HF 300

1st Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:35am

A bill for an act
relating to elections; applying certain privileges to major political party caucuses
held in cities of the first class during odd-numbered years; proposing coding for
new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 202A.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

[202A.191] MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY CAUCUS WITHIN CITIES
OF THE FIRST CLASS.

Subdivision 1.

Applicability.

This section applies to a major political party precinct
caucus held within a city of the first class in an odd-numbered year, on the date determined
as provided in subdivision 2.

Subd. 2.

Date of caucus.

(a) The chairs of the two largest major political parties'
city organization within each city of the first class shall jointly submit to the governing
body of that city the single date on which the two parties have agreed to conduct their
precinct caucuses in the next odd-numbered year. The date must be submitted no later
than August 1 of each even-numbered year.

(b) On August 1 of each even-numbered year, or at the next regularly scheduled
meeting following that date, the governing body within each city of the first class shall
publicly announce the official date for major political party precinct caucuses to be held in
the next odd-numbered year within the city.

(c) If the chairs of the two largest major political parties do not jointly submit to the
governing body of a city of the first class a single date for conducting precinct caucuses in
that city as provided in this subdivision, then for purposes of the next odd-numbered year,
the first Tuesday in February shall be considered the day of a major political party precinct
caucus within that city, and this section shall only apply within that city on that date.

(d) For purposes of this subdivision, the two largest major political parties shall
be the parties whose candidates for governor received the greatest and second greatest
number of votes at the most recent election.

Subd. 3.

Prohibited meetings and activities.

(a) The following meetings and
activities are prohibited after 6:00 p.m. on the night of a major party precinct caucus held
within a first class city:

(1) a meeting of a school board or city council;

(2) a meeting of the governing body of a special taxing district, as defined in section
275.066, if the special taxing district is wholly contained within the first-class city; and

(3) an event sponsored by a public elementary or secondary school.

(b) This subdivision only applies to meetings and activities held within the first class
city in which the major party caucus is to be held.

Subd. 4.

Absence from work.

Every employee who is entitled to attend a major
political party precinct caucus within a city of the first class is entitled, after giving the
employer at least ten days' written notice, to be absent from work for the purpose of
attending the caucus during the time for which the caucus is scheduled without penalty or
deduction from salary or wages on account of the absence, other than a deduction in salary
for the time of absence from employment.

Subd. 5.

Public school buildings.

No school official may deny the use of a public
school building for the holding of a major political party precinct caucus within a city of
the first class if the school office has received a written request for the use of the school
building 30 days or more prior to the date of the caucus.

Subd. 6.

Use of facilities.

Every public agency, including the University of
Minnesota and other public colleges and universities located within a city of the first class,
must make their facilities available for the holding of a major party precinct caucus on the
date determined according to this section. A charge for the use of the facilities may be
imposed in an amount that does not exceed the lowest amount charged to any public or
private group.