Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a resolution that authorizes public assistance in the development of infrastructure to be distributed by majority vote of the legislature through electric, internet, natural gas, water, wastewater and other service connections to domiciles.

Highlights:

• Prohibits the state or any county, school district or municipality, except as otherwise provided in this constitution, from directly or indirectly lending or pledging its credit or make any donation to or in aid of any person, association, or public or private corporation or in aid of any private enterprise for the construction of any railroad (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the state to create by law a program of loans to students of the healing arts, as defined by law, for residents of the state who, in return for the payment of educational expenses, contract with the state to practice their profession for years after graduation within areas of the state designated by law (Sec. 1.C).

• Specifies nothing in this law prohibits the state or a county or municipality from creating new job opportunities by providing land, buildings, or infrastructure for facilities to support new or expanding businesses if this assistance is granted according to general implementing legislation that is approved by a majority vote of those elected to each house of the legislature (Sec. 1.D).

• Requires legislation to be enacted by a majority vote of the members elected to each house of the legislature. This enabling legislation will (Sec. 1.F):

• Define "affordable housing";

• Establish eligibility criteria for the recipients of land, buildings, and infrastructure;

• Contain provisions to ensure the successful completion of affordable housing projects supported by assistance;

• Require a county or municipality assisting to give prior formal approval by ordinance for a specific affordable housing assistance grant and include in the ordinance the conditions of the grant;

• Require prior approval by the law of an affordable housing assistance grant by the state; and

• Require the governing body of the instrumentality of the state, designated by the legislature as the state's housing authority, to give prior approval, by resolution, for affordable housing grants that are to be given by the instrumentality.

• Specifies nothing in this law prohibits the state from establishing a veterans' scholarship program, for military war veterans who are post-secondary students at educational institutions under the exclusive control of the state and who have exhausted all educational benefits offered by the United States Department of Defense or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, by exempting such veterans from the payment of tuition (Sec. 1.G).

• Specifies nothing in this law prohibits the state from expending state funds to provide essential household services if the assistance is granted according to general implementing legislation approved by a majority vote of those elected to each house of the legislature (Sec. 1.H).

Full Bill Text