SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 11

(By Senators Beach, Klempa, Hall, Browning, Kessler (Mr. President), Unger and Williams)

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[Introduced February 17, 2012; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia authorizing the issuing and selling of state road bonds in an amount not exceeding the aggregate amount of $1.5 billion; and providing a summarized statement of the purpose of such proposed amendment.

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, two thirds of the members elected to each house agreeing thereto:

    That the question of ratification or rejection of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia be submitted to the voters of the state at the next primary election to be held in the year 2012, which proposed amendment is as follows:

West Virginia Construction Jobs Amendment

    (a) The Legislature shall have the power to authorize the issuing and selling of state bonds not exceeding in the aggregate one billion five hundred million dollars. The proceeds of said bonds hereby authorized to be sold over a two-year period in the following amounts:

    (1) The first day of October, two thousand one hundred twelve, seven hundred and fifty million dollars; and

    (2) The first day of October, two thousand one hundred thirteen, seven hundred and fifty million dollars.

     Any bonds not issued under subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection may be carried forward and issued any subsequent year but not to exceed three years.

    (b) The proceeds of the bonds shall be used and appropriated for the following purposes:

    (1) Matching available federal funds for highway construction in this state;

    (2) General highway construction or improvements in each of the fifty-five counties; and

    (3) Construction of the following projects:

    (A) US 35 WV 869 to Mason CR 40;

    (B) WV 10 Rita to Logan, including connectors;

    (C) Ohio River Bridge, Wellsburg;

    (D) Meadowbrook Road, second section extend to four-lane to CR 13/1, Harrison County;

    (E) US 522 CR 13 to CR9/9;

    (F) Coalfields Expressway Slab to Mullens,

    (G) King Coal Highway US 460/US 52 I/C to WV 123 Airport Road;

    (H) Beckley Z-Way WV 3 Industrial Dr.;

    (I) New River Parkway I-64 to S. Richmond Bottom;

    (J) I-64 I/C with US 60 Interchange Greenbrier County;

    (K) US 60 Chelyan Bridge, the Admiral T. J. Lopez Bridge, to Shrewsbury;

    (L) I-79 Interchange WV CR 46/3 Monongalia County;

    (M) RHL Boulevard, Kanawha County;

    (N) WV 2 Proctor to Kent;

    (O) US 33 Scott Miller Hill Bypass, Roane County;

    (P) Tolsia Highway, 1st Section Kenova to Sharps Branch, Cyrus;

    (Q) US 340 Charles Town bypass to Virginia line; and

    (R) I-70 interchange at mile marker 7.

    (c) When a bond issue as aforesaid is authorized, the Legislature shall at the same time provide for collection of Division of Motor Vehicle fees and vehicle tax sufficient to pay annually the interest on such bonds and the principal thereof within and not exceeding twenty-five years. Such fees and tax shall be levied in manner and applied to the State Road Fund and appropriated for and applied to the payment of the interest on and the principal of said bonds becoming due and payable in such year. Any moneys collected beyond the needed annual bond debt shall remain dedicated to maintenance of secondary roads. Any interest that accrues on the issued bonds prior to payment shall only be used for the purposes of the bonds.

    Resolved further, That in accordance with provisions of article eleven, chapter three of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, such proposed amendment is hereby numbered “Amendment No. 1” and designated as the “West Virginia Highways Construction Jobs Amendment” and the purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows: “To provide for the construction of roads and continued maintenance of our state road infrastructure.”

    NOTE: The purpose of this resolution is to provide the resources for the construction of roads and continued maintenance of state road infrastructure.