Nebraska Constitution

Nebraska Constitution
Preamble
Articles
I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII

The Nebraska Constitution is the state constitution of Nebraska.

• The current Nebraska Constitution was adopted in 1875.^[1]
• Nebraska has had one other constitution.
• The current state constitution has a preamble and 18 articles.
• The current constitution has been amended 239 times.^[2]
• The most recent amendment to the Nebraska Constitution was approved by voters in 2022.

The Nebraska Constitution can be amended with a legislative, citizen-initiated, or covention-referred constitutional amendment, all of which require voter approval.

A state constitution is the fundamental document that outlines a state's framework for governance, including the powers, structure, and limitations of the state government, individual and civil rights, and other matters.

Background

Nebraska became the 37th state on March 1, 1867. The state's first constitution was from statehood until 1875, which was when the second constitution became effective. Nebraska has held two constitutional conventions, including 1871, 1875, and 1919-1920. Voters rejected the constitution proposed by the 1871 convention.^[3]

The 1875 convention consisted of 69 members and met in May 1875. The constitution drafted during the 1875 convention was approved by a vote of 30,322 to 5,474.^[3]

The 1919-1920 convention had 100 delegates and submitted 41 amendments to voters. All were approved. The amendments addressed the constitutional amendment process, state executive offices, establishing English as the official language of the state, and providing women the right to vote.^[3]

Preamble

See also: Preamble, Nebraska Constitution and Preambles to state constitutions

The preamble of the Nebraska Constitution states:

Article I: Bill of Rights

See also: Article I, Nebraska Constitution

Article I of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Bill of Rights." and contains 30 sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article II: Distribution of Powers

See also: Article II, Nebraska Constitution

Article II of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Distribution of Powers" and consists of one section.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article III: Legislative

See also: Article III, Nebraska Constitution

Article III of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Legislative" and consists of 30 sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article IV: Executive

See also: Article IV, Nebraska Constitution

Article IV of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Executive" and consists of 28 sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article V: Judicial

See also: Article V, Nebraska Constitution

Article V of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Judicial" and consists of 31 sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article VI: Suffrage

See also: Article VI, Nebraska Constitution

Article VI of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Suffrage" and consists of six sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article VII: Education

See also: Article VII, Nebraska Constitution

Article VII of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Education" and consists of 17 sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article VIII: Revenue

See also: Article VIII, Nebraska Constitution

Article VIII of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Revenue" and consists of 13 sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article IX: Counties

See also: Article IX, Nebraska Constitution

Article IX of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Counties" and consists of five sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article X: Public Service Corporations

See also: Article X, Nebraska Constitution

Article X of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Public Service Corporations" and consists of eight sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article XI: Municipal Corporations

See also: Article XI, Nebraska Constitution

Article XI of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Municipal Corporations" and consists of five sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article XII: Miscellaneous Corporations

See also: Article XII, Nebraska Constitution

Article XII of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Miscellaneous Corporations" and consists of eight sections, six of which have been repealed.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article XIII: State, County, and Municipal Indebtedness

See also: Article XIII, Nebraska Constitution

Article XIII of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "State, County, and Municipal Indebtedness" consists of four sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article XIV: Militia

See also: Article XIV, Nebraska Constitution

Article XIV of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Militia" and consists of a single section.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article XV: Miscellaneous Provisions

See also: Article XV, Nebraska Constitution

Article XV of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Miscellaneous Provisions" and consists of 25 sections, four of which have been repealed and five of which have been omitted.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article XVI: Amendments

See also: Article XVI, Nebraska Constitution

Article XVI of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Amendments" and consists of two sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article XVII: Schedule

See also: Article XVII, Nebraska Constitution

Article XVII of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Schedule" and consists of 11 sections, six of which have been repealed.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Article XVIII: Term Limits on Congress

See also: Article XVIII, Nebraska Constitution

Article XVIII of the Nebraska Constitution is entitled "Term Limits on Congress" and consists of eight sections.^[4]

Click here to read this article of the Nebraska Constitution.

Amending the constitution

See also: Article XVI and Article III of the Nebraska Constitution, and Laws governing the initiative process in Nebraska

Nebraska Constitution
Preamble
Articles
I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII

Nebraska offers three different paths to amending its constitution:

• The legislature can propose legislatively referred constitutional amendments, which are defined in Section 1 of Article XVI.

• Sixty percent of the members of the state legislature must vote for the proposed amendment.
• The legislature can call a special statewide election to present the proposed amendment to the voters if 80 percent of the members of the state legislature vote for any such special election.
• If no special election is called, the proposed amendment must go on the next general election ballot that includes elections for members of the state legislature.
• The amendment becomes part of the constitution if a majority of those voting on the measure vote for it and if it wins favorable votes from at least 35 percent of those voting in the election for any office.

• A constitutional convention can be held to "revise, amend, or change" the constitution if 60 percent of Nebraska's legislators agree to put a question about whether to have such a convention before the state's voters.

• A convention is held if the question wins by a majority vote as long as those voting in favor equal at least 35 percent of those voting in the election.
• Voters must ratify amendments or revisions proposed by the convention.

• An initiated constitutional amendment can be used by the state's citizens to propose constitutional amendments.

• The rules for this are set out in Sections 2 and 4 of Article III.
• The number of signatures required to qualify an amendment for the ballot is 10 percent of the state's registered voters.

See also

• State constitution
• Constitutional article
• Constitutional amendment
• Constitutional revision
• Constitutional convention
• Amendments
  • Initiated constitutional amendment
  • Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment
  • Publication requirements for proposed state constitutional amendments
  • Rules about constitutional conventions in state constitutions
  • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures

External links

Suggest a link

• Nebraska State Legislature, "Nebraska Constitution"
• Lobingier, Charles Sumner. "Some Original and Peculiar Features in the Nebraska Constitution" in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 15, May, 1900, pp. 121-125

Footnotes

v • e Nebraska Constitution Nebraska Constitution • Preamble • Article I • Article II • Article III • Article IV • Article V • Article VI • Article VII • Article VIII • Article IX • Article X • Article XI • Article XII • Article XIII • Article XIV • Article XV • Article XVI • Article XVII • Article XVIII

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