Page:The Wisconsin idea (IA cu31924032449252).pdf/142

 at the option of the petitioners, there may be incorporated in said bill any amendment or amendments introduced in the legislature. Such bill and amendments shall be referred to by number in the petition. Upon petition filed not later than four months before the next general election, such proposed law shall be submitted to a vote of the people, and shall become a law if it is approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon, and shall take effect and be in force from and after thirty days after the election at which it is approved."

The same general procedure is applied to constitutional amendments, save that 10 per cent is required for an initiated constitutional amendment which has not passed the legislature and 5 per cent for a constitutional amendment which has passed one session of the legislature; whereas 8 per cent is required for either the initiative or the referendum on ordinary bills.

In order that institutions may not be destroyed by having their appropriations withheld until the results of the election have been ascertained, a state of affairs which caused much opposition to the Oregon amendment, the following procedure on emergency bills has been instituted:—

"An emergency law shall be any law declared by the legislature to be necessary for any immediate purpose by a two-thirds vote of the members of each house voting thereon, entered on their journals by the yeas and nays. No law making any appropriation for maintaining the state government or maintaining or aiding any public institution, not exceeding the next previous appropriation