Article 15--Miscellaneous

§ 1: Selection of officers. All officers whose election or appointment is not otherwise provided for, shall be chosen or appointed as may be prescribed by law.
 
§ 2: Tenure of office; merit system in civil service. The tenure of any office not herein provided for may be declared by law; when not so declared, such office shall be held during the pleasure of the authority making appointment, but the legislature shall not create any office the tenure of which shall be longer than four years, except that appointments under a merit system in civil service shall not be subject to such limitation. The legislature may make provisions for a merit s ystem under which appointments and promotions in the civil service of this state and all civil divisions thereof, shall be made according to merit and fitness, to be determined, so far as practicable, by examination, which, so far as practicable, shall be competitive.
 
§ 3: Lotteries. Lotteries and the sale of lottery tickets are forever prohibited.
 
§ 3a: Regulation, licensing and taxation of "bingo" games authorized. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 3 of article 15 of the constitution of the state of Kansas the legislature may regulate, license and tax the operat ion or conduct of games of bingo and instant bingo, as defined by law, by bona fide nonprofit religious, charitable, fraternal, educational and veterans organizations.
 
§ 3b: Regulation, licensing and taxation of horse and dog racing and parimutuel wagering thereon. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 3 of article 15 of the constitution of the state of Kansas, the legislature may per mit, regulate, license and tax, at a rate not less than 3% nor more than 6% of all money wagered, the operation or conduct, by bona fide nonprofit organizations, of horse and dog racing and parimutuel wagering thereon in any county in which: (a) A majorit y of the qualified electors of the county voting thereon approve this proposed amendment; or (b) the qualified electors of the county approve a proposition, by a majority vote of those voting thereon at an election held within the county, to permit such r acing and wagering within the boundaries of the county. No off-track betting shall be permitted in connection with horse and dog racing permitted pursuant to this section.
 
§ 3c: State-owned and operated lottery. . Notwithstanding the provisions of section 3 of article 15 of the constitution of the state of Kansas, the legislature may provide for a state-owned and operated lottery, except that suc h state-owned lottery shall not be operated after June 30, 1990, unless authorized to be operated after such date by a concurrent resolution approved by a majority of all of the members elected (or appointed) and qualified of each house and adopted in the 1990 regular session of the legislature. The state shall whenever possible provide the public information on the odds of winning a prize or prizes in a lottery game.
 
§ 5: Financial statements; publication. An accurate and detailed statement of the receipts and expenditures of the public moneys, and the several amounts paid, to whom, and on what account, shall be published, as prescribed by law.
 
§ 6: Rights of women. The legislature shall provide for the protection of the rights of women, in acquiring and possessing property, real, personal and mixed, separate and apart from the husband; and shall also provide for their equal rights in the possession of their children.
 
§ 7: Salaries reduced for neglect of duty. The legislature may reduce the salaries of officers, who shall neglect the performance of any legal duty.
 
§ 8: Location of state capital. The temporary seat of government is hereby located at the city of Topeka, county of Shawnee. The first legislature under this constitution shall provide by law for submitting the question of the per manent location of the capital to a popular vote, and a majority of all the votes cast at some general election shall be necessary for such location.
 
§ 9: Homestead exemption. A homestead to the extent of one hundred and sixty acres of farming land, or of one acre within the limits of an incorporated town or city, occupied as a residence by the family of the owner, togeth er with all the improvements on the same, shall be exempted from forced sale under any process of law, and shall not be alienated without the joint consent of husband and wife, when that relation exists; but no property shall be exempt from sale for taxes , or for the payment of obligations contracted for the purchase of said premises, or for the erection of improvements thereon: Provided, That provisions of this section shall not apply to any process of law obtained by virtue of a lien given by the consen t of both husband and wife: And provided further, That the legislature by an appropriate act or acts, clearly framed to avoid abuses, may provide that when it is shown the husband or wife while occupying a homestead is adjudged to be insane, the duly appo inted guardian of the insane spouse may be authorized to join with the sane spouse in executing a mortgage upon the homestead, renewing or refinancing an encumbrance thereon which is likely to cause its loss, or in executing a lease thereon authorizing th e lessee to explore and produce therefrom oil, gas, coal, lead, zinc, or other minerals.
 
§ 10: Intoxicating liquors.

(a) The legislature may provide for the prohibition of intoxicating liquors in certain areas.

(b) The legislature may regulate, license and tax the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors, and may regulate the possession and transportation of intoxicating liquors.

(c) The sale of intoxicating liquor by the individual drink in public places is prohibited, except that the legislature may permit, regulate, license and tax the sale of intoxicating liquor by the drink in public places in a county where the qualifie d electors of the county approve, by a majority vote of those voting on this proposition, to adopt this proposition, but such sales shall be limited to: (1) Public places where gross receipts from sales of food for consumption on the premises constitute n ot less than 30% of the gross receipts from all sales of food and beverages on such premises; or (2) public places for which a temporary permit has been issued as authorized by law.
At any subsequent general election, the legislature may provide by law for the submission of propositions to qualified electors of counties for: (1) The prohibition of sales of intoxicating liquor by the individual drink in public places within the county ; (2) the regulation, licensing, taxing and sale of intoxicating liquor by the drink in public places within the county without a requirement that any portion of their gross receipts be derived from the sale of food; or (3) the regulation, licensing, taxi ng and sale of intoxicating liquor by the drink in public places within the county which derive not less than 30% of their gross receipts from the sale of food for consumption on the premises. Temporary permits for the sale of intoxicating liquor may be i ssued in any county in which the regulation, licensing, taxation and sale of intoxicating liquor by the drink in public places is approved pursuant to this section, but no temporary permit shall be issued for the sale of intoxicating liquor by the drink w ithin any county in which the regulation, licensing, taxation and sale of intoxicating liquor by the drink in public places is prohibited.

§ 12: Membership or nonmembership in labor organizations. No person shall be denied the opportunity to obtain or retain employment because of membership or nonmembership in any labor organization, nor shall the state or any subdi vision thereof, or any individual, corporation, or any kind of association enter into any agreement, written or oral, which excludes any person from employment or continuation of employment because of membership or nonmembership in any labor organization.
 
§ 13: Continuity of state and local governmental operations. Notwithstanding any general or special provision of this constitution, the legislature, in order to insure continuity of state and local governmental operations in peri ods of emergency resulting from disasters caused by enemy attack, shall have the power and the immediate duty (1) to provide for prompt and temporary succession to the powers and duties of public offices, of whatever nature and whether filled by election or appointment, the incumbents of which may become unavailable for carrying on the powers and duties of such offices, and (2) to adopt such other measures as may be necessary and proper for insuring the continuity of governmental operations including, but not limited to, the financing thereof. In the exercise of the powers hereby conferred the legislature shall in all respects conform to the requirements of this constitution except to the extent that in the judgment of the legislature so to do would be im practicable or would admit of undue delay.
 
§ 14: Oaths of state officers. All state officers before entering upon their respective duties shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation to support the constitution of the United States and the constitution of this state, and faithfully to discharge the duties of their respective offices.
 
§ 15: Victims' rights.

(a) Victims of crime, as defined by law, shall be entitled to certain basic rights, including the right to be informed of and to be present at public hearings, as defined by law, of the criminal justice process, and to be heard at sentencing or at any other time deemed appropriate by the court, to the extent that these rights do not interfere with the constitutional or statutory rights of the accused.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed as creating a cause of action for money damages against the state, a county, a municipality, or any of the agencies, instrumentalities, or employees thereof. The legislature may provide for other remedies to ensure adequate enforcement of this section.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a court to set aside or to void a finding of guilty or not guilty or an acceptance of a plea of guilty or to set aside any sentence imposed or any other final disposition in any criminal case.

§ 16: Marriage.

(a) The marriage contract is to be considered in law as a civil contract. Marriage shall be constituted by one man and one woman only. All other marriages are declared to be contrary to the public policy of this state and are void.

(b) No relationship, other than a marriage, shall be recognized by the state as entitling the parties to the rights or incidents of marriage.

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