SF 1576

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) 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             article IV, section 4; providing staggered terms of 
  1.4             six years for state senators and four years for state 
  1.5             representatives. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.] 
  1.8      An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to 
  1.9   the people.  If the amendment is adopted, article IV, section 4, 
  1.10  will read: 
  1.11     Sec. 4.  Representatives shall be chosen for a term of two 
  1.12  four years, except to fill a vacancy.  Senators shall be chosen 
  1.13  for a term of four six years, except to fill a vacancy and 
  1.14  except there shall be an entire new election of all the senators 
  1.15  at the first election of representatives after each new 
  1.16  legislative apportionment provided for in this article.  
  1.17  Representatives chosen at the general election in the year 2006 
  1.18  from districts with odd numbers shall serve for an initial term 
  1.19  of two years.  Senators chosen at the general election in the 
  1.20  year 2006 from districts numbered one and every third district 
  1.21  thereafter shall serve for an initial term of two years.  
  1.22  Senators chosen at that election from districts numbered two and 
  1.23  every third district thereafter shall serve for an initial term 
  1.24  of four years.  After the year 2006, the redrawing of district 
  1.25  boundaries under section 3 shall not cause the term of an 
  2.1   elected member to be shortened.  The governor shall call 
  2.2   elections to fill vacancies in either house of the legislature. 
  2.3      Sec. 2.  [SCHEDULE AND QUESTION.] 
  2.4      The proposed amendment must be submitted to the people at 
  2.5   the 2002 general election and, if approved, is effective for the 
  2.6   state primary election in 2006.  The question submitted shall be:
  2.7      "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide 
  2.8   staggered six-year terms for members of the state senate and 
  2.9   staggered four-year terms for members of the state house of 
  2.10  representatives? 
  2.11     
  2.12                                     Yes .......
  2.13                                     No ........"