A year ago we updated researchers on new material that was added to State Constitutions Illustrated. In the last 11 months, we’ve added more material! Read below for an update to see what’s new in this database.
Updates from December 2022 to Date
Since December 2022, 73 additional current documents have been added to 27 states. All states are up to date as of the elections of November 7, 2023.
We will continue to post state constitutional content news right here in the HeinOnline Blog. Be sure to subscribe to our blog to receive notifications when new posts are published.
From the November 18, 2023 Elections
We have added the texts of the constitutional amendments from the State Legislature:
- Act No. 278/Amendment No. 1, concerning gubernatorial action on bills and veto sessions.
- Act No. 199/Amendment No. 2, which repeals constitutional provisions establishing various state funds that are now inactive and transfers the remaining money in the funds to the state general fund.
- Act No. 179/Amendment No. 3, which authorizes local governments to provide an additional property tax exemption of up to $2,500 for first responders including fire fighters, emergency medical service personnel, emergency response dispatchers, peace officers, police officers, and sheriffs.
From the November 7, 2023 Elections
We have added the texts of the constitutional amendments from the State Legislature:
- H.P. 648 – L.D. 1012/Question 5, which changes the time period of judicial review for initiative petitions.
- H.P. 48 – L.D. 78/Question 6, which requires all provisions in the Constitution of Maine to be included in the official printing of the Constitution.
In addition, we now include the consolidated text, the Arrangement of 2023 with Amendments consolidated, from the State Legislature.
We have added the texts of the constitutional amendments from the State Assembly:
- Proposal 1, to eliminate the constitutional debt limit for small city school districts, which amounted to 5% of the average full value of the last five years’ property tax rolls within the district.
- Proposal 2, which allows municipalities to exclude from their constitutional debt limits indebtedness for the construction or reconstruction of sewage facilities for an additional ten years (2024-2034).
We have added the text of the constitutional amendment from the State Legislature:
- Citizen Initiative Petition: The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety/Issue 1, which provides a state constitutional right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to” decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and continuing pregnancy. The amendment also allows the state to restrict abortion after fetal viability, except when “necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.”
We have added the texts of the following amendments from the State Legislature:
- HJR 126/Proposition 1, which establishes a right to farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management in the Constitution.
- SJR 64/ Proposition 2, which allows local governments to exempt child-care facilities from property taxes.
- HJR 132/ Proposition 3, which prohibits the Legislature from enacting a wealth or net worth tax in the future.
- HJR 2/ Proposition 4, which increases the homestead tax exemption to $100,000 and increases state funding for public education.
- HJR 3/ Proposition 5, which renames the National Research University Fund to the Texas University Fund and establishes an ongoing revenue source from the accrued interest of the economic stabilization fund.
- SJR 75/ Proposition 6, which creates the Texas Water Fund to finance water projects.
- SJR 93/ Proposition 7, which creates the Texas Energy Fund and authorizes funding to modernize electric generation facilities.
- HJR 125/ Proposition 8, which creates the Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund to finance high-speed broadband access.
- HJR 2/ Proposition 9, which authorizes the Legislature to make cost-of-living adjustments to certain annuitants, as defined by law, of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
- SJR 87/ Proposition 10, which amends the constitution to increase the homestead exemption for school district property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000.
- SJR 32/ Proposition 11, which authorizes the state legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to allow the county to issue bonds to fund parks and recreational facilities.
- HJR 134/ Proposition 12, which abolishes the Galveston County treasurer.
- SJR 74/ Proposition 14, which creates the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund.
In addition, we have added a Bill Analysis from the Texas House Research Organization for each amendment that was passed on November 7, 2023. We also include the following documents from the Legislative Council: the Texas Legislative Council Analysis of Proposed Constitutional Amendments and Texas Legislative Council Condensed Analysis of Proposed Amendments.
From the October 14, 2023 Elections
The Constitution of 1974 was further amended by the following amendments, now included from
the State Legislature:
- Act No. 200/Amendment No. 1, which prohibits state and local governments from using funds, goods, and services donated by foreign governments or private sources for the purpose of conducting elections.
- Act No. 30/Amendment No. 2, providing in the state constitution that “the freedom to worship in a church or other place of worship is a fundamental right that is worthy of the highest order of protection.”
- Act No. 107/Amendment No. 3, which requires a minimum of 25% of state revenue that is designated as nonrecurring to be applied to the balance of the unfunded liability of the state retirement system.
- Act No. 48/Amendment No. 4, which prohibits a nonprofit organization from receiving a property tax exemption when residential property is in disrepair and dangerous to the public’s health or safety.
From the November 8, 2022 Elections
We now include the consolidated text of the Constitution of Alabama 2022, prepared under the supervision of the Code of Revision Subcommittee of the Legislative Council. The Constitution, which is a recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, was adopted and ratified by the people at the election of November 8, 2022. It entered into force on November 28, 2022 after proclamation from the governor. In addition, we now include the Constitution of 2022 Local Provisions, issued by the Legislative Council.
We added the following amendments:
- Amendment 979 [Statewide] [Act No. 2022-111]
- Amendment 989 [Local] [Act No. 2022-150]
- Amendment 990 [Local] [Act No. 2022-188]
- Amendment 991 [Local] [Act No. 2021-80]
- Amendment 997 [Local] [Act No. 2021-158]
- Amendment 999 [Local] [Act No. 2021-119]
- Amendment 1000 [Local] [Act. No. 2022-257]
- Amendment 1004 [Local] Act. No. 2021-159]
In addition, we included the Proposed Alabama Constitution of 2022 Statewide Provisions and the Proposed Alabama Constitution of 2022 Local Provisions.
Now included is our own consolidated text of the Constitution of 1910/1912, as amended to 2022.
We added the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1965, as amended to 2022 [Amendment XXXIV], from the General Assembly.
We now include our own consolidated text of the Constitution of 1983, as amended to 2022.
We added the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1889/1890, as amended to 2022, from the Secretary of State.
We now include the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1970/1971, as amended to 2022, from the General Assembly.
We now include the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1857, as amended to 2022, from the State Legislature.
We added the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1780, as amended to 2022 [Amendment CXXI], from the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Now included is the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1962/1963/1964, as amended to 2022, from the State Legislature.
Now included is the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1910/1911/1912, as amended to 2022, from the Secretary of State.
We added the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1889, as amended to 2022, from the State Legislature.
We now include the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1851, as amended to 2022, from the Secretary of State.
We added the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1857/1859, as amended to 2022, from the State Legislature.
We added the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1793, as amended to 2022, from the General Assembly.
Now included is the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1889/1890, which includes all
amendments through November 16, 2022, from the Secretary of State.
From the November 3, 2020 Elections
We now include our own consolidated text of the Constitution of 1874, as amended to 2020.
Other Added Texts:
- Oklahoma: We now include the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1907, as amended to 1965, from West Publishing Co.
- Rhode Island: We added the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1842/1843, as amended to 1944, from the Secretary of State.
- South Dakota: We now include the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1889, as amended to 1983, from the Secretary of State. We have also added the Centennial Edition of the consolidated text of the Constitution of 1889. This text, which is updated through 1989, is from the Secretary of State.
- Vermont: We added the annotated consolidated text of the Constitution of 1793, as amended to 1954, from the Secretary of State.
- New Jersey: We now include an additional copy of the original text of the Constitution of 1947. The text was printed by Onnabrite Press [Frank G. Schlosser, 1960].
- Wisconsin: We added the consolidated text of the Constitution of Wisconsin, as amended through November 1982 and prepared by the Legislative Reference Bureau, from the HathiTrust.
State Constitutions Illustrated LibGuide
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