Part 1 Preamble to Section 144
BILL OF RIGHTS
- ... Rights of life, liberty, worship, pursuit of safety and happiness, free speech, acquiring and protecting property, peaceable assembly, redress of grievances, bearing arms.
- ... Men are equal -- No exclusive grant except for public services -- Property not to be exempted from taxation -- Grants revocable.
- ... Power inherent in the people -- Right to alter, reform, or abolish government.
- ... Truth may be given in evidence in prosecution for publishing matters proper for public information -- Jury to try law and facts in libel prosecutions.
- ... Security from search and seizure -- Conditions of issuance of warrant.
- ... Rights of accused in criminal prosecution -- Change of venue.
- ... Indictable offense not to be prosecuted by information -- Exceptions.
- ... Double jeopardy -- Property not to be taken for public use without compensation.
- ... Right of judicial remedy for injury -- Speedy trial.
- ... Excessive bail or fine, or cruel punishment, prohibited.
- ... Ex post facto law or law impairing contract forbidden -- Rules of construction for mineral deeds relating to coal extraction.
- ... Standing armies restricted -- Military subordinate to civil -- Quartering soldiers restricted.
- ... No office of nobility or hereditary distinction, or for longer than a term of years.
- ... General powers subordinate to Bill of Rights -- Laws contrary thereto are void.
- ... Powers of government divided among legislative, executive, and judicial departments.
- ... One department not to exercise power belonging to another.
-
THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
- ... Time of election and term of office of Senators and Representatives.
- ... Majority constitutes quorum -- Powers of less than a quorum.
- ... Each House to judge qualifications, elections, and returns of its members -- Contests.
- ... Powers of each House as to rules and conduct of members -- Contempt -- Bribery.
- ... Compensation of members -- Length of sessions -- Legislative day.
- ... Privileges from arrest and from questioning as to speech or debate.
- ... Ineligibility of members to civil office created or given increased compensation during term.
- ... Collector of public money ineligible unless he has quietus.
- ... Bills must be reported by committee, printed, and read -- How bill called from committee -- Votes required for passage.
- ... Bills to raise revenue must originate in House of Representatives.
- ... Resources of Sinking Fund not to be diminished -- Preservation of fund.
- ... Purposes for which debt may be contracted -- Tax to discharge -- Public vote.
- ... Law may not relate to more than one subject, to be expressed in title -- Amendments must be at length.
- ... General Assembly may not release debt to State or to county or city.
- ... Investigation of accounts of Treasurer and Auditor -- Report, publication, submission to Governor and General Assembly.
- ... When laws to take effect -- Emergency legislation.
- ... Signing of bills -- Enrollment -- Presentation to Governor.
- ... Member having personal interest to make disclosure and not vote.
- ... General Assembly not to audit nor allow private claim -- Exception -- Appropriations.
- ... General law not to be made special or local by amendment -- No special powers or privileges -- Law not to take effect on approval of other authority than General Assembly -- Exceptions.
- ... Provision to be made for local option on sale of liquor -- Time of elections.
-
COUNTIES AND COUNTY SEATS
- ... Area of counties -- Boundaries -- Creation and abolishment of counties.
- ... Division of county or removal of county seat, election required -- Minimum population of county.
- ... Striking territory from county -- Liability for indebtedness.
- ... Civil officers liable to impeachment -- Judgment -- Criminal liability.
-
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
- ... Election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor -- Term -- Tie vote.
- ... Qualifications of Governor and Lieutenant Governor -- Duties of Lieutenant Governor.
- ... When terms of Governor and Lieutenant Governor begin.
- ... Compensation of Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
- ... Governor is Commander-in-Chief of army, navy and militia.
- ... Power of Governor to remit fines and forfeitures, grant reprieves and pardons -- No power to remit fees.
- ... Governor may require information from state officers.
- ... Governor may call extraordinary session of General Assembly, adjourn General Assembly.
- ... When Lieutenant Governor to act as Governor -- President of the Senate not to preside at impeachment of Governor -- Certification of disability of Governor.
- ... Who to act as Governor in absence of Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate.
- ... Signature of bills by Governor -- Veto -- Passage over veto -- Partial veto.
- ... Concurrent orders and resolutions on same footing as bill.
- ... Contest of election for Governor or Lieutenant Governor.
- ... Constitutional State officers -- Election -- Qualifications -- Term of office -- Duties -- Secretary of State to record acts of Governor and report them to General Assembly.
- ... Succession of elected Constitutional State Officers -- Duties -- Inferior officers and members of boards and commissions.
- ... Time of election of elected Constitutional State officers.
- Officers for Districts and Counties
- ... Commonwealth's Attorney and Circuit Court Clerk -- Election -- Term.
- ... County officers, justices of the peace, and constables -- Election -- Term.
- ... Qualifications of officers for counties and districts.
- ... Abolishment of office of assessor -- Assessor may not succeed himself.
- ... Fees of county officers -- Fees in counties having seventy-five thousand population or more.
- ... Additional county or district offices may be created.
- ... Abolishment of office of commonwealth's attorney.
- ... The judicial power -- Unified system -- Impeachment.
-
The Supreme Court
- ... Jurisdiction -- Quorum -- Special justices -- Districts -- Chief Justice.
-
The Court of Appeals
- ... Composition -- Jurisdiction -- Administration -- Panels.
-
The Circuit Court
- ... Location -- Circuits -- Composition -- Administration -- Jurisdiction.
-
The District Court
- ... Location -- Districts -- Composition -- Administration -- Trial commissioners -- Jurisdiction.
- ... Rules governing jurisdiction, personnel, procedure, bar membership.
-
Offices of Justices and Judges
DISTRIBUTION OF THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT
THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT
Clerks of Court
Appellate Policy -- Rule-Making Power
COUNTY COURTS
- ... County Court for each county -- Judge -- Compensation -- Commission -- Removal.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE
- ... Justices' districts -- One Justice for each district -- Jurisdiction and powers of Justices -- Commissions -- Removal.
FISCAL COURTS
- Section 144 ... Fiscal Court for each county -- To consist of Justices of the Peace or Commissioners, and County Judge -- Quorum.
Disclaimer:
This
Constitution
may not be the most recent version. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information on this site. The official state website may have more current and complete information.