ST PAUL, Minn. — When you head to the polls this fall, you may get to decide when state lawmakers call it quits for the year.
A proposed constitutional amendment, if approved by voters, would erase the mandatory adjournment dates for the legislature. House Majority Leader Jamie Long says his bill is about restoring the balance of power between the legislature and the governor, who can veto bills after lawmakers leave the capitol.
"We have seen in the past where we have had real conflicts with the executives, un-allotments from the Pawlenty Administration or Governor Dayton line-item vetoing our legislative appropriation where the legislature had no recourse," Long told reporters.
"This is at its core a balance of powers issue with the executive."
The Minnesota Constitution dictates that the legislature must wrap up its work before the first Monday after the third Saturday of each May. It also limits lawmakers to 120 legislative days every two years. A legislative day includes only those days when the full House or Senate meets.
The race to meet the clock in the final hours of the session has led to chaotic finishes in the legislature and errors because lawmakers had to vote on last-minute changes to bills they'd not had the chance to read or properly vet.
The main thrust of Long's amendment is creating an independent commission to perform redistricting -- the redrawing of political maps after each federal census. It's a task that has been assigned to the legislature but has ended up being settled by the courts for the past 50 years.
"Our court-drawn maps have largely served Minnesotans well, but we take for granted this is the way it will always be," Long explained.
"One need only look to Wisconsin to see the undemocratic impact that gerrymandered maps can have, or if you prefer a Democratic gerrymander, look to Illinois."
Long's amendment would also require lawmakers to wait at least a year after they leave the legislature to return as paid lobbyists.
But ending the legislature's deadlines is the part of the bill that has created the strongest reaction from Republicans. They contend the lack of adjournment deadlines would open the door to Minnesota having a full-time legislature.
"I don't think this was how government was intended. You know, we do not need to be here as much as we are!" Red Wing Republican Pam Altendorf asserted during a hearing in the House Elections Committee last week.
Republicans contend that sessions of unlimited length would harm lawmakers from outside of the metro the most, because of the long distances to their communities.
"We cannot open the door to a full-time legislature, because that is going to hurt greater Minnesota and the districts we all serve," Rep. Ben Davis, a pastor from Merrifield, told Long.
Rep. Matt Bliss pointed out the Capitol is four hours from his district in Pennington.
"I might be able to support some of the things in this amendment, but I am 100 percent opposed to a full-time legislature. We are a citizen government! I have a business, I go home, I know my people!"
But the majority leader says this change doesn't mean lawmakers will have to meet year-round. It simply lets the legislature decide when to adjourn for the year.
"Other states that don't have the same limitation don't need all year. If you look at Wisconsin, they don't have this limitation and they meet a lot less than we do."
Republicans on the committee said it would be fairer to voters to split the amendment into three amendments, so voters could decide each change independently.
Long says all three changes -- time limits, lobbying, redistricting panel -- have the common theme of good governance.
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