, a special 28
73	73	election shall be scheduled at which the issue of removing said office holder and the grounds 29
74	74	therefor shall be placed before the electors of the state. If a majority of those voting support 30
75	75	removal of said office holder, the office shall be immediately declared vacant and shall be filled 31
76	76	in accordance with the constitution and laws of the state. The person so removed shall not be 32
77	77	eligible to fill the unexpired portion of the term of office. The general assembly shall provide by 33
78	78	statute for implementation of the recall process. 34
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82	82	RESOLVED, That this amendment shall take, in the Constitution of the State, the place 1
83	83	of Section 1, Article IV of the Constitution; 2
84	84	It is further 3
85	85	RESOLVED, That the said proposition of amendment shall be submitted to the electors 4
86	86	for their approval or rejection at the next statewide general election. The voting places in the 5
87	87	several cities and towns shall be kept open during the hours required by law for voting therein for 6
88	88	general officers of the state; and be it further 7
89	89	RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause the said proposition of amendment to 8
90	90	be published as a part of this resolution in the newspapers of the state prior to the date of the said 9
91	91	meetings of the said electors; and the said proposition shall be inserted in the warrants or notices 10
92	92	to be issued previous to said meetings of the electors for the purpose of warning the town, ward, 11
93	93	or district meetings, and said proposition shall be read by the town, ward, or district meetings to 12
94	94	be held as aforesaid; and be it further 13
95	95	RESOLVED, That the town, ward, and district meetings to be held aforesaid shall be 14
96	96	warned, and the list of voters shall be canvassed and made up, and the said town, ward, and 15
97	97	district meetings shall be conducted in the same manner as now provided by law for the town, 16
98	98	ward, and district meetings for the election of general officers of the state. 17
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105	105	EXPLANATION
106	106	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
107	107	OF
108	108	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
109	109	TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
110	110	AMENDMENT TO THE CON STITUTION OF THE STATE (GOVERNOR AND
111	111	LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TO APPEAR JOINTLY ON THE BALLOT)
112	112	***
113	113	This joint resolution would provide for submission to voters of a constitutional 1
114	114	amendment at the next statewide general election requiring that the governor and lieutenant 2
115	115	governor form a joint candidacy (a single ticket) for statewide general elections, commencing in 3
116	116	the year 2026. 4
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