HF 931

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, 
  1.3             article XIV, sections 5, 6, 7, and 8; permitting the 
  1.4             highway user tax distribution fund to be used for 
  1.5             public highways, bicycle and pedestrian paths, and 
  1.6             public transit; apportioning the trunk highway fund 
  1.7             between the metropolitan area and greater Minnesota. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED.] 
  1.10     An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, article XIV, 
  1.11  sections 5, 6, 7, and 8 is proposed to the people.  If the 
  1.12  amendment is adopted, article XIV, section 5, will read as 
  1.13  follows: 
  1.14     Sec. 5.  There is hereby created a highway user tax 
  1.15  distribution fund to be used solely for highway purposes the 
  1.16  movement of goods and people on public highways, on bicycle and 
  1.17  pedestrian pathways, and by transit as specified in this 
  1.18  article.  The fund consists of the proceeds of any taxes 
  1.19  authorized by sections 9 and 10 of this article.  The net 
  1.20  proceeds of the taxes shall be apportioned:  62 percent to the 
  1.21  trunk highway fund; 29 percent to the county state-aid highway 
  1.22  fund; nine percent to the municipal state-aid street fund.  Five 
  1.23  percent of the net proceeds of the highway user tax distribution 
  1.24  fund may be set aside and apportioned by law to one or more of 
  1.25  the three foregoing funds.  The balance of the highway user tax 
  1.26  distribution fund shall be transferred to the trunk highway 
  2.1   fund, the county state-aid highway fund, and the municipal 
  2.2   state-aid street fund in accordance with the percentages set 
  2.3   forth in this section.  No change in the apportionment of the 
  2.4   five percent may be made within six years of the last previous 
  2.5   change. 
  2.6      For purposes of this article, "transit" means general or 
  2.7   specific transportation service available to the general public 
  2.8   for hire on a regular and continuing basis, including bus 
  2.9   service on fixed routes and schedules and dial-a-ride bus 
  2.10  service, provided in vehicles with a capacity for ten or more 
  2.11  passengers; commuter rail service; and equipment, facilities, 
  2.12  and operations related to those transit services. 
  2.13     article XIV, section 6, will read: 
  2.14     Sec. 6.  There is hereby created a trunk highway fund which 
  2.15  shall be used solely for the purposes specified in section 2 of 
  2.16  this article; for the construction, improvement, and maintenance 
  2.17  of bicycle and pedestrian pathways; for transit; and for the 
  2.18  payment of principal and interest of any bonds issued under the 
  2.19  authority of section 11 of this article and any bonds issued for 
  2.20  trunk highway purposes prior to July 1, 1957.  All payments of 
  2.21  principal and interest on bonds issued shall be a first charge 
  2.22  on money coming into this fund during the year in which the 
  2.23  principal or interest is payable. 
  2.24     In any fiscal year, not less than 45 percent of the trunk 
  2.25  highway fund shall be allocated by law to the Minneapolis-Saint 
  2.26  Paul metropolitan area, which is the area included in the 
  2.27  counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and 
  2.28  Washington as they exist at the time this provision is adopted, 
  2.29  and not less than 45 percent shall be allocated by law to the 
  2.30  area of the state outside the Minneapolis-Saint Paul 
  2.31  metropolitan area.  In each allocation the legislature shall 
  2.32  specify the percent of the allocation to be spent for highway 
  2.33  purposes, bicycle and pedestrian pathways, and transit purposes. 
  2.34     article XIV, section 7, will read: 
  2.35     Sec. 7.  There is hereby created a county state-aid highway 
  2.36  fund.  The county state-aid highway fund shall be apportioned 
  3.1   among the counties as provided by law.  The funds apportioned 
  3.2   shall be used by the counties as provided by law for aid in the 
  3.3   construction, improvement and maintenance of county state-aid 
  3.4   highways; for the construction, improvement, and maintenance of 
  3.5   bicycle and pedestrian pathways in the counties; and for transit 
  3.6   in the counties.  Each county may determine what portion of its 
  3.7   county state-aid highway fund allocation may be spent on the 
  3.8   construction, improvement, and maintenance of bicycle and 
  3.9   pedestrian pathways and on transit.  The legislature may 
  3.10  authorize the counties by law to use a part of the funds 
  3.11  apportioned to them to aid in the construction, improvement and 
  3.12  maintenance of other county highways, township roads, municipal 
  3.13  streets and any other public highways, including but not limited 
  3.14  to trunk highways and municipal state-aid streets within the 
  3.15  respective counties. 
  3.16     and article XIV, section 8, will read: 
  3.17     Sec. 8.  There is hereby created a municipal state-aid 
  3.18  street fund to be apportioned as provided by law among 
  3.19  municipalities having a population of 5,000 or more.  The fund 
  3.20  shall be used by municipalities as provided by law for the 
  3.21  construction, improvement and maintenance of municipal state-aid 
  3.22  streets; for the construction, improvement, and maintenance of 
  3.23  bicycle and pedestrian pathways in the municipalities; and for 
  3.24  transit in the municipalities.  Each municipality may determine 
  3.25  what portion of its municipal state-aid street fund allocation 
  3.26  may be spent on the construction, improvement, and maintenance 
  3.27  of bicycle and pedestrian pathways and on transit.  The 
  3.28  legislature may authorize municipalities to use a part of the 
  3.29  fund in the construction, improvement and maintenance of other 
  3.30  municipal streets, trunk highways, and county state-aid highways 
  3.31  within the counties in which the municipality is located. 
  3.32     Sec. 2.  [SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.] 
  3.33     The proposed amendment must be submitted to the people at 
  3.34  the 1996 general election. 
  3.35     If the amendment is adopted, its provision shall apply to 
  3.36  highway user tax distribution fund money spent after June 30, 
  4.1   1997. 
  4.2      The question submitted shall be: 
  4.3      "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to: 
  4.4      (1) permit money in the highway user tax distribution fund, 
  4.5   which consists of the net proceeds of motor vehicle registration 
  4.6   taxes and motor fuel excise taxes, to be spent for transit and 
  4.7   bicycle and pedestrian paths as well as for highways and 
  4.8   streets; and 
  4.9      (2) provide that at least 45 percent of the state's share 
  4.10  of the highway user tax distribution fund be allocated to the 
  4.11  Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area and at least 45 percent 
  4.12  be allocated to the area of the state outside that metropolitan 
  4.13  area? 
  4.14                                     Yes .......
  4.15                                     No ........"
  4.16     Election procedures shall be as provided by law.