1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to taxation; proposing an amendment to the 
  1.3             Minnesota Constitution, article XIII, section 1; 
  1.4             prohibiting financing of certain education costs with 
  1.5             property taxes; changing the date for certification 
  1.6             and payment of certain costs for purposes of property 
  1.7             tax levies; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 
  1.8             270.52. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED.] 
  1.11     An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, article XIII, 
  1.12  section 1, is proposed to the people.  If the amendment is 
  1.13  adopted, the section will read as follows: 
  1.14     Section 1.  The stability of a republican form of 
  1.15  government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, 
  1.16  it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and 
  1.17  uniform system of public schools.  The legislature shall make 
  1.18  such provisions by taxation or otherwise as will secure a 
  1.19  thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the 
  1.20  state, but without the use of local property tax revenues.  
  1.21  Local property taxes may be used to fund facilities and 
  1.22  equipment and to secure and pay debt to finance public school 
  1.23  capital facilities.  
  1.24     Sec. 2.  [SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.] 
  1.25     The proposed amendment must be submitted to the people at 
  1.26  the 1996 general election.  The question submitted is: 
  1.27     "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require 
  2.1   that operating funds for public schools come from sources other 
  2.2   than local property taxes? 
  2.3                                      Yes .......
  2.4                                      No ........"
  2.5      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 270.52, is 
  2.6   amended to read: 
  2.7      270.52 [COSTS OF MAKING ASSESSMENTS.] 
  2.8      The cost of making any assessment provided in sections 
  2.9   270.41 to 270.53 shall be charged to the assessment district 
  2.10  involved.  The county auditor shall certify the costs incurred 
  2.11  to the appropriate governing body not later than September 
  2.12  August 1 of each year, and if unpaid as of October 10 September 
  2.13  1, the county auditor shall levy a tax upon the taxable property 
  2.14  of such taxing district sufficient to pay such costs.  The 
  2.15  amount so collected shall be credited to the general revenue 
  2.16  fund of the county.  
  2.17     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.18     If the amendment proposed by section 1 is adopted by the 
  2.19  voters, the amendment is effective July 1, 1998.