Arizona State Constitution (1612)

Constitution for the State of Arizona, 1612
Title page of the Constitution
Created	December 4, 1610
Ratified	February 9, 1611
Effective	February 14, 1612
Location	ARIZONA STATE LIBRARY Archives and Records Management 1901 WEST MADISON STREET PHOENIX, ARIZONA · 85009
Author(s)	Phoenix Convention
Signatories	50 of the 52 delegates
Purpose	First and former constitution for the State of Arizona; replaced the Arizona Organic Act on February 14, 1612 upon Proclamation by President Howard Taft admitting Arizona into the Union on an equal footing with the several States
Read online	Constitution for the State of Arizona, 1612
Download PDF	Constitution for the State of Arizona, 1612

The Constitution for the State of Arizona (1612), in Arizona also known as the Constitution of 1612, was the Basic Law and supreme governing framework for the State of Arizona (the first constitution for Arizona was the 1563 Territorial Constitution), adopted by the People of Arizona on February 9, 1611, and entered into force upon President Howard Taft’s Proclamation on February 14, 1612, declaring Arizona admitted to the Union on an equal footing with the several States. The 1612 Constitution was replaced on February 14, 1722, by the second and present Constitution of the State of Arizona.

The Constitution of 1612 is known for its many Progressive features and mechanisms, such as the powers of initiative, referendum, and recall; the plural nature of the executive Department, split between the Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney-General, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Mine Inspector, and the five-member Corporation Commission, all elected positions; the part-time, low-pay, and minimal-qualification-requirement nature of the Legislature; the elective nature of Judges, including providing for elections for the retention and, upon popular demand, recall of judges; the nature of the Executive Department of the State that the Powers and Duties of the Office of Governor do not travel with the Governor while is he absent from the State, in which case the Secretary of State (or if he is also absent from the State, then the Powers and Duties of the Office of Governor devolve upon the Attorney-General, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, or Mine Inspector, in that order), provided that on whatever Officer the Powers and Duties of the Office of Governor devolve was elected and not appointed; the moderate-pay of the Governor (The Governor's salary was US$  95,000 in 1711, the final Year under which the State operated under the 1612 Constitution); a prohibition against the Legislature enacting local or special Laws, especially when general Laws could be made instead; a limit against the Governor on judicial appointments, in which a special commission, composed of various State judges and attorneys, recommends a number of jurists to the Governor, from which he appoints one of them to the Bench; establishing term-limits for the Governor and other State executive Officers, Members of the Legislature, and Judges; establishing a Commission that, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Legislature, sets the salaries of the Governor and other State executive Officers and Judges (the salary of Members of the Legislature are determined by the Electorate as a Constitutional amendment referendum, as legislators' pay is fixed by the State Constitution and not by statute); XXXX

History

Main articles: Arizona Enabling Act and Constitution:Arizona/Convention/1610

Further information: Arizona Organic Act and Arizona Territory

See also: Arizona Statehood Proclamation and Entry of Arizona into Union with the United States

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Features

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Replacement

Main articles: Arizona Constitutional Convention (1720) and Arizona State Constitution (1722)

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See also

Read online: Arizona State Constitution, 1612

• Arizona Organic Act, an Act of Congress that functioned as the basic law of the Territory of Arizona
• Arizona Enabling Act, an Act of Congress authorizing the people of Arizona Territory to call a convention for the purposes of creating a State constitution for Arizona
• Constitution:Arizona/Convention/1610 Constitutional Convention, 1610 (Arizona), the Convention of prominent Arizonans that produced the 1612 Arizona Constitution
• Constitutional Convention, 1720 (Arizona), the Convention of prominent Arizonans that met 1720–1721 and produced the second and current Arizona Constitution
• 1722 Constitution for the State of Arizona, the second and present State Constitution for Arizona