Georgia Official and Statistical Register 1983-84 - the Digital Library ...

ARTICLE X.AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTIONSECTION I.CONSTITUTION, HOW AMENDEDParagraph I. Proposals to amend the Constitution; newConstitution. Amendments to this Constitution or a new Constitution may be proposed by the General Assembly or by aconstitutional convention, as provided in this article. Onlyamendments which are of general and uniform applicabilitythroughout the state shall be proposed, passed, or submitted tothe people.Paragraph II. Proposals by the General Assembly; submission to the people. A proposal by the General Assembly toamend this Constitution or to provide for a new Constitutionshall originate as a resolution in either the Senate or the Houseof Representatives and, if approved by two-thirds of themembers to which each house is entitled in a roll-call voteentered on their respective journals, shall be submitted to theelectors of the entire state at the next general election which isheld in the even-numbered years. A summary of such proposalshall be prepared by the Attorney General, the LegislativeCounsel, and the Secretary of State and shall be published inthe official organ of each county and, if deemed advisable bythe "Constitutional Amendments Publication Board," in notmore than 20 other newspapers in the state designated by suchboard which meet the qualifications for being selected as theofficial organ of a county. Said board shall be composed of theGovernor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Speaker of theHouse of Representatives. Such summary shall be publishedonce each week for three consecutive weeks immediatelypreceding the day of the general election at which such proposalis to be submitted. The language to be used in submitting aproposed amendment or a new Constitution shall be in suchwords as the General Assembly may provide in the resolutionor, in the absence thereof, in such language as the Governormay prescribe. A copy of the entire proposed amendment or ofa new Constitution shall be filed in the office of thejudge of theprobate court of each county and shall be available for publicinspection; and the summary of the proposal shall so indicate.The General Assembly is hereby authorized to provide by lawfor additional matters relative to the publication and distribution of proposed amendments and summaries not in conflictwith the provisions of this Paragraph. If such proposal isratified by a majority of the electors qualified to vote formembers of the General Assembly voting thereon in suchgeneral election, such proposal shall become a part of thisConstitution or shall become a new Constitution, as the casemay be. Any proposal so approved shall take effect as providedin Paragraph VI of this article. When more than one amendment is submitted at the same time, they shall be so submittedas to enable the electors to vote on each amendment separately,provided that one or more new articles or related changes inone or more articles may be submitted as a single amendment.Paragraph III. Repeal or amendment of proposal. Anyproposal by the General Assembly to amend this Constitutionor for a new Constitution may be amended or repealed by thesame General Assembly which adopted such proposal by theaffirmative vote of two-thirds of the members to which eachhouse is entitled in a roll-call vote entered on their respectivejournals, if such action is taken at least two months prior to thedate of the election at which such proposal is to be submitted tothe people.Paragraph IV. Constitutional convention; how called. Noconvention of the people shall be called by the General Assembly to amend this Constitution or to propose a new Constitution, unless by the concurrence of two-thirds of the members towhich each house of the General Assembly is entitled. Therepresentation in said convention shall be based on populationas near as practicable. A proposal by the convention to amendthis Constitution or for a new Constitution shall be advertised,submitted to, and ratified by the people in the same mannerprovided for advertisement, submission, and ratification ofproposals to amend the Constitution by the General Assembly.The General Assembly is hereby authorized to provide theprocedure by which a convention is to be called and underwhich such convention shall operate and for other mattersrelative to such constitutional convention.Paragraph V. Veto not permitted. The Governor shall nothave the right to veto any proposal by the General Assembly orby a convention to amend this Constitution or to provide a newConstitution.Paragraph VI. Effective date of amendments or of a newConstitution. Unless the amendment or the new Constitutionitself or the resolution proposing the amendment or the newConstitution shall provide otherwise, an amendment to thisConstitution or a new Constitution shall become effective onthe first day of January following its ratification.ARTICLE XLMISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONSSECTION I.MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONSParagraph I. Continuation of officers, boards, commissions, and authorities, (a) Except as otherwise provided in thisConstitution, the officers of the state and all political subdivisions thereof in office on June 30, 1983, shall continue in theexercise of their functions and duties, subject to the provisionsof laws applicable thereto and subject to the provisions of thisConstitution.(b) All boards, commissions, and authorities specificallynamed in the Constitution of 1976 which are not specificallynamed in this Constitution shall remain as statutory boards,commissions, and authorities; and all constitutional and statutory provisions relating thereto in force and effect on June 30,1983, shall remain in force and effect as statutory law unless anduntil changed by the General Assembly.Paragraph II. Preservation of existing laws; judicial review.All laws in force and effect on June 30,1983, not inconsistentwith this Constitution shall remain in force and effect; but suchlaws may be amended or repealed and shall be subject tojudicial decision as to their validity when passed and to anylimitations imposed by their own terms.Paragraph III. Proceedings of courts and administrativetribunals confirmed. All judgments, decrees, orders, and otherproceedings of the several courts and administrative tribunalsof this state, heretofore made within the limits of their severaljurisdictions, are hereby ratified and affirmed, subject only toreversal or modification in the manner provided by law.Paragraph IV. Continuation of certain constitutional amendments for a period of four years, (a) The following amendments to the Constitutions of 1877, 1945, and 1976 shall continue in force and effect as part of this Constitution until J uly 1,1987, at which time said amendments shall be repealed andshall be deleted as a part of this Constitution unless any suchamendment shall be specifically continued in force and effectwithout amendment either by a local law enacted prior to July1,1987, with or without a referendum as provided by law, or byan ordinance or resolution duly adopted prior to July 1,1987,by the local governing authority in the manner provided for theadoption of home rule amendments to its charter or localact: (1) amendments to the Constitution of 1877 and the Con-25