 The succeeding constitution , adopted on June 29 , 1844 , restricted suffrage to white males . It separated the government 's powers into judicial , legislative , and executive branches and granted the people ( as opposed to the legislature ) the ability to elect a governor . It also formally limited state debt , a predecessor of many contemporary " debt ceiling " clauses . The constitution was amended in 1875 , mainly to conform to the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments . Additionally , the state 's amendments required that the legislature provide for a free public school system . 
