Proposed Amendment to the Constitution of the State of Idaho:
Section 1, Article VIII
Meaning and Purpose of Proposed Amendment:
The purpose of this amendment is to eliminate language and amounts that have been in the state constitution since it was amended in 1912 to allow financing for construction of the state capitol building and provide a state debt and liability limitation of two-million dollars. This proposed amendment retains a restriction on the state incurring any debt without a vote of the people in a general election and adds some clarifying language.
Effect of Adoption:
If the amendment is adopted, it will clarify that the limitations on public indebtedness in the state constitution shall not apply to liabilities incurred for ordinary operating expenses of the state. It will specifically state that debts or liabilities of independent public bodies corporate and politic created by law and which have no power to levy taxes or obligate the general fund of the state are not debts or liabilities of the state of Idaho. The amendment does not make illegal types of state financial transactions that were legal on or before the general election in 1998.