HF 3814

as introduced - 80th Legislature (1997 - 1998) 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             adding a section to article X; requiring a two-thirds 
  1.4             vote of both houses of the legislature to establish or 
  1.5             raise a tax or license fee. 
  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 X, is proposed to the people.  If the 
  1.10  amendment is adopted, the section will read: 
  1.11     Sec. 9.  No new tax or license fee may be imposed or levied 
  1.12  except pursuant to a law enacted with the vote of two-thirds of 
  1.13  the members of each house of the legislature.  The effective 
  1.14  rate of any tax levied or license fee imposed may not be 
  1.15  increased except pursuant to a law enacted with the vote of 
  1.16  two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature. 
  1.17     Before each fiscal year, the legislature shall by law 
  1.18  appropriate revenues to pay interest on debt to which it has 
  1.19  pledged the state's full faith and credit and which interest is 
  1.20  payable in the year for which the appropriation is made and to 
  1.21  pay the principal of the debt, payable in that year, whether at 
  1.22  maturity or otherwise.  If insufficient revenues are provided to 
  1.23  pay the principal and interest on the debt when due and payable, 
  1.24  the first money thereafter received by the state shall be 
  1.25  applied to the payment of the principal and interest.  To make 
  2.1   up for the insufficient revenues, the legislature may increase 
  2.2   the rate of taxes and fees without regard to the limitations of 
  2.3   this section. 
  2.4      Sec. 2.  [SCHEDULE; QUESTION.] 
  2.5      The proposed amendment shall be submitted to the people at 
  2.6   the 1998 general election.  If adopted, the amendment shall take 
  2.7   effect on January 1, 1999.  The question proposed to the people 
  2.8   shall be: 
  2.9      "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to add a 
  2.10  section requiring a two-thirds vote of both houses of the 
  2.11  legislature to establish or increase a tax or license fee? 
  2.12                                     Yes .......
  2.13                                     No ........"