SJR 7 — Preserving the Separation of Powers Amendment

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Red = new code to be enacted WEST virginia legislature regular session IntroducedCommittee Substitute for Senate Joint Resolution 7 By Senators TrumpTrump, Rucker, Azinger, Cline, Maynard, and RuckerJeffries [Introducedoriginal Januarysponsors 21,[Originating 2020;in the Committee on the Judiciary;

referredreported on January 30, 2020]     Proposing an amendment to the CommitteeConstitution onof the Judiciary;State of West Virginia, amending section one, article V thereof, relating to providing that courts have no authority by mandamus, prohibition, contempt, or otherwise to interfere with the proceedings of the Legislature;

andrestoring then to the Committeeconstitutional onprinciple Finance]giving Proposinglife an amendment to the Constitutionseparation of thepowers Stateas ofarticulated Westin Virginia,Syllabus amendingPoint section3 one,of articlethe Vdecision thereof,of relatingthe toWest providingVirginia thatSupreme courtsCourt haveof noAppeals authorityin by mandamus, prohibition, contempt, or otherwise to interfere with the proceedingscase of theState Legislature;ex rel.

Holmes v.

Clawges, 226 W.

Va.

479, 702 S.E.2d 611;

and nullifying Syllabus Point 3 of the decision of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in the case of State ex rel.

Workman v.

Carmichael, 241 W.

Va.105, 819 S.E.2d 251 (2018);

The legislative, executiveexecutive, and judicial departments shall be separate and distinct, so that neither shall exercise the powers properly belonging to either of the others;

The courts of this state have no authority by mandamus, prohibition, contemptcontempt, or otherwise to interfere with the proceedings of either house of the Legislature;

1” and designated as the “Preserving“Restoring the Separation of Powers Amendment” and the purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows:  “To clarifynullify thatthe courtsdecision areof withoutthe authoritySupreme toCourt interfereof withAppeals proceedingsin the case of theState Legislature”.ex rel.

NOTE:Workman v.

TheCarmichael, purpose241 ofW. this resolution is to offer to the voters a constitution amendment designated the “Preserving the Separation of Powers Amendment” that would clarify that courts are without authority to interfere with proceedings of the Legislature.

Strike-throughsVa.105, indicate819 languageS.E.2d that251 would(2018), berestoring strickenthe fromconstitutional aprinciple headingof orseparation theof presentpowers lawthat andcourts underscoringare indicateswithout newauthority languageto thatinterfere wouldwith bethe added.proceedings of the Legislature”.

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