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• insure that this cannot happen except in the case where legislation is indeed urgent. Some states require measures identified as emergency be passed by a two-thirds majority of the legislature. • Enabling Legislation -- Constitution or Statute? Constitutions vary considerably in the level of detail with which I and R pro-- cedures are specified. Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, and Maryland merely provided for initiative - and referendum and left the details of its mechanism to their legislatures. Utah and Idaho had to wait nearly 50 years for their legislatures to pass the enabling legislation. On the other hand, some states outline every procedural detail in the constitution. According to the 1968 Constitutional Convention study prepared by the Legis- lative Reference Bureau of the State of Hawaii: "Most constitutional previsions are more lengthy and detailed. The problem of detail is important for two reasons. The extent to which the provision can be implemented without enabling legislation affects the extent to which the legislature can adversely or favor- ably affgct the ability of the people to utilize the provision. In . addition, the procedural requirements determine the real availability of the Initiative. Where requirements are rigid, initiated legisla- tion is more theoretical than real and where requirements are loose, - almost any motivated group can get its proposition on the ballot." The case for not putting too much detail in the constitution is that when changes in -procedure are needed (and in'many cases they are) it takes a constitutional amend- ment. This argument states that only the most important features of the legislation should go into the constitution and the details into the statutes. • Circulation of Petition • Some constitutions go into considerable detail as to who may circulate and sign petitions Most states say that any "eligible voter" may sign but there is a problem in interpretation as to who is an eligible\voter.. This is_an .impDrtant issue because if:signatures must be from registered voters, as opposed to all who are over 18 years of age, the difficulty obtaining the required number is increased. Some states prohibit paid circulators, hoping-to lessen the advantage-of monied interests but this is hard to enforce as some organizations have access to member-workers who are not always volunteers. It also makes it extremely difficult for small or less-organized groups to mount a campaign. Filing and Review of Petition Most state constitutions specify with whom petitions are to be filed and the minimum time prior to the election in which this must be done. The most common requirement' is a period not less than four months before the election. At that time the petitions are checked for number and validity. In some states, when the petitions have been found valid, the proposed legisla- tion is subject to review to see if it is in proper legal form to avoid future litigation. If somechangeis necessary, the originators of the petitions have the power to approve it. Massachusetts- and -California require a preliminary review by the State Attorney General before circulation of the petition. The wording of ballot measures is very important. All too often a proposition has been worded in such a way that a "yes" vote meant opposition and vice-versa, so care must be taken to insure that the wording clearly reflects the intent of the proposal. The agents in charge of these procedures are usually the secretary of state and the attorney general. California has .a legislative analyst who reviews each proposal and estimates its cost, and this figure is included on the ballot. 6