Constitutional Amendments Passed HB41 Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); property tax exemptions. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 1998, election on a proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution which will allow the General Assembly by general law to give local governments the option of eliminating, in whole or in part, either the BPOL or merchants' capital tax, or both. Patron - Davies HB733 Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); debt of local governments. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 1998, election on a constitutional amendment which provides that the General Assembly may authorize one or more cities, towns, or counties, or any combination thereof, to contract debt as the result of an agreement to share the revenue, tax base, or the benefits of economic growth. This class of debt is exempted from the ceiling on local debt for cities and towns and from the requirement for a local referendum for counties. Patron - Hall HB1094 Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); qualifications of voters; overseas employees. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 1998, election on a proposed amendment which will authorize the General Assembly to provide by law that overseas employees, their spouses and dependents living with them, otherwise qualified to vote in the Commonwealth, may continue to vote in the Commonwealth although they relinquish their Virginia place of abode while overseas. The Constitution's definition of residence for purposes of voter qualification now requires both domicile and "a place of abode." Patron - Katzen HJ14 Constitutional amendment (second resolution); property tax exemptions. Allows the General Assembly by general law to give local governments the option of eliminating, in whole or in part, either the BPOL or merchants' capital tax, or both. Patron - Davies HJ125 Constitutional amendment (second resolution); debt of local governments. Provides that the General Assembly may authorize one or more cities, towns, or counties, or any combination thereof, to contract debt as the result of an agreement to share the revenue, tax base, or the benefits of economic growth. This class of debt is exempted from the ceiling on local debt for cities and towns and from the requirement for a local referendum for counties. Patron - Hall HJ201 Constitutional amendment (second resolution); qualifications of voters; overseas employees. Authorizes the General Assembly to provide by law that overseas employees, their spouses and dependents living with them, otherwise qualified to vote in the Commonwealth, may continue to vote in the Commonwealth although they relinquish their Virginia place of abode while overseas. The Constitution's definition of residence for purposes of voter qualification now requires both domicile and "a place of abode." Patron - Katzen SB2 Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); agreements for sharing revenues and costs of designated areas; special governing bodies. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 1998, election on a constitutional amendment which will authorize the General Assembly to provide by general law or special act for county-city-town agreements to share the revenues and costs associated with a particular land area designated by the agreement. The law shall provide for a special governing body to be selected by the governing bodies of the localities and for the powers of the special governing body. The law may provide for adoption of the agreement upon approval of the governing bodies of the participating localities. Fiscal commitments to finance the development and maintenance of areas under the jurisdiction of the special governing body will not constitute debt of the participating localities. Patron - Hawkins SB3 Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); disabled and unfit judges. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 1998, election on a proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution which states that proceedings and documents of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission may be confidential as provided by the General Assembly in general law. The present Constitution states that Commission proceedings "shall be confidential." Patron - Reynolds SB322 Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); debt of local governments. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 1998, election on a constitutional amendment which provides that the General Assembly may authorize one or more cities, towns, or counties, or any combination thereof, to contract debt as the result of an agreement to share the revenue, tax base, or the benefits of economic growth. This class of debt is exempted from the ceiling on local debt for cities and towns and from the requirement for a local referendum for counties. Patron - Quayle SJ1 Constitutional amendment (second resolution); agreements for sharing revenues and costs of designated areas; special governing bodies. Authorizes the General Assembly to provide by general law or special act for county-city-town agreements to share the revenues and costs associated with a particular land area designated by the agreement. The law shall provide for a special governing body to be selected by the governing bodies of the localities and for the powers of the special governing body. The law may provide for adoption of the agreement upon approval of the governing bodies of the participating localities. Fiscal commitments to finance the development and maintenance of areas under the jurisdiction of the special governing body will not constitute debt of the participating localities. Patron - Hawkins SJ2 Constitutional amendment (second resolution); disabled and unfit judges. Amends the Constitution to provide that proceedings and documents of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission may be confidential as provided by the General Assembly in general law. The present Constitution states that Commission proceedings "shall be confidential." Patron - Reynolds SJ52 Constitutional amendment (second resolution); debt of local governments. Provides that General Assembly may authorize one or more cities, towns, or counties, or any combination thereof, to contract debt as the result of an agreement to share the revenue, tax base, or the benefits of economic growth. This class of debt is exempted from the ceiling on local debt for cities and towns and from the requirement for a local referendum for counties. Patron - Quayle Failed HB57 Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); disabled and unfit judges. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 1998, election on a proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution which states that proceedings and documents of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission may be confidential as provided by the General Assembly in general law. The present Constitution states that Commission proceedings "shall be confidential." Patron - Cranwell HJ23 Constitutional amendment (second resolution); disabled and unfit judges. Amends the Constitution to provide that proceedings and documents of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission may be confidential as provided by the General Assembly in general law. The present Constitution states that Commission proceedings "shall be confidential." Patron - Cranwell HJ151 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission. Broadens access to confidential records of the Commission by allowing the General Assembly to provide for the release of confidential information to the General Assembly itself. This is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee Studying the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission. Patron - Robinson HJ203 United States Constitution; Equal Rights Amendment. Ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution that was proposed by Congress in 1972. This resolution advocates the position that the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment remains viable and may be ratified notwithstanding the expiration of the 10-year ratification period set out in the resolving clause, as amended, in the proposal adopted by Congress. Patron - Darner SJ49 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); General Assembly; term limits. Limits members of the Senate to three terms (12 years) and members of the House of Delegates to six terms (12 years). The limitations apply to service for both consecutive and nonconsecutive terms. Service for a partial term does not preclude serving an additional 12 years. A person may serve 12 years in each house or a total of 24 years in the General Assembly in a lifetime. The limits apply to terms of service beginning on or after the start of the year 2000 regular session of the General Assembly. Patron - Potts SJ67 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); Literary Fund. Increases the sources of revenue of the Literary Fund and dedicates the new revenues to matching grants awarded in accordance with the requirements of the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund. Beginning in the year of approval of the amendment, one percent of any lottery revenues collected by the Commonwealth will be deposited to the Literary Fund; thereafter, this amount will be increased by one percent each year until a maximum of 10 percent of any lottery revenues will be required to be deposited into the Literary Fund. The funds so deposited will be transferred annually to the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Fund and will be distributed as matching grants in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund as established in general law. Patron - Newman SJ198 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission. Broadens access to confidential records of the Commission by allowing the General Assembly to provide for the release of confidential information to the General Assembly itself. This is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee Studying the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission. Patron - Gartlan Carried Over HJ9 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); Governor's term of office. Permits the Governor to succeed himself in office. The amendment allows two terms (either in succession or not in succession) but prohibits election to a third term. Patron - Purkey HJ10 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); Governor's term of office. Permits the Governor to succeed himself in office. The amendment allows two terms (either in succession or not in succession) but prohibits election to any third term. Service for a partial term would not prevent election to two full terms. Patron - Davies HJ35 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); legislative sessions. Provides that regular annual sessions will begin on the fourth, rather than the second, Wednesday in January. Patron - Joannou HJ84 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); Literary Fund. Revises the name of the Literary Fund consistent with its purposes, i.e., the Virginia Public School Construction and Capital Projects Fund, and requires an affirmative vote of two-thirds of all the members of each house of the General Assembly to set aside any moneys for any public school purpose other than public school construction or public school capital projects. Patron - Councill HJ111 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); power of the voters to recall elective officers. Provides a means for the voters to recall the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, or any member of the General Assembly. The grounds for initiating a recall election must be stated in a voter petition and are neglect of duty, misuse of office, and conviction for an election or conflict of interest law violation or for a felony. The General Assembly is directed to enact recall procedures for local officers. Patron - Hargrove HJ115 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); election of justices of the Supreme Court and judges of other courts of record. Provides for the popular statewide election of the justices and for the popular election of judges of other courts of record either statewide or by district as provided by law. Vacancies are to be filled as provided by law. The first election is scheduled for November 2001. Patron - Stump HJ162 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); Revenue Stabilization Fund. Limits the amount that can be held in the fund to $600 million and provides that the $600 million limit will increase by $100 million in 2011 and every tenth year thereafter. The General Assembly may waive the $100 million increase by a two-thirds vote of the members present in each house. Patron - Cranwell HJ167 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); exemption of personal property from taxation. Allows the General Assembly, by general law, to exempt all or a portion of any class of personal property from local taxation and requires such law to include a reimbursement to local governments by the Commonwealth for the total revenues lost due to such an exemption, including future growth. Patron - Hull HJ192 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); initiative and referendum. Establishes procedures for initiative measures to amend the Constitution of Virginia, indirect initiative measures to enact state statutes, and referenda to nullify laws or sections of laws enacted by the General Assembly. Petitions for constitutional amendments must have signatures equal in number to at least eight percent of the last vote for Governor in the Commonwealth and must include 1,000 signatures from each congressional district. Signatures of voters equal in number to at least five percent of the last gubernatorial vote are required for indirect initiative and referendum petitions. The amendment requires the General Assembly to authorize comparable local initiative and referendum powers by statute. Patron - Joannou SJ5 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); property exempt from taxation. Authorizes the General Assembly to define passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles as a separate subject of taxation and to directly exempt such property from taxation. Patron - Miller, K.G. SJ40 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); Governor's term of office. Permits the Governor to succeed himself in office. The amendment allows two terms (either in succession or not in succession) but prohibits election to any third term. Service for a partial term would not prevent election to two full terms. Patron - Marye SJ46 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); taxation and finance; assessments; assessment by central state agency. Removes requirement that a central state agency assess the real and tangible personal property of public service companies, a function currently performed by the State Corporation Commission. This amendment would allow central assessment of any real and tangible property as directed by law. Patron - Watkins SJ48 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); legislative sessions and effective date of laws. Provides that regular annual sessions will begin on the second Wednesday in March rather than January and that laws will take effect in due course following each regular and ensuing reconvened session on the first of September rather than July. Patron - Reasor SJ179 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); property exempt from taxation. Authorizes the General Assembly to define "motor vehicles used for personal transportation" as a separate subject of taxation, and to allow the governing body of any local government to exempt or partially exempt such property from taxation, or to directly exempt or partially directly exempt such property from taxation. Patron - Saslaw < PREVIOUS | CONTENTS | NEXT >