South Dakota Secretary of State - Election Information 2000

SD Secretary of State ► Elections & Voter Registration ► Past Elections ► 2000 Past Elections ► Approved Constitutional Amendments and Initiated Measure Approved Constitutional Amendments

The following amendments to the State Constitution were approved by the voters at the November 7, 2000 general election.

Article VIII, § 2. All proceeds of the sale of public lands that have heretofore been or may hereafter be given by the United States for the use of public schools in the state; all such per centum as may be granted by the United States on the sales of public lands; the proceeds of all property that shall fall to the state by escheat; the proceeds of all gifts or donations to the state for public schools or not otherwise appropriated by the terms of the gift; and all property otherwise acquired for public schools, shall be and remain a perpetual fund for the maintenance of public schools in the state. It shall be deemed a trust fund held by the state. The principal shall never be diverted by legislative enactment for any other purpose, and may be increased; but, if any loss occurs through any unconstitutional act, the state shall make the loss good through a special appropriation.

Article VIII, § 3. The interest and income of this fund together with all other sums which may be added thereto by law, shall be faithfully used and applied each year for the benefit of the public schools of the state, and shall be for this purpose apportioned among and between all the several public school corporations of the state in proportion to the number of children in each, of school age, as may be fixed by law; and no part of the fund, either principal or interest, shall ever be diverted, by legislative enactment, even temporarily, from this purpose or used for any other purpose whatever than the maintenance of public schools for the equal benefit of all the people of the state. However, before the interest and income is apportioned to the public schools, the principal shall be increased each year by an amount equal to the rate of inflation from the interest and income earned from this fund. The principal may be prudently invested as provided by law.

The proceeds of all fines collected from violations of state laws shall be paid to the county treasurer of the county in which the fine was imposed, and distributed by the county treasurer among and between all of the several public schools incorporated in such county in proportion to the number of children in each, of school age, as may be fixed by law.

Article VIII, § 7. All lands, money, or other property donated, granted , or received from the United States or any other source for a university, agricultural college, normal schools , or other educational or charitable institution or purpose, and the proceeds of all such lands and other property so received from any source, shall be and remain perpetual funds, the interest and income of which, together with the rents of all such lands as may remain unsold, shall be inviolably appropriated and applied to the specific objects of the original grants or gifts. The principal of every such fund may be increased, but shall never be diverted by legislative enactment for any other purpose, and the interest and income only shall be used. Every such fund shall be deemed a trust fund held by the state, and the state shall make good all losses that may occur through any unconstitutional act or where required under the Enabling Act.

Article VIII, § 11. Except as otherwise required by the Enabling Act, the moneys of the permanent school and other educational and charitable funds shall be invested by the state investment council in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other financial instruments as provided by law.

Article VIII, § 13. The permanent school or other educational and charitable funds of this state shall be audited by the proper authorities of the state. If any loss occurs through any unconstitutional act, the state shall make the loss good through a special appropriation. The amount of indebtedness so created shall not be counted as a part of the indebtedness mentioned in article XIII, § 2.

Article VIII, § 15. The Legislature shall make such provision by general taxation and by authorizing the school corporations to levy such additional taxes as with the income from the permanent school fund shall secure a thorough and efficient system of common schools throughout the state. The Legislature is empowered to classify properties within school districts into separate classes for purposes of school taxation. Taxes shall be uniform on all property in the same class.

Article IX, § 4. On or after January 1, 2001, the voters of any unit of local government shall have the right to initiate proposals for cooperation within or between local governmental units, either within or without the state, except as the Legislature shall provide otherwise by law. Such proposals may include combining, eliminating, and joint financing of offices, functions, and governmental units. Such proposals shall be adopted if approved at an election by a majority of the votes cast thereon in each affected unit. A number not less than fifteen percent of those voting in the last preceding gubernatorial election in each affected jurisdiction may by petition initiate the question of whether to adopt the proposal at the next general election.

Article XI, § 15. No tax may be levied on any inheritance, and the Legislature may not enact any law imposing such a tax. The effective date of this section is July 1, 2001.

APPROVED INITIATED MEASURE

The following statutory initiative was approved by the voters at the November 7, 2000 general election.

SDCL 42-7B-14. The maximum amount of an initial bet or subsequent bet on all games subject to this chapter is the maximum bet limit (one hundred dollars) allowed on blackjack in any jurisdiction in South Dakota in effect on January 1, 1999.

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