Article XI-M of the Oregon State Constitution

In this post, we look at Article XI-M of the Oregon State Constitution.  This article is entitled "Seismic Rehabilitation of Public Education Buildings".  The western side of Oregon is in an earthquake zone.  The major tectonic plate intersection currently runs out in the ocean a little bit for a large portion of where it intersection Oregon.  However, earthquakes rattle the Willamette river valley where a significant portion of the population lives.  As science has progressed, better materials, construction techniques and earthquake resistant building designs have progressed and as a result minimum building standards have been raised over time.  The useable life of a public education building can easily be 70 years.  Retrofitting existing buildings to bring them up to minimum standards is expensive.  Hence there needed to be a fund established to do this work.  This article has 5 sections.

Section 1

This section has 3 subsections.  It defines what a public education building is.  It also authorizes the issue of bonds for the work required to upgrade buildings.  The work required to survey and conduct engineering evaluations is also included.

Section 2

This section provides for sources of repayment.  As stated in subsection (3), the legislature can pull money from just about anywhere, except as prohibited in subsection (1), ad valorem property taxes.

Section 3

This section authorizes rolling over the bonds.

Section 4

This section directs the legislature to issue laws to enact this Article of the constitution.

Section 5

This section has a catchall statement that indicates this Article overrules any conflicting sections of the constitution