In re House of Representatives Request for Advisory Opinion Regarding Constitutionality of 2018 PA 368 & 369, SC: 159160, SC: 159201

• Court: Supreme Court of Michigan
• Citation: 936 N.W.2d 241 (Mem)
• Decision Date: 18 December 2019
• Parties: IN RE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REQUEST FOR ADVISORY OPINION REGARDING CONSTITUTIONALITY OF 2018 PA 368 & 369 In re Senate Request for Advisory Opinion Regarding Constitutionality of 2018 PA 368 & 369
• Docket Number: SC: 159160, SC: 159201

936 N.W.2d 241 (Mem)

IN RE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REQUEST FOR ADVISORY OPINION REGARDING CONSTITUTIONALITY OF 2018 PA 368 & 369

In re Senate Request for Advisory Opinion Regarding Constitutionality of 2018 PA 368 & 369

SC: 159160, SC: 159201

Supreme Court of Michigan.

December 18, 2019

Order

On July 17, 2019, the Court heard oral argument on the requests by the House of Representatives and the Senate for an advisory opinion on the constitutionality of 2018 PA 368 and 2018 PA 369. On order of the Court, the requests are again considered, and they are DENIED, because we are not persuaded that granting the requests would be an appropriate exercise of the Court’s discretion.

Clement, J. (concurring).

I concur in the Court’s order denying the Legislature’s request for an advisory opinion in this matter. I believe that this Court lacks jurisdiction under Const. 1963, art. 3, § 8 to issue an advisory opinion after the effective date of the legislation being scrutinized, and thus must refrain from doing so here notwithstanding the observations made by Justice ZAHRA about the importance of the legal issues presented. I believe we must instead wait for an "actual controvers[y] where the stakes of the parties are committed and the issues developed in adversary proceedings." Request for Advisory Opinion on Constitutionality of 1978 PA 33 , 402 Mich. 968, 968 (1978).

I. FACTS

The Michigan Constitution allows Michigan voters to exercise various forms of direct democracy, one of which is to initiate legislation via petitions signed by a requisite number of voters. See Const. 1963, art. 2, § 9. Groups known as "Michigan One Fair Wage" and "MI Time to Care" sponsored, respectively, proposals known as the "Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act" and the "Earned Sick Time Act." Pursuant to MCL 168.473, they filed those petitions with the Secretary of State in the summer of 2018. The Secretary of State then notified the Board of State Canvassers, MCL 168.475(1), which canvassed the petitions to determine whether an adequate number of signatures was submitted, MCL 168.476(1). The

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Board ultimately certified both petitions as sufficient,¹ MCL 168.477(1), and, pursuant to Const. 1963, art. 2, § 9, the proposals were submitted to the Legislature. This constitutional provision required that the proposals were to "be either enacted or rejected by the legislature without change or amendment within 40 session days from the time such petition [was] received by the legislature," with enactment not "subject to the veto power of the governor." The Legislature ultimately adopted both "without change or amendment" on September 5, 2018. 2018 PAs 337 and 338. Enacting them meant that they were not "submit[ted] ... to the people for approval or rejection at the next general election." Const. 1963, art. 2, § 9. Had they been submitted to the people and adopted, they would only have been amendable with a three-fourths majority in the Legislature. Id.

After the 2018 elections, the Legislature turned its attention to these policy areas once again. Although Attorney General Frank Kelley had, several decades ago, opined that "the legislature enacting an initiative petition proposal cannot amend the law so enacted at the same legislative session," OAG, 1963-1964, No. 4,303, p. 309, at 311 (March 6, 1964), a member of the Michigan Senate asked for an opinion on that issue and Attorney General Bill Schuette issued a new opinion which superseded the prior opinion and concluded that the Legislature could enact amendments to an initiated law during the same session at which the initiated law was itself enacted. See OAG, 2017-2018, No. 7,306, p. –––– (December 3, 2018). The Legislature thereafter did adopt certain amendments to these proposals with a simple majority, which—as ordinary legislation—the Governor signed into law. See 2018 PA 368 and 369. Because neither law contained a more specific effective date, both took effect on the 91st day after the 99th Legislature adjourned sine die. Const. 1963, art. 4, § 27 ; Frey v. Dep't of Mgt. & Budget , 429 Mich. 315, 340, 414 N.W.2d 873 (1987). The Legislature adjourned on December 28, 2018, see 2018 HCR 29,² so the effective date of 2018 PA 368 and 369 was March 29, 2019.

On February 13, 2019—about a month after the convening of the 100th Legislature, see Const. 1963, art. 4, § 13 —a member of the Michigan Senate wrote to newly elected Attorney General Dana Nessel seeking another opinion on whether 2018 PA 368 and 369 had unconstitutionally subverted the constitutional protections for initiated legislation, and a week later, both chambers of the Legislature adopted resolutions asking for this Court to issue an opinion under Const. 1963, art. 3, § 8. See 2019 HR 25; 2019 SR 16. On April 3, 2019, we ordered argument on whether to issue an advisory opinion.

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In re House of Representatives Request for Advisory Opinion Regarding Constitutionality of 2018 PA 368 & 369 , 503 Mich. 1003, 929 N.W.2d 381 (2019). We subsequently ordered additional briefing on the question of whether this Court has jurisdiction to issue an advisory opinion after the effective date of the legislation being scrutinized. In re House of Representatives Request for Advisory Opinion Regarding Constitutionality of 2018 PA 368 & 369 , 504 Mich. 918 (2019).

II. ANALYSIS

In my view, this Court lacks jurisdiction under our Constitution to issue an advisory opinion after the effective date of the piece of legislation being scrutinized—as is the case here. When construing the Michigan Constitution, "[o]ur primary goal ... is to give effect to the intent of the people of the state of Michigan who ratified the Constitution, by applying the rule of ‘common understanding.’ " Mich Coalition of State Employee Unions v. Michigan , 498 Mich. 312, 323, 870 N.W.2d 275 (2015). Generally, "[w]e locate the common understanding of constitutional text by determining the plain meaning of the text as it was understood at the time of ratification," although we "also take[ ] account of ‘the circumstances leading to the adoption of the provision and the purpose sought to be accomplished.’ " Id. (citation omitted).³ "The Address to the People, which was distributed to Michigan citizens in advance of the ratification vote and which explained in everyday language what each provision of the proposed new Constitution was intended to accomplish, and, to a lesser degree, the constitutional convention debates are also relevant to understanding the ratifiers’ intent." Id. at 323-324, 870 N.W.2d 275. I believe that all of these sources of meaning—the text of the Constitution, the circumstances leading to its adoption, and the constitutional convention proceedings (i.e., the Address to the People and the convention debates)—indicate that this Court lacks jurisdiction to issue an advisory opinion after the effective date of the legislation being reviewed.

A. CONSTITUTIONAL TEXT

The Michigan Constitution provides that we exercise "the judicial power of the state ...." Const. 1963, art. 6, § 1. We have described that power as " ‘the right to determine actual controversies arising between adverse litigants, duly instituted in courts of proper jurisdiction.’ " People v. Richmond , 486 Mich. 29, 34, 782 N.W.2d 187 (2010), quoting Anway v. Grand Rapids R. Co. , 211 Mich. 592, 616, 179 N.W. 350 (1920). We also are limited to exercising only the judicial power. Const. 1963, art. 3, § 2. Out of respect for that limitation, we have long taken the position that courts do not "decide or declare abstract

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questions of right for the future guidance of suitors." Street R. Co. of E. Saginaw v. Wildman , 58 Mich. 286, 287, 25 N.W. 193 (1885). It is beyond the judicial power to opine "where our conclusions could not be made effective by final judgment, decree, and process[.]" Anway , 211 Mich. at 622, 179 N.W. 350. Consequently, "our only constitutional authorization to issue advisory opinions is found in Const. 1963, art. 3, § 8 ...." Devillers v. Auto Club Ins. Ass'n , 473 Mich. 562, 588 n. 57, 702 N.W.2d 539 (2005).

So, what does Const. 1963, art. 3, § 8 provide? "Either house of the legislature or the governor may request the opinion of the supreme court on important questions of law upon solemn occasions as to the constitutionality of legislation after it has been enacted into law but before its effective date." We have recognized this text as effectively describing elements for advisory opinions. " ‘Michigan’s Constitution ... restricts advisory opinions to[:] [1] important questions of "law", [2] concerning the "constitutionality" of legislation, [3] "upon solemn occasions" when requested by either house of the Legislature or the Governor, [4] after the legislation has been enacted into law but before the effective date.’ " Request for Advisory Opinion on Constitutionality of 1975 PA 227 , 395 Mich. 148, 149, 235 N.W.2d 321 (1975), quoting Advisory Opinion re Constitutionality of 1972 PA 294 , 389 Mich. 441, 482-483, 208 N.W.2d 469 (1973) ( LEVIN , J., concurring).⁴ Strictly speaking, the constitutional language only empowers the Legislature to ask for an opinion, and it imposes certain requirements when the Legislature does so. The next question is whether the constitutional provision is bilateral—whether it applies to...