STATE OF MINNESOTA
IN SUPREME COURT
Case No. A12-0920
League of Women Voters Minnesota; Common Cause, a District of Columbia nonprofit
corporation; Jewish Community Action, a Minnesota nonprofit corporation; Gabriel
Herbers; Shannon Doty; Gretchen Nickence; John Harper Ritten; and Kathryn Ibur,
Petitioners;
vs.
Mark Ritchie, in his capacity as Secretary of State of the
State of Minnesota, and not in his individual capacity,
Respondent;
and
87" Minnesota House of Representatives and 87" Minnesota Senate,
Intervenors-Respondents.
PETITIONERS’ REPLY BRIEF
William Z. Pentelovitch (#85078) Teresa Nelson (#269736)
Richard G. Wilson (#16544X) AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF
Justin H, Perl (#151397) MINNESOTA
‘Wayne S. Moskowitz (#17936X) Suite 180, 2300 Myrtle Avenue
Alain M. Baudry (#186685) St. Paul, MN. 55114-1879
Catherine Ablin-Halverson (#0350473) Telephone: (651) 645-4097
MASLON EDELMAN BORMAN & BRAND, LLP Email: tnelson@aclu-mn.org
3300 Wells Fargo Center
90 S. Seventh Street Laughlin McDonald (Pro Hac Vice)
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-4140 Jon Sherman (Pro Hac Vice)
Telephone: 612.672.8200 AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
Facsimile: 612.672.8397 FOUNDATION, INC.
Email: bill.pentelovitch@maslon.com 230 Peachtree St., Suite 1440.
Atlanta, GA 30303
‘Telephone: (404) 523-2721
Email: Imcdonald@achu.org.
jsherman@aclu.org
ATTORNEYS FOR PETITIONERS.TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Authorities
Introduction.
Argument
I. This Court has the power and duty to decide whether the ballot
question’s description of the proposed amendment is
unconstitutionally misleading.
Tl. The ballot question fails to meet the constitutional standard
established by this Court.
A. — The ballot question
ii
Is the Breza tes
B. Properly describing the general subject of an amendment is
not the test for the constitutionality of a ballot question.
IIL. Minnesota law requires that the Secretary of State, not the
Legislature, provide the title for ballot questions.
IV. This Court does not have the power to rewrite the ballot question or
to order that the ballot contain language not passed bythe
Legislature. :
CONCLUSION.....TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Federal Cases
Hunt v, Washington State Apple Advertsing Comm'n,
432 U.S. 333 (1977)...
Marbury v. Madison,
SUS. 137 nee
Mulligan,
71 US. 2 (1866)
United States v. Stevens,
130 8. Ct. 1577 (2010).
State Cases
Breza v. Kiffimeyer,
723 N.W.2d 633 (Minn. 2006)...
Davidner v. Davidner,
304 Minn, 491, 232 N.W.2d 5 (1975)
InreS.M.,
812 N.W.2d 826 (Minn, 2012)...
Klein v. First Edina Nat,'! Bank,
293 Minn, 418, 196 N.W.2d 619 (1972)...
Maytag Co. v. Commissioner of Taxation,
218 Minn, 460, 17 N.W.2d 37 (1944).
MeGuire v. C&L Restaurant Inc.,
346 N.W.2d 605 (Minn, 1984)
Minnesota State Bd. of Health v. City of Brainerd,
308 Minn. 24, 241 N.W.2d 624 n.5 (1976)...
Newell v. Randall,
19 N.W. 972 (Minn, 1884)...
Schiff v. Griffin,
639 N.W.2d 56 (Minn. Ct. App. 2002).....
Schroeder v. Johnson,
311 Minn, 144, 252 N.W.2d 851 (1976)...
Secombe v, Kitlleson,
29 Minn. 555, 12 N.W. 519 (1882)
State by Humphrey v. Philip Morris Inc.,
551 N.W.2d 490 (Minn, 1996)...
State ex rel. Ervin v. Crookston Trust C
203 Minn, 512, 282 N.W. 138 (1938).
passim
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