Article 8

Article VIII

Part First.  Education.

Section 1.     Legislature shall require towns municipalities to
                       support public schools; duty of Legislature.
Section 2.     Authority to pledge the credit of the State and to issue bonds for
                       loans to Maine students in higher education and their parents.


Article VIII.

Part Second.  Municipal Home Rule.

Section 1.     Power of municipalities to amend their charters.
Section 2.     Construction of buildings for industrial use.


Article VIII.

   Part First.   Education.

 Section 1.   Legislature shall require towns municipalities to
support public  schools; duty of Legislature.  A general
diffusion of the advantages of education being  essential to the
preservation of the rights and liberties of the people; to
promote this  important object, the Legislature are authorized,
and it shall be their duty to require, the  several towns to make
suitable provision, at their own expense, for the support and
maintenance of public schools; and it shall further be their duty
to encourage and suitably  endow, from time to time, as the
circumstances of the people may authorize, all  academies,
colleges and seminaries of learning within the State; provided,
that no  donation, grant or endowment shall at any time be made
by the Legislature to any literary  institution now established,
or which may hereafter be established, unless, at the time of
making such endowment, the Legislature of the State shall have
the right to grant any  further powers to alter, limit or
restrain any of the powers vested in any such literary
institution, as shall be judged necessary to promote the best
interests thereof.

 Section 2.   Authority to pledge the credit of the State and to
issue bonds for  loans to Maine students in higher education and
their parents.  For the purpose of  assisting the youth of Maine
to achieve the required levels of learning and to develop  their
intellectual and mental capacities, the Legislature, by proper
enactment, may  authorize the credit of the State to be loaned to
secure funds for loans to Maine students  attending institutions
of higher education, wherever situated, and to parents of these
students.  Funds shall be obtained by the issuance of state
bonds, when authorized by the  Governor, but the amount of bonds
issued and outstanding shall not at one time exceed  in the
aggregate $4,000,000.  Funds loaned shall be on such terms and
conditions as the  Legislature shall authorize.

  Article VIII.

  Part Second.     Municipal Home Rule.

 Section 1.   Power of municipalities to amend their charters.
The inhabitants of  any municipality shall have the power to
alter and amend their charters on all matters,  not prohibited by
Constitution or general law, which are local and municipal in
character.   The Legislature shall prescribe the procedure by
which the municipality may so act.

 Section 2.   Construction of buildings for industrial use.  For
the purposes of  fostering, encouraging and assisting the
physical location, settlement and resettlement of  industrial and
manufacturing enterprises within the physical boundaries of any
municipality, the registered voters of that municipality may, by
majority vote, authorize  the issuance of notes or bonds in the
name of the municipality for the purpose of  purchasing land and
interests therein or constructing buildings for industrial use,
to be  leased or sold by the municipality to any responsible
industrial firm or corporation.