The General Assembly finds:

(1) That by Section 4, Act 10 of 1985, the General Assembly ratified an amendment to Section 13(6)(c), Article X of the Constitution of this State, 1895. As amended, Section 13(6)(c), Article X limits the issuance of certain general obligation debt of the State such that the maximum annual debt service on general obligation bonds of the State, excluding highway bonds, state institution bonds, tax anticipation notes, and bond anticipation notes, may not exceed five percent of the general revenues of the State for the fiscal year next preceding, excluding revenues that are authorized to be pledged for state highway bonds and state institution bonds.

(2) Section 13(6)(c), Article X, as amended, further provides that the percentage rate of general revenues of the State by which general obligation bond debt service is limited may be reduced to four or increased to seven percent by legislative enactment passed by two-thirds vote of the total membership of the Senate and a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the House of Representatives.

(3) That pursuant to Section 13(6)(c), Article X, the General Assembly, in Act 254 of 2002, increased to five and one-half percent the percentage rate of the general revenues of the State by which general obligation bond debt service is limited with the additional debt service capacity available at any time as a consequence of the increase available only for the repayment of general obligation bonds issued to provide infrastructure for economic development within the State.

(4) Facility and infrastructure constraints prevent the advancement of research projects as well as restrict the ability of the research universities, as defined in Section 11-51-30, to retain faculty and generate research dollars. A dedicated source of funds to repay general obligation debt authorized pursuant to this chapter would provide a consistent funding stream for capital improvements at the research universities and allow for improved planning of capital expenditures to meet the mission of the research universities.

(5) In order to advance economic development and create a knowledge based economy, thereby increasing job opportunities, and to facilitate and increase research within the State at the research universities, it is in the interest of the State that, pursuant to Section 13(6)(c), Article X that the limitation on general obligation debt imposed by Section 13(6)(c), Article X be increased to six percent with the additional debt service capacity available at any time as a consequence of the increase available only for the repayment of general obligation debt issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(6) That Section 13(5), Article X of the Constitution of this State, 1895, authorizes the General Assembly to authorize general obligation debt by two-thirds vote of the members of each House of the General Assembly, subject to such conditions or restrictions limiting the incurring of such indebtedness contained in the authorization to incur such indebtedness, and the provisions of Section 13(3), Article X of the Constitution of this State.

(7) That Section 13(5), Article X provides additional constitutional authority for the bonds authorized by this chapter and the designated principal amount of general obligation bonds to be issued pursuant to the debt limit as it existed prior to this chapter.

HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 187, Section 9.