SENATE BILL NO. 526

INTRODUCED BY G. DEVLIN

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT SUBMITTING TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF MONTANA AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VIII OF THE MONTANA CONSTITUTION TO PROHIBIT THE LEGISLATURE FROM IMPOSING TAXES ON REAL OR PERSONAL PROPERTY FOR THE PURPOSES OF FUNDING EDUCATION."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Article VIII of The Constitution of the State of Montana is amended by adding a new section 18 that reads:

Section 18. State prohibited from levying property tax for education. The legislature is prohibited from imposing a tax on the value of real or personal property for the purposes of funding education. A local government unit, including a school district, may impose a tax on real and personal property to defray the expenses of the local government unit.

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Submission to electorate. The amendment set forth in section 1 shall be submitted to the qualified electors of Montana at the general election to be held in November 2000 by printing on the ballot the full title of this act and the following:

[]	FOR prohibiting state-imposed property taxes for education and allowing locally imposed taxes for governmental purposes.

[]	AGAINST prohibiting state-imposed property taxes for education and allowing locally imposed taxes for governmental purposes.

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Coordination instruction. If this act is passed and approved but LC 800, LC 995, and LC 1718 are not passed and approved, then this act is void.

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