Constitutional Amendment On Debt Killed

The Senate has rejected a proposed constitutional amendment clarifying the provisions on state debt limitations.

The Senate fell two votes short on Monday of the 24-vote two-thirds majority needed to send the measure to the House.

Critics feared that rather than clarifying the no-debt constitutional policy the state long has lived under, it actually would open the door to incurring substantial state debt.

Even with legislative approval, the proposal would have needed voter endorsement in November to become effective.