Minnesota Legislature
SF 2398
as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 03/14/2019 08:58am
Current Version - as introduced
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A bill for an act
relating to higher education; modifying the process for electing members of the
Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota; providing for recommendations
by congressional district legislative delegation; providing for weighted election
of certain candidates; amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, sections 137.0245,
subdivisions 1, 4; 137.0246, subdivision 2, by adding subdivisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 137.0245, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1.
Establishment.
A Regent Candidate Advisory Council is established to
assist in determining criteria for, and identifying and recruiting qualified candidates for
membership on the Board of Regents and making recommendationsnew text begin for at-large positions
on the boardnew text end to the joint legislative committee described in section 137.0246, subdivision
2.
Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 137.0245, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4.
Recommendations.
(a) The advisory council shall recommend at least two and
not more than four candidatesnew text begin for each at-large positionnew text end . By January 15 of each odd-numbered
year, the advisory council shall submit its recommendations to the joint legislative committee
described in section 137.0246, subdivision 2.
(b) The advisory council must submit a report to the joint committee on the needs criterion
identified under subdivision 3, paragraph (c), at the same time it submits its recommendations.
Sec. 3.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 137.0246, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2.
Regent nomination joint committee.
(a) The joint legislative committee
consists of the members of the higher education budget and policy divisions in each house
of the legislature. The chairs of the divisions from each body shall be cochairs of the joint
legislative committee. A majority of the members from each house is a quorum of the joint
committee.
(b) By February 28 of each odd-numbered year, or at a date agreed to by concurrent
resolution, the joint legislative committee shall meet to consider the advisory council's
recommendations fornew text begin at-large positions ofnew text end regent of the University of Minnesota for possible
presentation to a joint convention of the legislature.
(c) The joint committee may recommend to the joint convention candidates new text begin for at-large
positions new text end recommended by the advisory council and the other candidates nominated by the
joint committee. A candidate other than those recommended by the advisory council may
be nominated for consideration by the joint committee only if the nomination receives the
support of at least three house of representatives members of the committee and two senate
members of the committee.
new text begin (d) new text end A candidate must receive a majority vote of members from the house of
representatives and from the senate on the joint committee to be recommended to the joint
convention. The joint committee may recommend no more than one candidate for each
vacancy. In recommending nominees, the joint committee must consider the needs of the
board of regents and the balance of the board membership with respect to gender, racial,
and ethnic composition.
Sec. 4.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 137.0246, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:
new text begin Subd. 3. new text end
new text begin Congressional district legislative delegation. new text end
new text begin
(a) A congressional district
legislative delegation consists of the members of the legislature whose districts include
territory within that congressional district. A member of the legislature whose district
includes territory in multiple congressional districts may only participate as a member of
the legislative delegation for one congressional district in any year.
new text end
new text begin
(b) By February 28 of each odd-numbered year, or at a date agreed to by concurrent
resolution, the congressional district legislative delegation shall meet to consider
recommendations for regent of the University of Minnesota to represent that congressional
district. Voting must be proportional, based on the amount of territory within the
congressional district that each member of the delegation represents.
new text end
new text begin
(c) The recommendations of the congressional district legislative delegation must be
presented to the joint convention of the legislature. The legislative delegation may
recommend no more than one candidate for each vacancy. In recommending nominees, the
delegation must consider the needs of the Board of Regents and the balance of the board
membership with respect to gender, racial, and ethnic composition.
new text end
Sec. 5.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 137.0246, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:
new text begin Subd. 4. new text end
new text begin Joint convention to elect regents; weighted voting. new text end
new text begin
Members of the Board
of Regents shall be elected by the legislature at a joint convention, on a date agreed to by
concurrent resolution. For at-large candidates, each legislator's vote is equally weighted.
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, for candidates nominated by congressional district,
the votes from members of the congressional district legislative delegation under subdivision
3 shall be counted with twice the weighting of legislators who are not in the congressional
district legislative delegation.
new text end