The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-10-12
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. I.


1927, the legislature has proposed ar
amendment to section article of the
constitution. This section now reads as
For the purpose of defraying ex-
traordinary expenditures, the state
may contract public debts, but such
debts shall never, in the aggregate,
exceed two hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars; every such debt shall
be authorized by law. for some single
object, to be distinctly specified
therein: and no such law shall take
effect until it shall have been passed
by theJ-vote of two-thirds of the
members of each branch of the legis-
lature, to be recorded by yeas and
nays on the journals of each house
respectively; and every such law
shall levy a tax annually. sufficient
to pay the annual interest of such
debt, and also a tax sufficient to pay
the principal of such debt within ten
years from the final passage of such
law, and shall specially appropriate
the proceeds of such taxes to the
payment of such principal and inter-
est; and such. appropria ton and taxes
shall not be repealed, postponed, or
diminished, until the principal and
interest of such debt shall have been
wholly paid. The state shall never
contract any debts for works of in
ternal improvements, or be party
in carrying on such works, except
as authorized by section l6 of Ar
ticle g., and by Article ,16 of this
Constitution; but it may levy an
excise tax upon any substance, ma
teriai, fluid, force or other means or
instrumentality. pr the business of
dealing in, selling or producing any
or all thereof, used or useful, in pro-
ducing or generating power for pro-
pelling motor or other vehicles used
on the public highways of this state,
and shall place the proceeds of such
tax in the Trunk Highway Fund pro-
vided for in section of said Article
16, and further except in cases where
grants of land or other property shall
have been made to the state, espe-
cially dedica ted by the grant to spe-
cific purposes, and in such cases the
state shah devote thereto the avails
of such grants, and may pledge or
appropriate the revenues derived
from such works in aid of their COM
pletion."
If amended as proposed this section viii
read as follows:
"section S. For the purpose of de-
fraying extraordinary expenditures,
the state may contract public
debts, but such debts shall never,
in the aggregate, exceed two hum
dred and fifty thousand dollars;
every such debt shall be author
lied by law, for some single object,
TO be distinctly specified therein:
and no such law shall take effect
until it shall have been passed by
the vote of two thirds of the men,
beers of each branch of the legis-
lature, to be recorded by yeas and
nays on the journals of each house
respectively; and every such law
shall levy tax annually sufficient
to pay the annual interest of such
debt. and also tax sufficient to
pay the principal of such debt with
in ten years from the final passage
of such law. and shall specially ap-
propriate the proceeds of such
taxes to the payment of such prin-
cipal- and interest; and such APP
preparation and taxes shall not be
repealed, postponed, or diminished.
until the principal and interest of
such debt shall have been wholly
paid. The state shall never, con-
tract any debts for works of in
ternal improvements, or be party
in carrying on such works, except
as authorized by section 16 of Ar
ticle 8, and by Article 16 of this
Constitution, but it may levy an
excise tax upon any substance, ma
terisl, fluid force or other means
or instrumentality, or the business
of dealing in, selling or producing
any or all thereof, used or useful,
in producing or generating power
for propelling motor or other We
hicles used on the public highways
of this state, and shall place two
thirds of the proceeds of such tax
in the Trunk Highway Fund pro-
vided for in section 2 of said Ar
ticle 16, and one third thereof in the
state road and bridge fund, and
further except in cases where
grants of land or other property shall
have been made to the state, es-
pecially dedicated by the grant to
specific purposes, and in such cases
the state shall devote thereto the
avails of such grants. and may
pledge or appropriate the revenues
derived from such works in aid Of
their completion
The Purpose of the Proposed Amendment
The entire proceeds of the gasoline tax
are now placed in the trunk highway
fund for use on the trunk highway sys-
tenn. The purpose Of the proposed amend
ment Is to place two thirds Of the pro-
ceeds of such tax In the trunk highway
fund and one third in the state road and
bridge fund.