HF 2147

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the legislature; providing for even-year 
  1.3             sessions convened by the legislature; limiting the 
  1.4             agenda; amending Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 
  1.5             3.011.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 3.011, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      3.011 [SESSIONS.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [TIME OF MEETING.] The legislature shall 
  1.11  meet at the seat of government on the first Tuesday after the 
  1.12  first Monday in January of each odd-numbered year.  When the 
  1.13  first Monday in January falls on January 1, it shall meet on the 
  1.14  first Wednesday after the first Monday. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [SPECIAL SESSIONS.] It shall also meet when 
  1.16  called by the governor to meet in special session. 
  1.17     Subd. 3.  [EVEN-NUMBER YEAR SESSIONS CONVENED BY 
  1.18  LEGISLATURE.] If the legislature adjourns sine die in the 
  1.19  odd-numbered year and the economic forecast in November of that 
  1.20  year projects a budget deficit that cannot be managed by the 
  1.21  budget reserve, the legislature may convene an even-numbered 
  1.22  year session without call by unanimous consent of the caucus 
  1.23  leaders from both houses or by a petition signed by two-thirds 
  1.24  of each house.  The session must convene on the third Monday in 
  1.25  February of the even-numbered year for a period not to exceed 14 
  2.1   days. 
  2.2      Subd. 4.  [EVEN-NUMBERED YEAR AGENDA.] If the legislature 
  2.3   meets in the even-numbered year, it is limited to the following 
  2.4   legislative actions: 
  2.5      (1) repealing obsolete, outdated, and unnecessary laws; 
  2.6      (2) proposing amendments to the Minnesota Constitution; 
  2.7      (3) enacting legislation that reduces taxes or spending or 
  2.8   both; 
  2.9      (4) enacting legislation that distributes surplus revenues; 
  2.10  and 
  2.11     (5) enacting legislation that appropriates money or 
  2.12  authorizes bonds for emergency purposes.