STATE OF MINNESOTA IN SUPREME COURT Case No. A12-0920 League of Women Voters Minnesota; Common Cause, a District of Columbia nonprofit corporation; Jewish Community Action, a Minnesota nonprofit corporation; Gabriel Herbers; Shannon Doty; Gretchen Nickence; John Harper Ritten; and Kathryn Ibur, Petitioners; vs. Mark Ritchie, in his capacity as Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota, and not in his individual capacity, Respondent; and 87" Minnesota House of Representatives and 87" Minnesota Senate, Intervenors-Respondents. PETITIONERS’ REPLY BRIEF William Z. Pentelovitch (#85078) Teresa Nelson (#269736) Richard G. Wilson (#16544X) AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF Justin H, Perl (#151397) MINNESOTA ‘Wayne S. Moskowitz (#17936X) Suite 180, 2300 Myrtle Avenue Alain M. Baudry (#186685) St. Paul, MN. 55114-1879 Catherine Ablin-Halverson (#0350473) Telephone: (651) 645-4097 MASLON EDELMAN BORMAN & BRAND, LLP Email: tnelson@aclu-mn.org 3300 Wells Fargo Center 90 S. Seventh Street Laughlin McDonald (Pro Hac Vice) Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-4140 Jon Sherman (Pro Hac Vice) Telephone: 612.672.8200 AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION Facsimile: 612.672.8397 FOUNDATION, INC. Email: bill.pentelovitch@maslon.com 230 Peachtree St., Suite 1440. Atlanta, GA 30303 ‘Telephone: (404) 523-2721 Email: Imcdonald@achu.org. jsherman@aclu.org ATTORNEYS FOR PETITIONERS.TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Authorities Introduction. Argument I. This Court has the power and duty to decide whether the ballot question’s description of the proposed amendment is unconstitutionally misleading. Tl. The ballot question fails to meet the constitutional standard established by this Court. A. — The ballot question ii Is the Breza tes B. Properly describing the general subject of an amendment is not the test for the constitutionality of a ballot question. IIL. Minnesota law requires that the Secretary of State, not the Legislature, provide the title for ballot questions. IV. This Court does not have the power to rewrite the ballot question or to order that the ballot contain language not passed bythe Legislature. : CONCLUSION.....TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Federal Cases Hunt v, Washington State Apple Advertsing Comm'n, 432 U.S. 333 (1977)... Marbury v. Madison, SUS. 137 nee Mulligan, 71 US. 2 (1866) United States v. Stevens, 130 8. Ct. 1577 (2010). State Cases Breza v. Kiffimeyer, 723 N.W.2d 633 (Minn. 2006)... Davidner v. Davidner, 304 Minn, 491, 232 N.W.2d 5 (1975) InreS.M., 812 N.W.2d 826 (Minn, 2012)... Klein v. First Edina Nat,'! Bank, 293 Minn, 418, 196 N.W.2d 619 (1972)... Maytag Co. v. Commissioner of Taxation, 218 Minn, 460, 17 N.W.2d 37 (1944). MeGuire v. C&L Restaurant Inc., 346 N.W.2d 605 (Minn, 1984) Minnesota State Bd. of Health v. City of Brainerd, 308 Minn. 24, 241 N.W.2d 624 n.5 (1976)... Newell v. Randall, 19 N.W. 972 (Minn, 1884)... Schiff v. Griffin, 639 N.W.2d 56 (Minn. Ct. App. 2002)..... Schroeder v. Johnson, 311 Minn, 144, 252 N.W.2d 851 (1976)... Secombe v, Kitlleson, 29 Minn. 555, 12 N.W. 519 (1882) State by Humphrey v. Philip Morris Inc., 551 N.W.2d 490 (Minn, 1996)... State ex rel. Ervin v. Crookston Trust C 203 Minn, 512, 282 N.W. 138 (1938). passim 6