The Governor of the State of Colorado has heretofore presented to this court his "Request for an Opinion" concerning the constitutionality of an Act of the legislature known as House Bill No. 1503, which was adopted by both houses of the First Regular Session of the Forty-Sixth General Assembly. House Bill No. 1503 is entitled.
The "Request for an Opinion" submitted by the Governor contains the statement that "the advice of the Attorney General has been sought and received, and there is grave doubt as to the constitutionality of certain provisions of House Bill No. 1503; * * *." The request directs the attention of this court to eleven separate sections of the Constitution of the State of Colorado which have given rise to the "grave doubt" mentioned by the Governor. He asks that the bill as a whole be subjected to the test of constitutionality as violative of Section 1, Article XI, of the Constitution of the State of Colorado; and that seven separate provisions of the Act be tested as to their constitutionality as violative of the eleven sections of the constitution to which our attention is specifically directed.
House Bill No. 1503 as adopted by the General Assembly is a lengthy document containing 25 separately numbered sections and 60 subsections, making a total of 85 separately identified provisions which must be considered and related to the applicable constitutional provisions. The bill purports to create property rights and liabilities of a very substantial kind. In our view the question presented should only be answered after thorough analysis and study, and with full opportunity for those, who may be affected by the Act, to be heard.
We think the language of this court in In Re Interrogatories, 131 Colo. 389, 281 P.2d 1013, is directly applicable to the instant case. We there explained the dangers involved in answering a similar request made by the State Senate in the following language:
We conclude that the hasty consideration which would be required in order to serve the purposes of the Governor makes it necessary for us respectfully to decline to pass upon the numerous questions which are raised.
McWILLIAMS, J., not participating.
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