HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION W


     April 23, 2002, Introduced by Reps. Hart, Scranton, Vander Veen, Jansen, Reeves, Murphy, Garza, Drolet, Bradstreet, Kooiman,
Pappageorge, Jelinek, Gosselin, Van Woerkom, Birkholz, Ruth Johnson, Hummel, Voorhees, Stewart and Caul 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, to allow

   the state to make contributions made to any place of religious

   worship exempt 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 allow the state to make contributions made

   to any place of religious worship exempt from state income tax,

   is proposed, agreed to, and submitted to the people of the

   state:

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                                    ARTICLE I

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

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

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

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


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

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        of the gospel or teacher of religion.  No  money shall be appro-

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        priated or drawn from the treasury for the benefit of any reli-

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        gious sect or society, theological or religious seminary; nor

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        shall  property belonging to the state SHALL be appropriated FROM

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        THE TREASURY for  any such purpose  THE BENEFIT OF ANY RELIGIOUS

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        SECT OR SOCIETY, THEOLOGICAL, OR RELIGIOUS SEMINARY.  The civil

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        and political rights, privileges and capacities of no person

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        shall be diminished or enlarged on account of his religious

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        belief.  THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT THE STATE FROM MAKING

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        CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE MADE TO ANY PLACE OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP

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        EXEMPT FROM THE STATE INCOME TAX AS LONG AS THE EXEMPTION DOES

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        NOT VIOLATE SECTION 2 OF ARTICLE VIII OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION

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        OF 1963.

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             Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be sub-

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

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        the manner provided by law.























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