Amendments, Election of 11-8-32:

1931 HJR 51 (Article VIII, Section 5) {Defeated}

1931 HJR 52 (Article V, Sections 2, 4) {Defeated}

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 51.

A JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing to Amend Section 5 of Article VIII of the Constitution of the State of Florida Relating to County Commissioners.

Be it Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

That Section 5, of Article VIII of the Constitution of the State of Florida, relating to County Commissioners, be and the same is hereby amended, and as amended is agreed to and shall be submitted to the electors of the State of Florida at the general election of Representatives to be held in 1932 for approval or rejection. Said Section 5 of Article VIII, as amended, shall read as follows:

Section 5. Immediately upon the ratification of this Amendment, the county commissioners of the several counties of this State shall divide their respective counties into five commissioners' districts, to be numbered respectively from one to five, inclusive, and each district shall be as nearly as possible equal in proportion to population, and thereafter there shall be in each of such districts a county commissioner, who shall be elected by the qualified electors of said county, at the time and place of voting for other county officers, and shall hold his office for four years, provided, however, that the County Commissioners elected in the general election in 1932, from the even-numbered districts shall serve for two years, and those from the odd-numbered districts shall serve for four years, and thereafter the terms shall be four years. The powers, duties and compensation of such County Commissioners shall be prescribed by law.

Approved June 15, 1931.

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 52.

A JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an Amendment to Section 2 and to Section 4 of Article V of the Constitution of Florida Relating to the Judiciary Department.

Be it Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

That the following amendment to section 2 and to section 4 of Article V of the Constitution of the State of Florida be, and the same is hereby agreed to, and shall be submitted to the electors of the State of Florida at the next general election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1932, for ratification or rejection:

Section 2. The Supreme Court shall consist of seven (7) Justices who shall be elected by the qualified electors of the State at the time and places of voting for members of the Legislature. The term of office of each Justice shall be six years. The terms of office of the six Justices now constituting the Supreme Court shall not be affected by this amendment. Their successors shall be elected in the same manner and at the same time and places as required by the Constitution before this amendment. Upon the ratification of this amendment it shall be the duty of the Governor to appoint one additional Justice of the Supreme Court and he shall hold office from the date of his appointment until Tuesday after the first Monday in January, 1935, and whose successor shall be elected at the general election in 1934 to hold office for a term of six years beginning Tuesday after the first Monday in January, 1935, and thereafter the successors of the Justices of the Supreme Court shall be elected at the general election next preceding the expiration of their terms of office respectively, except in case of an election to fill an unexpired term of a Justice whose term of office may have become vacant.

Section 4. The Supreme Court may hear, consider and determine causes and exercise all its powers and jurisdiction as a single body in which case a majority of the members of the Court shall constitute a quorum for the dispatch of business, or it may exercise its powers and jurisdiction in two divisions, under such regulations as may be determined by the Court. Each division shall consist of three members of the Court and the Chief Justice who shall by virtue of his position as Chief Justice be a member of each division and the judgment of either Division concurred in by all the members of such Division shall be the judgment of the Court. The concurrence of a majority of the members of the Court shall be necessary to a decision and judgment of the Court, whether the Court is sitting in two divisions or when acting as a single body.

All capital cases, all cases involving the determination of State or Federal Constitutional questions and such other cases as may be directed by the Court shall be determined by the Court acting as a single body.

The Chief Justice shall preside over each Division and over the Court acting as a single body and when the Chief Justice is disqualified or is absent or is disabled from any cause the Justice oldest in point of service present and qualified shall preside over the entire Court and each division thereof until the disability of the Chief Justice is removed.

Approved May 4, 1931.