HF 12

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, 
  1.3             changing article IV, section 4, and article V, 
  1.4             sections 2 and 4, and adding a section to article XII; 
  1.5             providing for limits on the terms of office of 
  1.6             legislators and executive and local government 
  1.7             officers. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.] 
  1.10     An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, changing 
  1.11  article IV, section 4, and article V, sections 2 and 4, and 
  1.12  adding a section to article XII, is proposed to the people.  
  1.13     If the amendment is adopted, article IV, section 4, will 
  1.14  read: 
  1.15     Sec. 4.  Representatives shall be chosen for a term of two 
  1.16  years, except to fill a vacancy.  Senators shall be chosen for a 
  1.17  term of four years, except to fill a vacancy and except there 
  1.18  shall be an entire new election of all the senators at the first 
  1.19  election of representatives after each new legislative 
  1.20  apportionment provided for in this article.  No person may file 
  1.21  to be a candidate for election to a full term of two or four 
  1.22  years that, if served, would cause the person to serve more than 
  1.23  ten consecutive years in the legislature.  The governor shall 
  1.24  call elections to fill vacancies in either house of the 
  1.25  legislature. 
  1.26     article V, section 2, will read: 
  2.1      Sec. 2.  The term of office for the governor and lieutenant 
  2.2   governor is four years and until a successor is chosen and 
  2.3   qualified.  No person may file to be a candidate for election to 
  2.4   a third consecutive full term as governor or to a third 
  2.5   consecutive full term as lieutenant governor.  Each shall have 
  2.6   attained the age of 25 years and, shall have been a bona fide 
  2.7   resident of the state for one year next preceding his election, 
  2.8   and shall be a citizen of the United States. 
  2.9      article V, section 4, will read: 
  2.10     Sec. 4.  The term of office of the secretary of state, 
  2.11  treasurer, attorney general and state auditor is four years and 
  2.12  until a successor is chosen and qualified.  No person may file 
  2.13  to be a candidate for election to a third consecutive full term 
  2.14  in one of the offices of secretary of state, state treasurer, 
  2.15  attorney general, or state auditor.  The duties and salaries of 
  2.16  the executive officers shall be prescribed by law. 
  2.17     and a new section added to article XII will read:  
  2.18     Sec. 6.  A county or other local government unit may 
  2.19  provide limits on the service of its elected officials.  
  2.20     Sec. 2.  [SCHEDULE AND QUESTION.] 
  2.21     The amendment shall be submitted to the people at the 1996 
  2.22  general election.  
  2.23     Terms served pursuant to elections in 1996 or prior years 
  2.24  shall be disregarded in the determination of the limits imposed 
  2.25  by the amendment.  The question submitted to the people shall be:
  2.26     "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide for 
  2.27  limits on the terms of office of state legislators and executive 
  2.28  and local government officers? 
  2.29                                     Yes .......
  2.30                                     No ........"