HF 1849

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

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to elections; requiring candidates for 
  1.3             attorney general to be learned in the law; proposing 
  1.4             an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, article V, 
  1.5             section 1; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 
  1.6             204B.06, subdivision 4. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.] 
  1.9      An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to 
  1.10  the people as provided in this section. 
  1.11     If the amendment is adopted, article V, section 1, will 
  1.12  read: 
  1.13     Section 1.  The executive department consists of a 
  1.14  governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, 
  1.15  treasurer and attorney general, who shall be chosen by the 
  1.16  electors of the state.  The governor and lieutenant governor 
  1.17  shall be chosen jointly by a single vote applying to both 
  1.18  offices in a manner prescribed by law.  The attorney general 
  1.19  shall be learned in the law. 
  1.20     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 204B.06, 
  1.21  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.22     Subd. 4.  [PARTICULAR OFFICES.] Candidates who seek 
  1.23  nomination for the following offices shall state the following 
  1.24  additional information on the affidavit:  
  1.25     (a) for United States senator, that the candidate will be 
  1.26  30 years of age or older and a citizen of the United States for 
  2.1   not less than nine years on the next January 3 or, in the case 
  2.2   of an election to fill a vacancy, within 21 days after the 
  2.3   special election; 
  2.4      (b) for United States representative, that the candidate 
  2.5   will be 25 years of age or older and a citizen of the United 
  2.6   States for not less than seven years on the next January 3 or, 
  2.7   in the case of an election to fill a vacancy, within 21 days 
  2.8   after the special election; 
  2.9      (c) for governor or lieutenant governor, that on the first 
  2.10  Monday of the next January the candidate will be 25 years of age 
  2.11  or older and, on the day of the state general election, a 
  2.12  resident of Minnesota for not less than one year; 
  2.13     (d) for attorney general, that the candidate is learned in 
  2.14  the law; 
  2.15     (e) for supreme court justice, court of appeals judge, or 
  2.16  district court judge, that the candidate is learned in the law; 
  2.17     (e) (f) for county, municipal, school district, or special 
  2.18  district office, that the candidate meets any other 
  2.19  qualifications for that office prescribed by law; 
  2.20     (f) (g) for senator or representative in the legislature, 
  2.21  that on the day of the general or special election to fill the 
  2.22  office the candidate will have resided not less than one year in 
  2.23  the state and not less than six months in the legislative 
  2.24  district from which the candidate seeks election.  
  2.25     Sec. 3.  [SCHEDULE AND QUESTION.] 
  2.26     The amendment shall be submitted to the people at the 1996 
  2.27  general election.  The question submitted must be: 
  2.28     "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require 
  2.29  that candidates for attorney general be learned in the law? 
  2.30                                    Yes .......
  2.31                                    No ........"
  2.32     If the amendment is adopted, section 2 is effective January 
  2.33  1, 1997, and applies to candidates who file for the office of 
  2.34  attorney general after that date.