01/27/1993 09:12 AM Senate STA

  SENATOR LEMAN introduced  SJR 6 (USE OF INITIATIVE  TO AMEND                 
  CONSTITUTION) as the final order of business.                                
                                                                               
  JOHN SHEPHERD, staff  member to  SENATOR HALFORD, said  that                 
  two questions were  raised at the 1/25/93  committee hearing                 
  of SJR6 and responses  have been prepared for the  committee                 
  members.                                                                     
                                                                               
  Included   in   the  responses   was   a  breakout   of  the                 
  constitutional amendment proposals that have gone before the                 
  voters  since  statehood.   Of  the  31  amendment proposals                 
  submitted, 9 failed  passage, 13  passed by a  margin of  66                 
  percent or greater,  7 passed by margin of 60  to 66 percent                 
  and only 2 by a margin of between 50 and 60 percent.                         
                                                                               
  Also,  in  answer to  SENATOR  DUNCAN'S  question concerning                 
  constitutional  amendments  by   initiative,  Mr.   Shepherd                 
  clarified that  there are 21  states that  have a  statutory                 
  initiative, Alaska being one of them.  Seventeen states have                 
  a constitutional initiative, one of those being indirect.                    
                                                                               
  Number 260                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR  DUNCAN   asked  if   the  proposed   constitutional                 
  amendments can  be adopted  either by  a two-thirds  vote by                 
  initiative  of  the people  or  by  just a  majority  if the                 
  legislature  puts  it   on  the   ballot?    SENATOR   LEMAN                 
  acknowledged that SENATOR DUNCAN was correct, but that there                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  also was one other method, the constitutional convention.                    
                                                                               
  Number 280                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR  TAYLOR moved  to  pass SJR  6  from committee  with                 
  individual recommendations.   Hearing no objections,  it was                 
  so ordered.