1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to state government; proposing an amendment
1.3 	to the Minnesota Constitution, article IV, by adding a
1.4 	section; allowing the legislature to provide for a
1.5 	referendum on specified spending issues.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
 1.8 	An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, adding a
1.9 	section to article IV, is proposed to the people.  If the
1.10 	amendment is adopted the section will read:
1.11 	Sec. 27.  The legislature may, by a law enacted under the
1.12 	other provisions of article IV, refer to a vote of the people:
1.13 	(1) the issuance of public debt, regardless of whether the
1.14 	purpose of the public debt is authorized by article XI, section
1.15 	5, and without regard to the requirement that issuance of the
1.16 	debt be adopted by a vote of at least three-fifths of the
1.17 	members of each house of the legislature; or (2) any other
1.18 	expenditure from the state treasury that supports activities
1.19 	whose benefits become available over an extended period of time,
1.20 	provided the expenditure may not be used as a substitute for
1.21 	traditional sources of funding.  The legislature may enact laws
1.22 	to implement this section.

1.23 	Sec. 2. QUESTION.
 1.24 	The proposed amendment must be submitted to the people at
1.25 	the 2006 general election.  The question proposed must be:
2.1 	"Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to authorize
2.2 	the legislature to refer certain state spending decisions to a
2.3 	vote of the people? 
2.4 	Yes .......
2.5 	                                   No ........"