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The New Local Option Law

The New Local Option Law image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
June
Year
1889
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The WaUon local option law recently passed by the Michigan legislatura provides for county prohibition, when a majority f the voters, at an election held for that purpose under the auspices of the board of supervisors, so order. It does not, however, prevent druggists and pharmacists from selling liquors in compliance with the general lws of the state. The way the election machinery, under the new law, is started is this : Upon a written petition of not leBs than one-fifth of all the qualified electors of a county being filed with the county clerk, he shall cali a special meeting of the board of gupervisors. It is required that the signatures of all the petitioners residing in any one township, ward or election district, shall be attached to a petition or list separate from those of any other township. Each such petition shall be accompanied by a transcript of the poll list of the last preceding general election in the township, certified to by the township, city or county clerk, as the case may require ; and also an affidavit by one or more resident electors of the township, ward or election district, stating that they are personally acquainted with the petitioners ; that Ithey reside in the township, and that the signatures ■ are genuine. If a poll list can not be obteined, then that the petitioners are qualified eleetors of the township. The county tlerk is to cali the special meeting of the board of supervisor, within fi ve days after the petitin is presented, and is to fix the date ana hour for the meeting, to be within not lese than ten nor more than twenty days after the presentation of the petition. This seesion shall be exclusive of the number of special sessions per year which the board of supervisors is allowed by lanr. The date of election must be on a Monday, not less than forty nor more than sixty days from the time the order for election is issued and not on the day of any other general election. The law also provides that the county clerk shall furnish the election ballots. The law governing the polls and the holding of the election are the same ai the lawB governing any general election. When the question has once been submitted and decided either way, it cannot again be submitted for two years. The law takes effect the flret day of the May following its adoption, and the board of supervisors are required, if the election goes in favor of prohibition, to pass a resolution so declaring, within forty days before the flrst of May ensuing. The penalties for violation are a fine of between $50 and $200, or imprisonment in the county jail of between twenty days and six months. For the second offense the fine is between $100 and $500 and a term at Ionia between six months and two years. Any one who is injured by intoxicated persons has the right, in his own name, to sue the individual who supplied the liquor.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register