Constitution of Colorado

The Constitution of the State of Colorado is the foundation of the laws and government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The current, and only, Colorado State Constitution was drafted 1876-03-14, approved by Colorado voters 1876-07-01, and took effect upon the statehood of Colorado on 1876-08-01. From 1876 through 2007, the Colorado Constitution has been amended 152 times. The Constitution of Colorado provides and derives its authority from the sovereignty of the people and is the foremost source of state law.[1][2][3] In addition to providing for voting,[4][5] the people of Colorado have reserved initiative of laws and referendum of laws enacted by the legislature to themselves[6][6] and provided for recall of office holders.[7]

Chronology of the Colorado Constitution

Map of the United States in 1858
Map of the extralegal Territory of Jefferson
Map of the United States in 1861
Map of the United States in 1865
Map of the United States in 1868
Map of the United States in 1876

Outline of the Colorado Constitution


Constitution of the State of Colorado[14]

Preamble

We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, in order to form a more independent and perfect government; establish justice; insure tranquillity; provide for the common defense; promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the "State of Colorado".

ARTICLE I. Boundaries

The boundaries of the State of Colorado shall be as follows: Commencing on the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude, where the twenty-fifth meridian of longitude west from Washington crosses the same; thence north, on said meridian, to the forty-first parallel of north latitude; thence along said parallel, west, to the thirty-second meridian of longitude west from Washington; thence south, on said meridian, to the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude; thence along said thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude to the place of beginning.

ARTICLE II. Bill of Rights

ARTICLE III. Distribution of Powers

The powers of the government of this state are divided into three distinct departments: the legislative, executive, and judicial; and no person or collection of persons charged with the exercise of powers properly belonging to one of these departments shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others, except as in this constitution expressly directed or permitted.

ARTICLE IV. Executive Department

ARTICLE V. Legislative Department

Congressional and Legislative Apportionments

ARTICLE VI. Judicial Department

Supreme Court

District Courts

District Attorneys

Probate and Juvenile Courts

County Courts

Miscellaneous

ARTICLE VII. Suffrage and Elections

ARTICLE VIII. State Institutions

ARTICLE IX. Education

ARTICLE X. Revenue

ARTICLE XI. Public Indebtedness

ARTICLE XII. Officers

ARTICLE XIII. Impeachments

ARTICLE XIV. Counties

County Officers

ARTICLE XV. Corporations

ARTICLE XVI. Mining and Irrigation

Mining

Irrigation

ARTICLE XVII. Militia

ARTICLE XVIII. Miscellaneous

ARTICLE XIX. Amendments

ARTICLE XX. Home Rule Cities and Towns

ARTICLE XXI. Recall from Office

ARTICLE XXII. Intoxicating Liquors

ARTICLE XXIII. Publication of Legal Advertising

ARTICLE XXIV. Old Age Pensions

ARTICLE XXV. Public Utilities

In addition to the powers now vested in the General Assembly of the State of Colorado, all power to regulate the facilities, service and rates and charges therefor, including facilities and service and rates and charges therefor within home rule cities and home rule towns, of every corporation, individual, or association of individuals, wheresoever situate or operating within the State of Colorado, whether within or without a home rule city or home rule town, as a public utility, as presently or as may hereafter be defined as a public utility by the laws of the State of Colorado, is hereby vested in such agency of the State of Colorado as the General Assembly shall by law designate.

Until such time as the General Assembly may otherwise designate, said authority shall be vested in the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado; provided however, nothing herein shall affect the power of municipalities to exercise reasonable police and licensing powers, nor their power to grant franchises; and provided, further, that nothing herein shall be construed to apply to municipally owned utilities.

ARTICLE XXVI. Nuclear Detonations

ARTICLE XXVII. Great Outdoors Colorado Program

ARTICLE XXVIII. Campaign and Political Finance

ARTICLE XXIX. Ethics in Government

Schedule

See also

References

  1. Article II of the Constitution of Colorado on Justia.Com, accessed September 21, 2010
  2. Section 1, Article II, Constitution of Colorado
  3. Section 2, Article II, Constitution of Colorado
  4. Section 5, Article II, Constitution of Colorado
  5. Article VII, Constitution of Colorado
  6. 1 2 Section 1, Article V, Constitution of Colorado
  7. Article XXI, Constitution of Colorado
  8. Wharton, J.E.; Wilhelm, D.O. (1866). "History of Denver with a Full and Complete Business Directory". RootsWeb.com. Leona L. Gustafson. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  9. Colorado, State of (2001-04-18). "Colorado State Government History". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel and Administration, State Archives. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  10. Forty-third United States Congress (1875-03-03). "An Act to Enable the People of Colorado to Form a Constitution and State Government, and for the Admission of the Said State into the Union on an Equal Footing with the Original States". Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  11. Colorado, State of (1876-08-01). "Constitution of the State of Colorado" (PDF). State of Colorado, Department of Personnel and Administration, State Archives. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  12. Oesterle, Dale A.; Richard B. Collins (2002). The Colorado State Constitution: A Reference Guide. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-30849-9. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  13. President of the United States of America (1876-08-01). "Proclamation of the Admission of Colorado to the Union" (php). The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  14. Colorado, State of. "Constitution of the State of Colorado". Michie's Legal Resources. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  15. "Colorado Constitution article XVIII section 16". LexisNexis Public. Retrieved 22 February 2013.

External links

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