1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution by adding a section to
1.3 article XI; prohibiting state spending in excess of inflation and population growth.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED.
1.6 An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to the people. If the amendment
1.7is adopted, a section shall be added to article XI, to read:
1.8 Sec. 16. The maximum biennial percentage change in state spending must not exceed
1.9inflation plus the percentage change in state population. State spending shall be determined
1.10as all expenditures and reserve increases, excluding: federal funds; excess revenue refunded
1.11to taxpayers; reserve transfers or expenditures; expenditures approved by the people after
1.122024; and expenditures of gifts or court-ordered damage awards. Inflation shall be determined
1.13as the total percentage change in the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer
1.14Price Index for Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington for all urban consumers and all items,
1.15or its successor index, for the previous two calendar years. The percentage change in state
1.16population shall be determined as the total percentage change for the previous two calendar
1.17years according to federal estimates and adjusted every decade to match the federal census.
1.18 Any excess revenue must be returned to taxpayers in the form of property tax refund or
1.19permanent tax rate reductions. The legislature may exceed the spending limitation for one
1.20biennium by a vote of 60 percent or more in each body.
1Section 1.
REVISOR SGS/HL 25-0334502/06/25
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 597
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Quam02/13/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on State Government Finance and Policy 2.1 Sec. 2. SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.
2.2 The proposed amendment must be submitted to the people at the 2026 general election.
2.3The question submitted must be:
2.4 "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to prohibit state spending increases in
2.5excess of inflation and population growth?
2.6 Yes ...................
"2.7 No ....................
2Sec. 2.
REVISOR SGS/HL 25-0334502/06/25