HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION G


     January 28, 1997, Introduced by Rep. Voorhees and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.


        A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state con-

   stitution of 1963, by amending section 4 of article I and section

   2 of article VIII, to provide for the deduction of nonpublic K-12

   school expenses from state income tax.

        Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the

   state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state con-

   stitution of 1963, to provide for the deduction of nonpublic K-12

   school expenses from state income tax, is proposed, agreed to,

   and submitted to the people of the state:

 1                                ARTICLE I

 2         Sec. 4.  Every person shall be at liberty to worship God

 3    according to the dictates of his own conscience.  No person shall

 4    be compelled to attend, or, against his consent, to contribute to

 5    the erection or support of any place of religious worship, or to

 6    pay tithes, taxes or other rates for the support of any minister


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 1    of the gospel or teacher of religion.  No money shall be

 2    appropriated or drawn from the treasury for the benefit of any

 3    religious sect or society, theological or religious seminary; nor

 4    shall property belonging to the state be appropriated for any

 5    such purpose.  The civil and political rights, privileges and

 6    capacities of no person shall be diminished or enlarged on

 7    account of his religious belief.  THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT

 8    THE STATE FROM PROVIDING AN INCOME TAX DEDUCTION FOR NONPUBLIC

 9    K-12 EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES.

10                               ARTICLE VIII

11         Sec. 2.  The legislature shall maintain and support a system

12    of free public elementary and secondary schools as defined by

13    law.  Every school district shall provide for the education of

14    its pupils without discrimination as to religion, creed, race,

15    color or national origin.

16          No public monies or property shall be appropriated or paid

17     or any public credit utilized, by the legislature or any other

18     political subdivision or agency of the state directly or indi-

19     rectly to aid or maintain any private, denominational or other

20     nonpublic, pre-elementary, elementary, or secondary school.  No

21     payment, credit, tax benefit, exemption or deductions, tuition

22     voucher, subsidy, grant or loan of public monies or property

23     shall be provided, directly or indirectly, to support the

24     attendance of any student or the employment of any person at any

25     such nonpublic school or at any location or institution where

26     instruction is offered in whole or in part to such nonpublic





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 1    school students.  The legislature may provide for the

 2     transportation of students to and from any school. 

 3         Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be sub-

 4    mitted to the people of the state at the next general election in

 5    the manner provided by law.














































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