1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to the legislature; proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution,
1.3 article IV, sections 3, 5, and 12; by adding an article XV; establishing an
1.4 Independent Redistricting Commission; establishing a Redistricting Commission
1.5 Applicant Review Panel; establishing principles to be used in adopting legislative
1.6 and congressional districts; prohibiting members of the legislature from being
1.7 employed or engaged for compensation as a lobbyist for a period of one year
1.8 following the end of their legislative service; amending requirements related to
1.9 the convening and conduct of regular legislative sessions; amending Minnesota
1.10 Statutes 2024, sections 2.031, by adding a subdivision; 2.731; 10A.01, subdivision
1.11 35; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 2; 2A; repealing
1.12 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 2.91.
1.13BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.14 ARTICLE 1
1.15 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS; INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING
1.16 COMMISSION
1.17 Section 1. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS PROPOSED.
1.18 An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to the people. If the amendment
1.19is adopted, article IV, section 3, will read:
1.20 Sec. 3. At its first session after each enumeration of the inhabitants of this state made
1.21by the authority of the United States, the legislature shall have the power to prescribe the
1.22bounds of congressional and legislative districts. Senators shall be chosen by single districts
1.23of convenient contiguous territory. No representative district shall be divided in the formation
1.24of a senate district. The senate districts shall be numbered in a regular series. A senate
1.25district must consist of two whole representative districts, labeled "A" and "B," respectively.
1.26 Article IV, section 5, will read:
1Article 1 Section 1.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ
SENATE
STATE OF MINNESOTA
S.F. No. 3070NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
(SENATE AUTHORS: PORT and Boldon)
OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
Introduction and first reading03/27/2025
Referred to Judiciary and Public Safety 2.1 Sec. 5. No senator or representative shall hold any other office under the authority of
2.2the United States or the state of Minnesota, except that of postmaster or of notary public.
2.3If elected or appointed to another office, a legislator may resign from the legislature by
2.4tendering his resignation to the governor.
2.5 No senator or representative may be employed as a lobbyist, or otherwise receive
2.6compensation for services as a lobbyist, while seated in the legislature and for a period of
2.7one year following the end of the senator or representative's legislative service. "Lobbyist"
2.8shall be defined by law.
2.9 Article IV, section 12, will read:
2.10 Sec. 12. The legislature shall meet at the seat of government in regular session in each
2.11biennium at the times prescribed by law for not exceeding a total of 120 legislative days.
2.12The legislature shall not meet in regular session, nor in any adjournment thereof, after the
2.13first Monday following the third Saturday in May of any year. After meeting at a time
2.14prescribed by law, the legislature may adjourn to another time. "Legislative day" shall be
2.15defined by law. A special session of the legislature may be called by the governor on
2.16extraordinary occasions.
2.17 Neither house during a session of the legislature shall adjourn for more than three days
2.18(Sundays excepted) nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be
2.19assembled without the consent of the other house except upon notice by message to the
2.20other house.
2.21 Article XV shall be added to read:
2.22 ARTICLE XV
2.23 INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION
2.24 Section 1. By December 31, 2031, and each year following a federal decennial census
2.25thereafter, an Independent Redistricting Commission shall adopt boundaries of congressional
2.26and legislative districts. The commission is established within the legislative department
2.27and consists of the following members:
2.28 (1) five members who support the first political party;
2.29 (2) five members who support the second political party; and
2.30 (3) five members who do not affiliate with either the first political party or the second
2.31political party.
2Article 1 Section 1.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 3.1 For purposes of this constitution and any subsequent enabling law, the "first political
3.2party" means the political party receiving the highest number of combined votes for state
3.3constitutional offices and United States Senate during the period since a statewide legislative
3.4district plan was last ordered or adopted, aggregated across all elections conducted during
3.5that period; and the "second political party" means the political party receiving the
3.6second-highest number of combined votes for state constitutional offices and United States
3.7Senate during the period since a statewide legislative district plan was last ordered or adopted,
3.8aggregated across all elections conducted during that period.
3.9 Sec. 2. A commission member must be a resident of Minnesota, have continuously
3.10resided in Minnesota during the current year and the immediately preceding six years, and
3.11be eligible to vote in Minnesota.
3.12 The following individuals are ineligible to serve on the Independent Redistricting
3.13Commission, on the Redistricting Commission Applicant Screening Panel, or as
3.14administrative, professional, or technical staff or consultants to either the commission or
3.15screening panel:
3.16 (1) current federal, state, or local elected officials, and their immediate family members;
3.17 (2) current appointed officials who are defined by law as public officials, and their
3.18immediate family members;
3.19 (3) individuals who have served in any federal, state, or local elected office or appointed
3.20position defined by law as a public official in Minnesota during the current year and
3.21immediately preceding six years, and their immediate family members;
3.22 (4) individuals who have been a candidate for any federal, state, or local elective office
3.23in Minnesota during the current year and the immediately preceding six years, and their
3.24immediate family members;
3.25 (5) individuals who have served as an officer, paid consultant, or contractor to any
3.26political party, political action committee, or campaign committee at the federal, state, or
3.27local level for any period during the current year or the immediately preceding six years,
3.28and their immediate family members;
3.29 (6) individuals who have served as a staff member, paid consultant, or contractor for
3.30any elected official or candidate for any federal, state, or local office for any period during
3.31the current year and the immediately preceding six years, and their immediate family
3.32members; and
3Article 1 Section 1.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 4.1 (7) individuals who have been a lobbyist registered with the state of Minnesota or the
4.2federal government for any period during the current year and the immediately preceding
4.3six years, and their immediate family members.
4.4 Sec. 3. No later than January 1 of the year of a decennial census, the chief justice of the
4.5supreme court must appoint two retired judges who served a federal, state, or Tribal court
4.6of jurisdiction in Minnesota to a Redistricting Commission Applicant Screening Panel. One
4.7of these appointees must support the first political party, and one of these appointees must
4.8support the second political party. The two appointees of the chief justice must mutually
4.9agree on one additional retired federal, state, or Tribal court judge who is not affiliated with
4.10either the first political party or the second political party, to serve as the third member of
4.11the panel and as its chair. Each member of the panel must commit to conduct the work of
4.12the panel in a fair and impartial manner, and must not attempt to create an advantage in the
4.13applicant screening process for any political party. The purpose of the Redistricting
4.14Commission Applicant Screening Panel is to solicit applications from members of the public
4.15for service on the Independent Redistricting Commission, to review applications to determine
4.16each applicant's qualifications, conflicts of interest, party affiliation, relevant experiences
4.17and skills, community ties, and commitment to impartiality, compromise, and fairness, and
4.18to establish pools of well-qualified candidates to be used in selecting commission members
4.19by random lot.
4.20 No later than July 1 of the year of a decennial census, the screening panel must close
4.21the application period and select, by majority vote of the panel, a pool of 30 qualified
4.22applicants to serve in the role of a commission member supporting the first political party;
4.23a pool of 30 qualified applicants to serve in the role of a commission member supporting
4.24the second political party; and a pool of 30 qualified applicants to serve in the role of a
4.25commission member who does not affiliate with either the first political party or the second
4.26political party. To the extent practicable, the screening panel must ensure that each applicant
4.27pool consists of well-qualified applicants and reflects the gender, socioeconomic, age, racial,
4.28language, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the state. Each congressional district must be
4.29represented by at least two applicants in each applicant pool. The panel must make public
4.30the name, the current place of residence, and the partisan affiliation, if any, of each person
4.31selected for an applicant pool. The panel must make this information available on its website
4.32and provide a portal for the submission of public comments on each applicant. Submitted
4.33comments may only be viewed by the panel's members. The panel must itself, or by contract
4.34with a professional search firm, conduct and publicly broadcast individual screening
4.35interviews with the applicants identified in each pool. The purpose of the screening interview
4Article 1 Section 1.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 5.1must be to examine the applicant's qualifications, conflicts of interest, party affiliation,
5.2relevant experiences and skills, community ties, and commitment to impartiality, compromise,
5.3and fairness.
5.4 After reviewing the public comments and conducting interviews, but no later than
5.5September 15 of the year of a decennial census, the screening panel must select and publish
5.6a list of finalists who are well-qualified and collectively reflect a geographically and
5.7demographically representative cross section of the state. The list of finalists must include
5.815 applicants who support the first political party, 15 applicants who support the second
5.9political party, and 15 applicants who do not affiliate with either the first or second political
5.10party.
5.11 No later than October 15 of the year of a decennial census, the chair of the screening
5.12panel must choose, by random lot in a public meeting, three applicants from the pool of 15
5.13finalists supporting the first political party, three applicants from the pool of 15 finalists
5.14supporting the second political party, and three applicants from the pool of 15 finalists that
5.15do not affiliate with either the first political party or the second political party. The chosen
5.16applicants shall be seated as members of the Independent Redistricting Commission. The
5.17chair of the screening panel must convene the first meeting of the commission no later than
5.1830 days after the members chosen by random lot have been selected. No later than 60 days
5.19following its first meeting, the seated Independent Redistricting Commission members must
5.20convene and assess the demographic and geographic diversity of the nine members and
5.21must review and select, by majority vote, a total of six additional members, two members
5.22from each of the pools of applicants selected by the Redistricting Commission Applicant
5.23Screening Panel to be seated. The six additional members shall be chosen to ensure the
5.24commission reflects this state's diversity, including but not limited to racial, ethnic,
5.25geographic, and gender diversity. It is not intended that formulas or specific ratios be applied
5.26for this purpose. At least one member of the commission supporting the first party and one
5.27member for the commission supporting the second party must vote in favor of each member
5.28seated from the pool of applicants that do not affiliate with either the first political party or
5.29the second political party. In the event of an impasse, the chair of the Redistricting
5.30Commission Applicant Screening Panel must choose any remaining members by lot from
5.31among the applicable pool of applicants established by the panel. The Independent
5.32Redistricting Commission may not conduct further business until all commission members
5.33have been chosen and seated.
5.34 A member of the commission may be removed, for cause, by a vote of 12 members,
5.35including the affirmative vote of at least one member supporting the first political party,
5Article 1 Section 1.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 6.1one member supporting the second political party, and one member that is not affiliated
6.2with either the first or second political party. Standards for removal and the ethical conduct
6.3of commission members may be further provided by law. The chief justice of the supreme
6.4court must fill a vacancy on the commission by random lot, from among the pool of
6.5applicants selected by the screening panel that corresponds to the party affiliation of the
6.6vacating member. The selection process must be open for public viewing.
6.7 A commission member may not be seated as a member of the house of representatives
6.8or the senate during any year in which a district map adopted by the commission on which
6.9the member served is in effect.
6.10 Sec. 4. The commission must elect a chair, vice-chair, and other officers from among
6.11its members. A quorum of the commission is nine members.
6.12 The commission must adopt a schedule of public hearings and other hearing and
6.13administrative procedures to guide the conduct of its work. The schedule and procedures
6.14must be designed in favor of transparency, and to maximize opportunities for public
6.15participation and public comment on the commission's work. The commission must solicit
6.16public comment on the locations to be used for public hearings before a schedule is adopted.
6.17 The commission must solicit public comment on its map drawing process, its methods
6.18of applying the required principles, and on the maps proposed by commission members. It
6.19must also provide opportunities for members of the public to submit proposed maps and
6.20proposed methods of applying the required principles and allow opportunities in a public
6.21meeting for other members of the public to review and comment on those proposed maps
6.22and methods of applying the required principles.
6.23 Consistent with available technology, the commission must provide opportunities for
6.24the public to view and participate in commission meetings by electronic means, and to
6.25access the work of the commission in multiple languages.
6.26 A redistricting plan must not be adopted unless the commission has conducted at least
6.27two public hearings in each congressional district at which an opportunity for public comment
6.28is provided, including one public hearing before any map is drawn, and one public hearing
6.29after a proposed map is made public. To be adopted, a redistricting plan must be approved
6.30in a public meeting by at least nine members, including at least two who support the first
6.31political party, two who support the second political party, and one who does not affiliate
6.32with either the first or second political parties. A vote on a final redistricting plan may not
6.33occur unless the final plan has been publicly posted for at least 14 days. At a meeting where
6.34a redistricting plan is proposed for final adoption, the commission may only amend the plan
6Article 1 Section 1.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 7.1for the purpose of making technical corrections. The meaning of a technical correction, and
7.2procedures for adopting technical corrections after the commission has expired, may be
7.3provided by law.
7.4 The commission must adopt a final redistricting plan no later than December 31 of the
7.5year following a decennial census. Each adopted plan, along with a report summarizing the
7.6commission's work on the plan, how it responds to public input received by the commission,
7.7and how it adheres to the requirements of this constitution and other applicable law, must
7.8be filed with the secretary of state no later than seven days following its adoption.
7.9 The commission must hire necessary administrative, professional, and technical staff to
7.10assist the commission in its work. Any staff employed by the commission must report to
7.11the commission and owe a duty of care and duty of loyalty to the commission as a whole.
7.12Staff must be screened for potential biases or conflicts of interest and must demonstrate the
7.13necessary experience, expertise, and skills in the conduct of redistricting.
7.14 A redistricting plan adopted by the commission is effective beginning at the state general
7.15election held the second year following the federal decennial census and thereafter, until
7.16new district plans are adopted. The commission expires when both legislative and
7.17congressional redistricting plans have been adopted and filed with the secretary of state,
7.18but may be reconstituted as required by this constitution.
7.19 Sec. 5. Congressional and legislative districts must be drawn in accordance with the
7.20principles listed in this section. If districts cannot be drawn fully in accordance with all
7.21principles, priority must be given to the principles in the order in which they are listed,
7.22except when doing so would violate federal law, including requirements of the United States
7.23Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended.
7.24 Each congressional district must be as nearly equal in total population as practicable.
7.25Each legislative district must be substantially equal in total population. The maximum
7.26permissible deviation for a legislative district is three percent, plus or minus, from the total
7.27population of the ideal district. The population counts used for purposes of drawing district
7.28maps must be the block population counts provided to the state under Public Law 94-171,
7.29or a successor law, after each decennial census, subject to the correction of any errors
7.30acknowledged by the United States Census Bureau, and as adjusted to allocate each person
7.31incarcerated in a state or federal correctional facility to the census block of the person's last
7.32known address, if the person has a last known address in Minnesota, and to exclude
7.33incarcerated persons whose last known address is not located in Minnesota or who do not
7Article 1 Section 1.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 8.1have a last known address. The legislature may provide procedures by law for the conduct
8.2of these allocations and exclusions.
8.3 Districts must provide, at a minimum:
8.4 (1) the equal opportunity of racial, ethnic, and language minorities to participate in the
8.5political process and to elect candidates of their choice, whether alone or in coalition with
8.6others; and
8.7 (2) sizable racial, ethnic, and language minorities who constitute less than a voting-age
8.8majority of a district with an opportunity to substantially influence the outcome of an election.
8.9 Federally recognized American Indian Tribal reservations may only be divided if:
8.10 (1) the division occurs because a portion of the reservation is not contiguous with another
8.11portion of the reservation; or
8.12 (2) despite the division, the known population of the reservation remains wholly located
8.13within a single district.
8.14 Districts must minimize the division of identifiable communities of interest. A community
8.15of interest may include a racial, ethnic, or linguistic group or any group with shared
8.16experiences or concerns, including but not limited to geographic, regional, social, cultural,
8.17historic, socioeconomic, occupational, trade, or transportation interests. Communities of
8.18interest do not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or candidates. A
8.19political subdivision is not, by itself, a community of interest. Where communities of interest
8.20overlap, greater consideration must be given to those communities of interest whose
8.21representational needs would be most benefited from the community's inclusion in a single
8.22district.
8.23 Each district must be contiguous. Contiguity by water is sufficient if the water is not a
8.24serious obstacle to travel within the district. A district with areas that touch only at a point
8.25is not contiguous.
8.26 Districts must minimize the division of counties, cities, school districts, and towns to
8.27the extent practicable.
8.28 Sec. 6. A redistricting plan must not purposely favor or disfavor a candidate or
8.29incumbent. The statewide proportion of districts in each redistricting plan that favor a
8.30political party must correspond closely to the statewide partisan preferences for the voters
8.31of Minnesota for that party.
8Article 1 Section 1.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 9.1 The statewide proportion of districts in each redistricting plan that favor a political party
9.2must be determined by:
9.3 (1) calculating the number of districts in the redistricting plan that would have been won
9.4by the candidates representing the first political party and the second political party using
9.5the two-party vote in each statewide partisan general election held in the preceding six years
9.6for which precinct-level data is available;
9.7 (2) dividing each of these numbers by the total number of districts in the redistricting
9.8plan to obtain the proportion of districts in the redistricting plan that would have been won
9.9by candidates representing the first political party and the second political party in each
9.10general election; and
9.11 (3) calculating the median of these proportions for each political party.
9.12 The statewide partisan preferences of the voters of Minnesota must be determined by:
9.13 (1) calculating the proportion of the statewide two-party vote received by the candidates
9.14representing the first political party and the second political party in each statewide partisan
9.15general election held in the preceding six years for which precinct-level data is available;
9.16and
9.17 (2) calculating the median of these proportions for each political party.
9.18 To "correspond closely" means that the statewide proportion of districts in each
9.19redistricting plan that favor each political party deviates by no more than three percentage
9.20points in either direction, or if this is arithmetically impossible, by the smallest possible
9.21proportion that is larger than three percentage points, from the statewide partisan preferences
9.22of the voters of Minnesota.
9.23 Sec. 7. If the Independent Redistricting Commission fails to adopt a final redistricting
9.24plan by December 31 of the year following a decennial census, each member of the
9.25commission may submit, within five business days, no more than one proposed redistricting
9.26plan for each redistricting plan that is the subject of impasse for a total vote runoff process.
9.27Each commissioner must rank all submitted redistricting plans in decreasing order of
9.28preference. The submitted redistricting plan that wins a total vote runoff shall be the final
9.29adopted redistricting plan. The chair of the commission must conduct the total vote runoff
9.30process and select the final redistricting plan in a public meeting. In the event of a tie, the
9.31chair must select, by lot, the final redistricting plan from among the tied plans, in the same
9.32public meeting.
9Article 1 Section 1.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 10.1 Sec. 8. The supreme court shall have exclusive, original jurisdiction in all cases alleging
10.2that a redistricting plan adopted by the commission fails to comply with this article or other
10.3applicable law. The commission shall have exclusive standing to defend any action
10.4challenging the adoption of a redistricting plan, and notwithstanding its expiration, may
10.5reconstitute itself under its own authority for this purpose.
10.6 If the supreme court or other court of jurisdiction determines that an adopted redistricting
10.7plan does not comply with the requirements of this article or other applicable law, the
10.8commission may be reconstituted by court order, or may reconstitute itself under its own
10.9authority, for the purpose of adopting a compliant plan. The membership of the reconstituted
10.10commission must be the same membership that adopted the noncompliant plan, subject to
10.11the filling of vacancies as provided in this article. If, after the commission has been
10.12reconstituted, the court finds that a newly adopted redistricting plan does not comply with
10.13the requirements of this article, the court may order other appropriate relief, including
10.14drawing and ordering new districts under its own authority. A redistricting plan ordered by
10.15the supreme court must conform to the requirements of sections 5 and 6.
10.16 Sec. 9. The legislature must provide appropriations by law to sufficiently fund the work
10.17of the Independent Redistricting Commission and the Redistricting Commission Applicant
10.18Screening Panel, including necessary amounts for administrative, professional, and technical
10.19services; litigation costs; and other reasonable expenses. Notwithstanding article XI, if
10.20sufficient funds are not appropriated by law, the supreme court may order that money be
10.21paid out of the state treasury for this purpose.
10.22 Sec. 10. If any provision of this article, or a subsequent enabling law, is found to be
10.23unconstitutional and void, the remaining provisions of this article or the subsequent enabling
10.24law remain valid, unless the court finds the valid provisions are so essentially and inseparably
10.25connected with, and dependent upon, the void provisions that the court cannot presume the
10.26remaining valid provisions would have been enacted without the void one, or unless the
10.27court finds that the remaining valid provisions, standing alone, are incomplete and incapable
10.28of being executed in accordance with their intent.
10.29Sec. 2. SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.
10.30 (a) The proposed amendment must be submitted to the people at the 2026 general election.
10.31The question submitted must be:
10.32 "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require an independent redistricting
10.33commission to adopt boundaries for congressional and legislative districts following a
10.34decennial census; to prohibit members of the legislature from serving as lobbyists while in
10Article 1 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 11.1office and for a period of one year after leaving office; and to amend requirements related
11.2to the timing and process for convening regular legislative sessions?
11.3 Yes ...................
"11.4 No ....................
11.5 (b) The ballot question title required under Minnesota Statutes, section 204D.15,
11.6subdivision 1, must be "Conflict of Interest - Legislative Reform."
11.7 ARTICLE 2
11.8 INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION; STATUTORY
11.9 IMPLEMENTATION
11.10Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 2.031, is amended by adding a subdivision
11.11to read:
11.12 Subd. 3.Numbering.Legislative districts must be numbered in a regular series, beginning
11.13with House of Representatives District 1A in the northwest corner of the state and proceeding
11.14across the state from west to east, north to south. In a county that includes more than one
11.15whole senate district, the districts must be numbered consecutively.
11.16 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective January 1, 2030, if the constitutional
11.17amendments in article 1 are adopted.
11.18Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 2.731, is amended to read:
11.19 2.731 NUMBER OF DISTRICTS.
11.20 The state of Minnesota is divided into eight congressional districts, each of which is
11.21entitled to elect one representative to the Congress of the United States of America.
11.22Congressional district numbers must begin with the first district in the southeast corner of
11.23the state and end with the district with the highest number in the northeast corner of the
11.24state.
11.25 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective January 1, 2030, if the constitutional
11.26amendments in article 1 are adopted.
11.27Sec. 3. [2.94] REDISTRICTING COMMISSION APPLICANT SCREENING PANEL.
11.28 Subdivision 1.Application.This section establishes and implements the Redistricting
11.29Applicant Screening Panel consistent with article XV of the Minnesota Constitution. Except
11.30where otherwise provided, the terms used in this section are defined consistently with those
11.31as used in the Minnesota Constitution, article XV.
11Article 2 Sec. 3.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 12.1 Subd. 2.Appointments; first meeting; compensation.(a) No later than January 1 of
12.2the year of a decennial census, the chief justice of the supreme court must appoint two
12.3retired federal or state judges to serve on the Redistricting Commission Applicant Screening
12.4Panel. The chief justice must designate one of the retired judges to convene the panel's first
12.5meeting. The first meeting must be convened no later than February 15 of the year of a
12.6decennial census. No later than March 1 of that year, the two appointees must agree on a
12.7third retired federal or state judge to complete the panel's membership.
12.8 (b) Members of the panel may be compensated and receive expense reimbursement as
12.9provided by section 15.0575, subdivision 3.
12.10 Subd. 3.Ethics; conflicts of interest; ex parte communications.(a) Members of the
12.11panel are public officials for purposes of chapter 10A. In addition to the prohibitions in
12.12section 10A.071, a member of the panel may not accept a gift as defined in that section
12.13from a member of the legislature, a member of Congress, or a staff member to a member
12.14of the legislature or Congress.
12.15 (b) Members of the panel may not communicate with a member of the legislature, a
12.16member of Congress, or a staff member to a member of the legislature or Congress about
12.17the panel's work.
12.18 (c) The prohibitions in this subdivision apply during the period beginning at the time of
12.19the panel member's appointment and until the panel member has completed the panel
12.20member's work. A member of the legislature, a member of Congress, or a staff member to
12.21a member of the legislature or Congress must not give a gift, promise a future gift, or engage
12.22in communication that a panel member is prohibited from receiving under this subdivision,
12.23and must not request another person to give a gift, promise a future gift, or engage in
12.24communication with a panel member, directly or indirectly, in an attempt to circumvent the
12.25prohibitions of this subdivision.
12.26 Subd. 4.Outreach and solicitation of applications.The panel must develop and
12.27implement an outreach plan to inform the public about the work of the Independent
12.28Redistricting Commission and to encourage interested persons to apply for appointment.
12.29The panel must make an application form available for this purpose. The panel must make
12.30reasonable efforts to ensure the application process is widely publicized and distributed
12.31through media and other available channels, with a goal of facilitating a large application
12.32pool consisting of well-qualified individuals who reflect a geographically and
12.33demographically representative cross section of the state. Information about the work of
12.34the commission and the application process must be made available in multiple languages.
12Article 2 Sec. 3.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 13.1The panel must consult with the state demographer for the purpose of ensuring that materials
13.2in accessible languages are targeted to appropriate regions of the state.
13.3 Subd. 5.Application contents; required disclosures.In addition to other information
13.4as determined by the panel, the application for membership on the Independent Redistricting
13.5Commission must require each applicant to disclose the information required by section
13.610A.09, and the following:
13.7 (1) contributions made by the applicant to federal, state, or local candidates for elective
13.8office, political parties, and political committees, including direct and in-kind contributions
13.9during the current year and immediately preceding six years;
13.10 (2) the applicant's history of partisan affiliations, including primary ballots voted,
13.11nonmonetary contributions to political campaigns, and any other political engagement,
13.12including but not limited to involvement in political campaigns or other political organizations
13.13whether paid or volunteer;
13.14 (3) the identity of any family members who would be ineligible to serve on the
13.15commission according to the requirements of this constitution;
13.16 (4) personal or professional relationships with persons during the current year or the
13.17immediately preceding six years who would be ineligible to serve on the commission
13.18according to the requirements of this constitution; and
13.19 (5) any financial or other information that may be required by law.
13.20 These disclosures must be posted on the panel's website.
13.21 Subd. 6.Open meetings; data practices.The panel is subject to chapters 13 and 13D.
13.22Data on applicants for appointment to the commission are governed by section 13.601,
13.23subdivision 3, except that data required to be disclosed under this section or the Minnesota
13.24Constitution, article XV, is also public. Comments submitted by members of the public
13.25about applicants for appointment to the commission are private data, as defined in section
13.2613.02, subdivision 12, on the member of the public who submitted the comment.
13.27 Subd. 7.General powers; staffing and professional services.(a) The panel has the
13.28powers necessary to carry out its responsibilities as required by the constitution and this
13.29chapter. The panel may employ nonpartisan staff and enter other agreements to secure
13.30necessary administrative, professional, and technical services as it deems necessary. Staff
13.31employed by the panel serve in the unclassified service and owe a duty of care and duty of
13.32loyalty to the panel as a whole. Staff, and any other person retained by the panel for the
13.33purpose of providing professional support, must be screened for potential biases and conflicts
13Article 2 Sec. 3.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 14.1of interest and must demonstrate the experience, expertise, and skills necessary to assist the
14.2panel in its work.
14.3 (b) Prior to January 1 in the year of the decennial census, the director of the Legislative
14.4Coordinating Commission must contract with a consultant who will provide the panel with
14.5operational and logistical support. The Legislative Coordinating Commission must assist
14.6the panel in hiring additional staff and securing adequate office and meeting space.
14.7 Subd. 8.Expiration.The panel expires upon its certification to the chief justice of the
14.8supreme court that it has established and transmitted to the chief justice and to the
14.9Independent Redistricting Commission its pools of applicants for appointment to the
14.10commission consistent with the requirements of this section and the Minnesota Constitution,
14.11article XV, except that the panel chair must continue to perform any duties required by the
14.12Minnesota Constitution, this section, and section 2.95, as applicable.
14.13 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective January 1, 2030, and applies to the 2030
14.14redistricting cycle and thereafter, if the constitutional amendments in article 1 are adopted.
14.15Sec. 4. [2.95] INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
14.16 Subdivision 1.Application.This section establishes and implements the Independent
14.17Redistricting Commission consistent with article XV of the Minnesota Constitution. Except
14.18where otherwise provided:
14.19 (1) the terms used in this section are defined consistently with those as used in the
14.20Minnesota Constitution, article XV; and
14.21 (2) the dates referenced in this section refer to those dates in the year following a federal
14.22decennial census.
14.23 Subd. 2.Appointments; first meeting; compensation and removal.(a) No later than
14.24October 15 of the year of a decennial census, the chief justice of the supreme court must
14.25select by random lot the members of the Independent Redistricting Commission from among
14.26the applicant pools established by the Redistricting Commission Applicant Review Panel,
14.27consistent with the requirements of the Minnesota Constitution, article XV.
14.28 (b) No later than November 15 of the year of a decennial census, the chair of the
14.29Redistricting Commission Applicant Review Panel must convene the first meeting of the
14.30commission. The panel chair must preside at commission meetings until a commission chair
14.31is elected, but the panel chair is not a commission member and, except for ministerial
14.32functions required by law and necessary to facilitate its organization, must not otherwise
14.33participate in the commission's work. The commission must be fully seated and must elect
14Article 2 Sec. 4.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 15.1a chair and other officers from among all appointed members no later than 60 days following
15.2its first meeting.
15.3 (c) Members of the commission are entitled to compensation and expense reimbursement,
15.4consistent with the amounts provided by section 15.0575, subdivision 3.
15.5 (d) A member of the commission may only be removed for cause by a vote of 12
15.6members, including the vote of at least one member supporting the first political party, one
15.7member supporting the second political party, and one member that is not affiliated with
15.8either the first or second political party. Prior to a vote to remove a member, the commission
15.9must provide notice, a public hearing, and an opportunity for members of the public to
15.10comment on the proposed removal. Cause for removal includes but is not limited to the
15.11following:
15.12 (1) knowing failure to disclose information required by law;
15.13 (2) willful disregard for the requirements governing the conduct of redistricting provided
15.14by the constitution or applicable law;
15.15 (3) wanton and willful neglect of duty or gross misconduct or malfeasance in office;
15.16 (4) a member's incapacity or inability to perform required duties;
15.17 (5) any action that undermines the public's trust in the commission or in the conduct of
15.18a fair redistricting process;
15.19 (6) engaging in ex parte communication about the work of the commission with a member
15.20of the legislature, a member of Congress, or a staff member to a member of the legislature
15.21or Congress, in violation of this section; and
15.22 (7) missing three consecutive commission meetings.
15.23 Subd. 3.Ethics; conflicts of interest; ex parte communications.(a) Members of the
15.24commission are public officials for purposes of chapter 10A. In addition to the prohibitions
15.25in section 10A.071, a member of the commission may not accept a gift as defined in that
15.26section from a member of the legislature, a member of Congress, or a staff member to a
15.27member of the legislature or Congress.
15.28 (b) Members of the commission may not communicate with a member of the legislature,
15.29a member of Congress, or a staff member to a member of the legislature or Congress, about
15.30the commission's work. A staff member to a member of the legislature may communicate
15.31with a staff member to the commission to the extent required to fulfill a duty of the
15.32constitution or this chapter.
15Article 2 Sec. 4.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 16.1 (c) The prohibitions in this subdivision apply during the period beginning at the time of
16.2the member's appointment and until the commission has adopted and filed its redistricting
16.3plans with the secretary of state, and during any period in which the commission is
16.4reconstituted pursuant to its own authority or by court order. A member of the legislature,
16.5a member of Congress, or a staff member to a member of the legislature or Congress may
16.6not give a gift, promise a future gift, or engage in communication that a commission member
16.7is prohibited from receiving under this subdivision, and may not request another person to
16.8give a gift, promise a future gift, or engage in communication with a commission member,
16.9directly or indirectly, in an attempt to circumvent the prohibitions of this subdivision.
16.10 Subd. 4.Open meetings; data practices; language access.(a) The commission is
16.11subject to chapters 13 and 13D. A map proposal that is created by the commission or its
16.12staff, and any communications or supporting data associated with a map proposal, are
16.13nonpublic data as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 9, until the map proposal is presented
16.14to the commission in a public meeting. Supporting data do not include preliminary drafts
16.15of a map proposal or communications related to a preliminary draft. The commission may
16.16disclose any of its data at any time if disclosure would aid the commission in considering
16.17and preparing its proposals.
16.18 (b) Consistent with section 13D.015, the commission may permit its members to
16.19participate in a congressional district hearing by interactive technology, provided that at
16.20least one member of the commission is physically present at a meeting location in the
16.21designated congressional district. Notwithstanding section 13D.015, a commission member
16.22need not be present at the commission's regular meeting location during a congressional
16.23district hearing.
16.24 (c) At a minimum, commission materials must be made available in all languages in
16.25which voting materials in any jurisdiction of the state are required to be distributed under
16.26section 204B.295 or other applicable federal or state law.
16.27 Subd. 5.Schedule of hearings; public hearing and administrative procedures.The
16.28commission must adopt a schedule of public hearings and necessary hearing and
16.29administrative procedures to guide the conduct of its work. The schedule and procedures
16.30must be posted on the commission's website. The schedule and procedures are not rules for
16.31purposes of chapter 14, and section 14.386 does not apply.
16.32 Subd. 6.General powers; staffing and professional services.(a) The commission has
16.33the powers necessary to carry out its responsibilities as required by the constitution and this
16.34chapter. The commission may employ nonpartisan staff and enter other agreements to secure
16Article 2 Sec. 4.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 17.1necessary legal counsel, information technology, geographic information systems, and other
17.2administrative, professional, and technical services as it deems necessary. Staff employed
17.3by the commission serve in the unclassified service, and owe a duty of care and duty of
17.4loyalty to the commission as a whole. Commission staff, and any other person retained by
17.5the commission for the purpose of providing professional support, must be screened for
17.6potential biases and conflicts of interest and must demonstrate the experience, expertise,
17.7and skills necessary to assist the commission in its work.
17.8 (b) Prior to January 1 in the year of the decennial census, the director of the Legislative
17.9Coordinating Commission must contract with a consultant who will provide the commission
17.10with operational and logistical support. The Legislative Coordinating Commission must
17.11assist the commission in hiring additional staff and securing adequate office and meeting
17.12space.
17.13 Subd. 7.Data to be used.(a) The geographic areas and population counts used in maps,
17.14tables, and legal descriptions of legislative and congressional districts must be those used
17.15by the Geographic Information Services (GIS) Office of the Legislative Coordinating
17.16Commission. The population counts must be the block population counts provided to the
17.17state under Public Law 94-171 after each decennial census, subject to correction of any
17.18errors acknowledged by the United States Census Bureau, and subject to any other
17.19adjustments and exclusions required by law. Both the commission and the GIS Office must
17.20make this data available to the public on their websites.
17.21 (b) A redistricting plan must not be considered for adoption until the plan's block
17.22equivalency file has been submitted to the GIS Office in a form prescribed by the GIS
17.23Office. The block equivalency file must show the district to which each census block has
17.24been assigned.
17.25 Subd. 8.Technical review and corrections.(a) Prior to final adoption of a redistricting
17.26plan, the commission must engage in a technical review of the plan. A technical review
17.27includes ensuring that the plan encompasses all the territory of this state, and that no territory
17.28is omitted or duplicated. At a meeting where a redistricting plan is proposed for final
17.29adoption, the commission may amend the plan for the purpose of making technical corrections
17.30as necessary to meet the following principles:
17.31 (1) if a territory in this state is not named in the redistricting plan but lies within the
17.32boundaries of a district, it is a part of the district within which it lies;
17Article 2 Sec. 4.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 18.1 (2) if a territory in this state is not named in the redistricting plan but lies between the
18.2boundaries of two or more districts, it is a part of the contiguous district having the smallest
18.3population;
18.4 (3) if a territory in this state is assigned in the redistricting plan to two or more districts,
18.5it is a part of the district having the smallest population;
18.6 (4) if a territory in this state is assigned to a district that consists of other territory
18.7containing a majority of the population of the district but with which it is not contiguous,
18.8the territory is a part of the contiguous district having the smallest population; and
18.9 (5) if the description of a district boundary line that divides a political subdivision is
18.10ambiguous because a highway, street, railroad track, power transmission line, river, creek,
18.11or other physical feature or census block boundary that forms part of the district boundary
18.12is omitted or is not properly named or has been changed, or because a compass direction
18.13for the boundary line is wrong, the commission may add or correct the name or compass
18.14direction and resolve the ambiguity in favor of creating districts of contiguous territory of
18.15substantially equal population that do not divide political subdivisions more than is necessary
18.16to meet constitutional requirements.
18.17 (b) In addition to meeting the principles described in paragraph (a), at a meeting where
18.18a redistricting plan is proposed for final adoption, the commission may adopt amendments
18.19to the plan for the purpose of incorporating any technical corrections that may be
18.20recommended by the secretary of state.
18.21 (c) If a technical error in a redistricting plan is discovered after the commission has
18.22dissolved, the chief administrative law judge, after notifying the secretary of state, the
18.23Legislative Coordinating Commission, and the chief justice of the supreme court, may order
18.24a correction consistent with the principles listed in this subdivision. The chief administrative
18.25law judge must provide a copy of each correction order to each affected county auditor and
18.26municipal clerk.
18.27 Subd. 9.Duty of secretary of state.The secretary of state shall provide copies of the
18.28relevant portions of a filed redistricting plan to each county auditor, who shall provide a
18.29copy of the relevant portions of the plan to each municipal clerk within the county. The
18.30secretary of state, with the cooperation of the commissioner of administration, shall make
18.31copies of the plan file, maps, and tables available to the public for the cost of publication.
18.32 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective January 1, 2030, and applies to the 2030
18.33redistricting cycle and thereafter, if the constitutional amendments in article 1 are adopted.
18Article 2 Sec. 4.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 19.1 Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.01, subdivision 35, is amended to read:
19.2 Subd. 35.Public official."Public official" means any:
19.3 (1) member of the legislature;
19.4 (2) individual employed by the legislature as secretary of the senate, legislative auditor,
19.5director of the Legislative Budget Office, chief clerk of the house of representatives, revisor
19.6of statutes, or researcher, legislative analyst, fiscal analyst, or attorney in the Office of
19.7Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis, House Research, or the House Fiscal Analysis
19.8Department;
19.9 (3) constitutional officer in the executive branch and the officer's chief administrative
19.10deputy;
19.11 (4) solicitor general or deputy, assistant, or special assistant attorney general;
19.12 (5) commissioner, deputy commissioner, or assistant commissioner of any state
19.13department or agency as listed in section 15.01 or 15.06, or the state chief information
19.14officer;
19.15 (6) member, chief administrative officer, or deputy chief administrative officer of a state
19.16board or commission that has either the power to adopt, amend, or repeal rules under chapter
19.1714, or the power to adjudicate contested cases or appeals under chapter 14;
19.18 (7) individual employed in the executive branch who is authorized to adopt, amend, or
19.19repeal rules under chapter 14 or adjudicate contested cases under chapter 14;
19.20 (8) executive director of the State Board of Investment;
19.21 (9) deputy of any official listed in clauses (7) and (8);
19.22 (10) judge of the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals;
19.23 (11) administrative law judge or compensation judge in the State Office of Administrative
19.24Hearings or unemployment law judge in the Department of Employment and Economic
19.25Development;
19.26 (12) member, regional administrator, division director, general counsel, or operations
19.27manager of the Metropolitan Council;
19.28 (13) member or chief administrator of a metropolitan agency;
19.29 (14) director of the Division of Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement in the Department
19.30of Public Safety;
19.31 (15) member or executive director of the Higher Education Facilities Authority;
19Article 2 Sec. 5.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 20.1 (16) member of the board of directors or president of Enterprise Minnesota, Inc.;
20.2 (17) member of the board of directors or executive director of the Minnesota State High
20.3School League;
20.4 (18) member of the Minnesota Ballpark Authority established in section 473.755;
20.5 (19) citizen member of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources;
20.6 (20) manager of a watershed district, or member of a watershed management organization
20.7as defined under section 103B.205, subdivision 13;
20.8 (21) supervisor of a soil and water conservation district;
20.9 (22) director of Explore Minnesota Tourism;
20.10 (23) citizen member of the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council established in section
20.1197A.056;
20.12 (24) citizen member of the Clean Water Council established in section 114D.30;
20.13 (25) member or chief executive of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority established
20.14in section 473J.07;
20.15 (26) district court judge, appeals court judge, or supreme court justice;
20.16 (27) county commissioner;
20.17 (28) member of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission;
20.18 (29) member of the Destination Medical Center Corporation established in section
20.19469.41; or
20.20 (30) chancellor or member of the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges
20.21and Universities; or
20.22 (31) member of the Redistricting Commission Applicant Screening Panel, or member
20.23of the Independent Redistricting Commission.
20.24 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective January 1, 2030, and applies to the 2030
20.25redistricting cycle and thereafter, if the constitutional amendments in article 1 are adopted.
20.26Sec. 6. REPEALER.
20.27 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 2.91, is repealed.
20.28 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective January 1, 2030, and applies to the 2030
20.29redistricting cycle and thereafter, if the constitutional amendments in article 1 are adopted.
20Article 2 Sec. 6.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 21.1 ARTICLE 3
21.2 CITIZENS ADVISORY REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
21.3 Section 1. [2A.30] REDISTRICTING; DEFINITIONS; ADJUSTMENT OF DATES.
21.4 Subdivision 1.Definitions.(a) For purposes of this section and section 2A.31, the
21.5definitions have the meanings given.
21.6 (b) "Applicant pools" means the lists of applicants described in section 2A.31, subdivision
21.72, paragraph (e).
21.8 (c) "Executive director" means the executive director of the Legislative Coordinating
21.9Commission.
21.10 (d) "GIS office" means the Geographic Information Services Office of the Legislative
21.11Coordinating Commission.
21.12 (e) "Largest political party in the state" means the political party whose candidate received
21.13the greatest number of votes for legislative seats in the state in the most recent general
21.14election.
21.15 (f) "Legislative Coordinating Commission" is the entity established in section 3.303.
21.16 (g) "Second largest political party in the state" means the political party whose candidate
21.17received the second greatest number of votes for legislative seats in the state in the most
21.18recent general election.
21.19 Subd. 2.Adjustment of dates.If any date prescribed in this chapter falls on a Saturday,
21.20Sunday, or legal holiday, then the date is extended to the next day that is not a Saturday,
21.21Sunday, or legal holiday.
21.22Sec. 2. [2A.31] REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
21.23 Subdivision 1.Membership.In each year ending in zero, a Citizens Advisory
21.24Redistricting Commission is created to draw the boundaries of legislative and congressional
21.25districts in accordance with the principles established in section 2A.32. The redistricting
21.26commission consists of 15 members of the public.
21.27 Subd. 2.Appointment.(a) The application and appointment process for members of
21.28the Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission shall be the process described in section
21.2915.0597, except as otherwise provided by this section.
21.30 (b) By January 1 of each year ending in zero, the secretary of state shall open a widely
21.31publicized process and circulate applications in a manner that encourages wide public
21Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 22.1participation of eligible residents from different regions of the state to apply for membership
22.2on the commission. Applications are public data under chapter 13 and shall be made available
22.3on the secretary of state's website or a comparable means of communicating with the public.
22.4Applications must be received by March 1 of the year ending in zero.
22.5 (c) The secretary of state shall design and provide an application form that must clearly
22.6state the legal obligations and expectations of potential appointees. Information required of
22.7applicants must include but is not limited to:
22.8 (1) a statement from applicants affirming they meet the requirements of subdivision 3;
22.9 (2) an oath affirming the applicant submits the application declaring the truthfulness of
22.10its contents under penalty of perjury;
22.11 (3) the applicant's demographic information, including but not limited to gender, race,
22.12ethnicity, and year of birth;
22.13 (4) the applicant's professional background;
22.14 (5) the applicant's past experience working with others to build consensus;
22.15 (6) the applicant's level of understanding about Minnesota communities, neighborhoods,
22.16geographic regions, or demographics across the state;
22.17 (7) a description of the applicant's past political activity;
22.18 (8) a list of all political and civic organizations to which the applicant has belonged
22.19within the five years prior to the application;
22.20 (9) a statement indicating with which political party the applicant identifies or that the
22.21applicant identifies with no party. For purposes of this clause, identifying with a political
22.22party means that the applicant is in general agreement with the principles of the party; and
22.23 (10) any other information required to determine eligibility to serve on the commission.
22.24 (d) The secretary of state must review applications as they are received to ensure that
22.25each application is complete and each applicant has signed the oath attesting to the
22.26truthfulness of the information contained in the application. No later than March 15 of the
22.27year ending in zero, the secretary of state must forward the completed application of each
22.28eligible person to the executive director. The secretary of state must not forward any
22.29application that is incomplete or any application by a person who has not signed off on the
22.30oath attesting to the accuracy of the information contained in the application. If the secretary
22.31of state does not forward an application, the secretary of state must notify the applicant that
22.32the applicant's application was not forwarded and the reason why.
22Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 23.1 (e) The Legislative Coordinating Commission executive director shall remove from the
23.2applicant pool individuals who do not qualify under subdivision 3.
23.3 (f) By February 15 in the year ending in zero the executive director of the Legislative
23.4Coordinating Commission shall appoint a redistricting advisory group consisting of, at a
23.5minimum, the executive directors of the Minnesota Latino Affairs Council, Council for
23.6Minnesotans of African Heritage, Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Council on Asian
23.7Pacific Minnesotans, the Council on LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans, the Minnesota Youth
23.8Council, the Minnesota Council on Disabilities, and the Minnesota Commission of Deaf,
23.9DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing.
23.10 (g) The Redistricting Advisory Group shall serve as advisors to the executive director
23.11and must work within the process described in paragraph (i), and subdivision 5, paragraph
23.12(a), clause (8), to ensure diversity of applicants throughout the process.
23.13 (h) Members of the Redistricting Advisory Group must participate in a nonpartisan
23.14manner and serve without predisposition or bias on issues related to the state's representation
23.15for redistricting boundaries. The Redistricting Advisory Group must work with the executive
23.16director as outlined to foster diversity of applicant pools throughout the process and in their
23.17role as experts on matters pertaining to their respective communities. It is not intended that
23.18formulas or specific ratios be applied for this purpose.
23.19 (i) By April 1 of the year ending in zero, the executive director, in consultation with the
23.20Redistricting Advisory Group shall jointly screen and sort the applicants into three applicant
23.21pools: one pool for applicants identifying with the largest political party in this state; one
23.22pool for applicants identifying with the second largest political party in the state; and one
23.23pool for applicants identifying with no political party or a political party that is not the
23.24largest or second largest political party in the state. The executive director must review the
23.25applicants in each applicant pool and narrow each pool down to 40 applicants based on a
23.26review of each applicant's relevant analytical skills, the ability to be impartial, and the ability
23.27to promote consensus on the commission and appreciation for Minnesota's diverse
23.28demographics, communities, and geography as documented in the application. To the extent
23.29practicable, the executive director must ensure that each applicant pool reflects the gender,
23.30socioeconomic, age, racial, language, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the state. Each
23.31congressional district must be represented by at least two applicants in each applicant pool.
23.32 (j) If there is an insufficient number of available applicants to select a 40-applicant pool,
23.33then the pool consists of only those applicants who did meet the requirements.
23Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 24.1 (k) By April 1 in each year ending in zero, the executive director must provide each
24.2applicant pool list to the majority leaders and minority leaders of the house of representatives
24.3and the senate. By April 15 of each year ending in zero, the majority leaders and minority
24.4leaders of the house of representatives and the senate must each select five applicants from
24.5their party's list and forward the names of the applicants to the Legislative Coordinating
24.6Commission's executive director. The executive director must make the list and applications
24.7available to all legislative leaders. In selecting applicants, the executive director or a leader
24.8must not select more than one applicant from any congressional district.
24.9 (l) By April 29 of each year ending in zero, 12 names must be stricken from the list as
24.10follows:
24.11 (1) the senate majority leader must strike three applicants from the applicants selected
24.12by the senate minority leader;
24.13 (2) the senate minority leader must strike three applicants from the applicants selected
24.14by the senate majority leader;
24.15 (3) the house majority leader must strike three applicants from the applicants selected
24.16by the house minority leader; and
24.17 (4) the house minority leader must strike three applicants from the applicants selected
24.18by the house majority leader.
24.19 (m) The legislative leaders must forward the eight remaining names consisting of four
24.20applicants identifying with the largest political party in the state and four applicants
24.21identifying with the second largest political party in the state to the executive director. These
24.22eight individuals shall serve on the Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission.
24.23 (n) By April 29 of each year ending in zero, the executive director must, by lottery,
24.24select four applicants from the pool of 40 applicants who do not identify with a party or
24.25identify with a party other than the first or second largest political party described in
24.26paragraph (e). Together with the eight individuals selected by the legislative leaders, these
24.27twelve individuals shall serve on the Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission.
24.28 (o) No later than May 15 in each year ending in the number zero, the twelve advisory
24.29commissioners shall convene and assess the commission's demographic diversity within
24.30the twelve members and must review and select six more applicants from the remaining
24.31applicants from the pool of 40 applicants originally selected by legislative leadership and
24.32appoint six applicants to the commission as follows: two from the remaining pool of
24.33applicants identifying with the largest political party in Minnesota, two from the remaining
24Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 25.1pool of applicants identifying with the second largest political party in Minnesota, and two
25.2from the remaining pool of applicants identifying with no political party or with a political
25.3party that is not the largest or second largest political party in Minnesota. The six individuals
25.4must be approved by at least two-thirds affirmative votes which must include at least two
25.5votes of commissioners registered from each of the two largest parties and two votes from
25.6commissioners who are not affiliated with either of the two largest political parties in
25.7Minnesota. These six new appointees shall be chosen to ensure the Citizens Advisory
25.8Redistricting Commission reflects this state's diversity, including but not limited to racial,
25.9ethnic, geographic, and gender diversity. However, it is not intended that formulas or specific
25.10ratios be applied for this purpose.
25.11 (p) The executive director of the Legislative Coordinating Commission shall report the
25.1218 names selected to the secretary of state. These 18 individuals shall serve as members of
25.13the Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission and must include at least one commissioner
25.14and no more than three commissioners from each congressional district.
25.15 (q) The secretary of state's actions under this subdivision are not subject to chapter 14.
25.16 (r) Before serving on the Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission, every person
25.17shall take and subscribe an oath to faithfully perform the duties of that office. The oath must
25.18be filed with the secretary of state.
25.19 Subd. 3.Eligibility of public members.(a) A person is eligible to serve if the person
25.20has been a resident of Minnesota for at least a year at the time of the submission of the
25.21application and is not an elected official.
25.22 (b) The following persons are not eligible to serve as a commissioner:
25.23 (1) a person who is not eligible to vote in the state of Minnesota;
25.24 (2) a current member of the legislature or Congress;
25.25 (3) a person under contract with, who serves as a consultant or staff to, or who has or
25.26has had an immediate family relationship with the governor, a member of the legislature,
25.27or a member of Congress during the ten years immediately preceding the date of application;
25.28 (4) a person who serves or has served during the ten years immediately preceding the
25.29date of application as a public official, as defined in section 10A.01, subdivision 35, clauses
25.30(1) to (5), (12), (13), (16), (26), and (27); and
25.31 (5) a person, or member of the person's immediate family, who is or during the ten years
25.32immediately preceding the date of application has:
25Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 26.1 (i) been appointed to, elected to, or a candidate for federal or state office;
26.2 (ii) served as an officer, employee, contractor, or paid consultant of a political party or
26.3of the campaign committee of a candidate for elective federal or state office;
26.4 (iii) served as an elected or appointed member of a political party state committee, as
26.5defined by section 10A.01, subdivision 36, or a delegate to a national convention of a
26.6political party;
26.7 (iv) registered as a lobbyist, registrant, or client with the federal government under the
26.8Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 as amended or as a state lobbyist or principal with the
26.9Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board under chapter 10A;
26.10 (v) served as paid congressional or legislative staff; or
26.11 (vi) been found by the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to have violated
26.12section 10A.27.
26.13 (c) While serving on the Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission, commissioners
26.14must not campaign for elective office or actively participate in or contribute to a political
26.15campaign nor run for state or local political office for a period of up to ten years after the
26.16Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission expires.
26.17 (d) For the purposes of this subdivision, a member of a person's immediate family means
26.18a sibling, spouse, or parent, including half, step, and in-law relationships.
26.19 Subd. 4.Removal; filling vacancies.(a) Each commissioner shall serve for the entire
26.20term of the commission unless the commissioner is removed or otherwise vacates the office.
26.21 (b) A commissioner's position on the Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission is
26.22deemed vacant if the commissioner, having been appointed as a registered elector who is
26.23not affiliated with a political party, affiliates with a political party before the Minnesota
26.24Legislature has approved a plan pursuant to subdivision 25. A commissioner's position on
26.25the Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission is also deemed vacant if the commissioner,
26.26having been affiliated with one of the state's two largest political parties at the time of
26.27appointment, affiliates with a different political party or becomes unaffiliated with any
26.28political party before the Minnesota Legislature has approved a plan pursuant to subdivision
26.2925.
26.30 (c) The removal of an officer from an officer position requires a two-thirds affirmative
26.31vote with at least one commissioner identifying with the largest political party in the state,
26.32one commissioner identifying with the second largest political party in the state, and one
26Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 27.1commissioner identifying with no political party or with a political party that is not the
27.2largest or second largest in the state.
27.3 (d) Removal of a member takes place immediately after a finding by the chair and must
27.4be by a two-thirds vote of all members of the advisory commission, including at least one
27.5member identifying with the largest political party in the state, one member identifying with
27.6the second largest political party in the state, and one member identifying with no political
27.7party or with a political party that is not the largest or second largest in the state.
27.8 (e) After notice and a hearing, the advisory commission may also remove a commissioner
27.9for malfeasance or nonfeasance during the term of service in the performance of the duties
27.10of the advisory commission, or for missing three consecutive meetings. After the second
27.11consecutive missed meeting and before the next meeting, the chair or a designee must notify
27.12the commissioner in writing that the member may be removed for missing the next meeting.
27.13The definitions in section 211C.01 apply to this subdivision.
27.14 (f) If the basis for the commissioner's removal is the commissioner's refusal to vote as
27.15part of a collective effort to disrupt the process or vote of the commission, that member or
27.16members may be removed after a finding by the chair as described in this section and a
27.17two-thirds vote of those commissioners present.
27.18 (g) The chair must submit a written notice to the Legislative Coordinating Commission
27.19executive director stating the grounds that another member's office should be declared vacant
27.20under this subdivision. This written notice shall: (1) be dated and signed; and (2) provide
27.21a detailed factual basis in support of the allegations causing the removal of another member.
27.22The factual basis shall include the specific facts and factual foundation on which the removal
27.23is based. Supporting documentation, if any, shall be included.
27.24 (h) Any vacancy on the advisory commission, including one that occurs due to death,
27.25mental incapacity, resignation, criminal conviction of a serious crime, removal, failure to
27.26meet the qualifications of appointment, refusal or inability to accept an appointment, or
27.27having been found to have participated in a communication prohibited by subdivision 20
27.28or 21 or conduct prohibited by subdivision 22, or otherwise, must be filled as soon as
27.29possible, but no later than seven days after the vacancy occurred, by the executive director
27.30from the designated pool of eligible applicants for that commissioner's position and in the
27.31same manner as the originally chosen commissioner, except that no commissioner chosen
27.32to fill a vacancy would be bypassed for appointment if all congressional districts are
27.33represented by at least one commissioner. If no remaining finalists described in the same
27.34pool under subdivision 2, paragraph (i), are available for service, the secretary of state shall
27Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 28.1open the application process again and the executive director shall establish a new list of
28.2applicants, as provided in subdivision 2.
28.3 Subd. 5.Duties.Each commissioner shall perform their duties in a manner that is
28.4impartial and reinforces public confidence in the integrity of the redistricting process.
28.5Commissioners must disclose the presence of a conflict of interest, or raise a potential
28.6conflict of interest when the agenda item is called, prior to the start of discussion or
28.7deliberation. In addition to other duties prescribed by law, the advisory commission shall:
28.8 (1) attend nonpartisan redistricting training held by a nationally recognized nonpartisan
28.9organization or the Legislative Coordinating Commission;
28.10 (2) attend training on the Minnesota Data Practices Act and Open Meetings Act;
28.11 (3) determine its own rules and order. Within ten weeks of being established, the Citizens
28.12Advisory Redistricting Commission must adopt administrative rules to govern the
28.13commission's process. The rules must be adopted at an open meeting, with advance notice
28.14of the meeting, and members of the public must be provided with an opportunity to provide
28.15comment on the rules. The procedures and rules referenced in this subdivision are not subject
28.16to chapter 14 or section 14.386.
28.17A member who has a conflict between a personal interest and the public interest in the
28.18procurement process of securing staff, consultants, general counsel or any other professional
28.19services, shall fully disclose to the commission in writing as soon as they learn of the
28.20potential conflict of interest the nature of the conflict. A member shall not participate in the
28.21discussion or deliberation or vote upon any matter if a conflict exists;
28.22 (4) adopt procedures and rules to carry out the provisions of this section and any laws
28.23enacted by the legislature, including the procurement of professional services such as GIS,
28.24general counsel, and other subject matter expert staff. These procedures and rules are not
28.25subject to chapter 14 or section 14.386;
28.26 (5) act as the legislature's recipient of the final redistricting data and other files relevant
28.27to redistricting from the United States Census Bureau;
28.28 (6) comply with requirements to disclose and preserve public records, as specified in
28.29the Data Practices Act, chapter 13, and section 138.17;
28.30 (7) hold open meetings and public hearings throughout the state pursuant to the Open
28.31Meetings Law, chapter 13D;
28.32 (8) work with the Redistricting Advisory Group to host a minimum of eight statewide
28.33informational town halls at community locations most likely to be known by individuals
28Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 29.1living in the community and at a time most likely to reasonably yield the highest attendance,
29.2allowing for basic information regarding the role of the advisory commission, how
29.3commission members were selected, and why community member participation matters in
29.4the redistricting process;
29.5 (9) provide public notice at least seven days in advance of any public meeting or public
29.6hearing. The notice and agenda must be posted on the commission's website and published
29.7in local news sources. The public notice shall also be disseminated leveraging social media,
29.8media frequently used by disenfranchised Minnesotans, or other community-based
29.9communication channels. The advisory commission may also partner with community-based
29.10nonpartisan organizations in an effort to more widely disseminate the notice to directly
29.11impacted communities. The notice and agenda must be provided in all languages required
29.12for voting materials under the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, United States Code, title
29.1352, section 10503, in the congressional district in which the public meeting is scheduled;
29.14 (10) publish a draft agenda at least 72 hours before each public meeting or hearing;
29.15 (11) prepare and publish a report before any public meeting or hearing and no later than
29.16ten weeks after all members of the advisory commission are appointed that describes the
29.17commission's general priorities and intentions for utilizing redistricting criteria in its
29.18decision-making process, including a discussion on how the commission will balance
29.19competing requirements;
29.20 (12) adopt a schedule for interested persons to submit proposed plans and to respond to
29.21plans proposed by others. The redistricting commission shall also adopt standards to govern
29.22the format of plans submitted. Adoption of the schedule and standards under this subdivision
29.23is not subject to chapter 14 or section 14.386. The advisory commission must post submitted
29.24plans to its website as soon as practicable;
29.25 (13) subject to subdivisions 20 and 21, provide direction to commission staff on drawing
29.26maps;
29.27 (14) subject to subdivisions 20 and 21, review and direct modifications of maps to
29.28commission staff;
29.29 (15) prepare and publish reports on the following:
29.30 (i) all plans discussed by the full advisory commission, including all publicly submitted
29.31plans and draft plans;
29.32 (ii) a summary of all public input received in each comment period;
29.33 (iii) a summary of the data the advisory commission used to create those plans;
29Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 30.1 (iv) analysis of the maps using redistricting metrics; and
30.2 (v) any other information that provides the basis on which the advisory commission
30.3made decisions to achieve compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements;
30.4 (16) make reasonable efforts to schedule hearings in the evenings, on weekends, and at
30.5other times that most residents in that region are able to attend;
30.6 (17) whenever possible, use technology that allows for real-time virtual participation
30.7and feedback for all hearings. All audiovisual recordings of the advisory commission public
30.8meetings and public hearings must be maintained on the commission's website indefinitely;
30.9 (18) make reasonable efforts to make available translation and interpreter services for
30.10limited English-speaking individuals and those needing accommodations in compliance
30.11with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The redistricting commission may contract with
30.12an entity that provides interpreter services through telephonic and video remote technologies;
30.13and
30.14 (19) provide notices of the availability of both plans and reports in all languages required
30.15for voting materials under the federal Voting Rights Act of 1964, United States Code, title
30.1652, section 10503, and as required for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
30.17for each congressional district.
30.18 Subd. 6.Rules of order.Advisory commission meetings shall be conducted according
30.19to the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, subject to any procedures to the contrary
30.20set forth in these rules, applicable law, or such other rules adopted by the commission.
30.21 Subd. 7.Quorum.(a) A quorum must be present to conduct the business of the advisory
30.22commission meetings and hold public hearings. The quorum shall consist of twelve members,
30.23including at least one member affiliated with each of the major parties and one nonaffiliated
30.24member.
30.25 (b) If there is not a quorum due to a collective effort by one or more commissioners to
30.26disrupt the work, process, or vote of the commission, a quorum consists of the majority of
30.27commissioners. The requirement for at least one member from each majority party and one
30.28nonaffiliated member is not applicable under this circumstance.
30.29 Subd. 8.Minutes.Minutes of all meetings, including votes on all official actions taken
30.30at those meetings, shall be kept by the Legislative Coordinating Commission. All decisions
30.31of the advisory commission shall be recorded, and the record of its decisions shall be readily
30.32available to any member of the public as required by law and shall be provided without
30.33charge.
30Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 31.1 Subd. 9.Journal of proceedings.An account of all proceedings and the public record
31.2of the advisory commission shall be kept by the Legislative Coordinating Commission and
31.3shall constitute the official record of the advisory commission and be posted to the
31.4commission's website.
31.5 Subd. 10.Right of floor.Any member desiring to speak shall be recognized by the
31.6chair, or vice-chair when the chair is not present, and shall confine their remarks to one
31.7subject under consideration or to be considered.
31.8 Subd. 11.Right to general counsel.The Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission
31.9has a right to retain general counsel. The general counsel of the advisory commission shall
31.10be experienced and knowledgeable in the area of election law and voting rights and attend
31.11all meetings of the commission unless excused. The general counsel shall, upon request,
31.12give an opinion, either written or oral, on questions of law. The general counsel may make
31.13recommendations to the commission and shall have the right to take part in all public
31.14discussions of the commission, but shall have no vote. General counsel shall act as
31.15parliamentarian of the commission and serve as its designated data practices act responsible
31.16authority in lieu of the executive director.
31.17 Subd. 12.Voting.(a) Except as otherwise provided in these rules or by law,
31.18administrative actions including calling to order, adjourning, scheduling hearings, and other
31.19such actions shall require the approval of a majority of commissioners entitled to vote. The
31.20vote is required for the following actions.
31.21 (b) A majority of the appointed commissioners must approve rules and procedural
31.22decisions.
31.23 (c) Election of the chair and vice-chair requires a two-thirds affirmative vote with at
31.24least one commissioner identifying with the largest political party in the state, one
31.25commissioner identifying with the second largest political party in the state, and one
31.26commissioner identifying with no political party or with a political party that is not the
31.27largest or second largest in the state.
31.28 (d) Adoption of the final plan for submission to the Minnesota Legislature and the
31.29adoption of a revised plan after a plan is returned to the advisory commission from the
31.30Minnesota Legislature require the affirmative vote of two-thirds of commissioners with at
31.31least one commissioner identifying with the largest political party in the state, one
31.32commissioner identifying with the second largest political party in the state, and one
31.33commissioner identifying with no political party or with a political party that is not the
31.34largest or second largest in the state.
31Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 32.1 Subd. 13.Duty to vote; abstaining.(a) Commissioners present at a meeting shall vote
32.2on every matter before the commission, unless otherwise excused or prohibited from voting
32.3as follows:
32.4 (1) a commissioner may abstain from voting if the commissioner:
32.5 (i) has a conflict of interest, as set forth in subdivision 5, paragraph (a), or as defined by
32.6law. An individual commissioner shall disclose the presence of a conflict of interest or raise
32.7a potential conflict of interest when the agenda item is called, prior to the start of discussion
32.8or deliberation. Should a conflict of interest become clear during the discussion, the
32.9commissioner shall raise the existence of an actual or potential conflict at that time. An
32.10individual commissioner may seek the opinion of the general counsel with experience and
32.11expertise in the area of election law and voting rights on whether a conflict exists. This
32.12opinion shall not be binding on the commission. The Citizens Advisory Redistricting
32.13Commission shall decide, by majority vote of commissioners present, whether a conflict of
32.14interest exists. A vote may be tabled, if necessary, to obtain the opinion of the general
32.15counsel. A commissioner with a conflict of interest is prohibited from participating in any
32.16discussion, debate, or decision on that issue; or
32.17 (ii) lacks sufficient information about the issue to be decided. If a commissioner abstains
32.18for this reason, they shall state for the record their intention to abstain and the reasons for
32.19doing so prior to the vote. The abstaining commissioner shall not be restricted or prohibited
32.20from participating in any discussion or debate on the issue; and
32.21 (2) if any commissioner abstains from voting, a roll call vote shall be required on that
32.22issue. The reasons for the abstention shall be entered into the minutes of the meeting at
32.23which the vote is taken and be part of the official record.
32.24 (b) The right to vote is limited to the commissioners present at the time the vote is taken.
32.25Voting by proxy is prohibited.
32.26 (c) All votes must be held and determined in public. Secret ballots are prohibited.
32.27 (d) Prior to calling for a vote, the chair shall state the question being voted upon.
32.28 Subd. 14.Manner of voting.Except as otherwise provided in these rules or by law,
32.29voting shall be by a two-thirds affirmative vote using voice vote, roll call, or show of hands.
32.30Roll call votes shall be taken when required in this section or by law, at the request of any
32.31commissioner, or when the chair cannot determine the results of a voice vote.
32.32 Subd. 15.Chair and vice-chair.(a) The Citizens Advisory Redistricting Commission
32.33must elect a chair and vice-chair from among its members by a vote under subdivision 12,
32Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 33.1paragraph (c). The chair and vice-chair shall not self-identify as belonging to the same
33.2political party.
33.3 (b) The nomination and election of the chair occurs first and the vice-chair occurs second.
33.4 (c) All candidates must be given an equal amount of time to speak in support of their
33.5candidacy, to be followed by a period of questions and answers.
33.6 (d) The chair shall:
33.7 (1) call to order and preside at all meetings;
33.8 (2) preserve order and decorum and may speak to points of order in preference to other
33.9commissioners;
33.10 (3) decide all questions arising under this parliamentary authority in consultation with
33.11the general counsel, subject to appeal and reversal by a majority of the commissioners
33.12present;
33.13 (4) enforce rules of procedure;
33.14 (5) perform any other administrative or agenda duties as directed by the advisory
33.15commission;
33.16 (6) have all the same rights as other commissioners with respect to procedural matters,
33.17debate, and voting except that the chair shall not vote on the appeal of a parliamentary ruling
33.18by the chair;
33.19 (7) approve expenditures associated with the commission for any individual expenditure
33.20in excess of $5,000;
33.21 (8) when both the chair and vice-chair are absent, the chair may designate another of its
33.22commissioners to serve as acting chair during such absence or disability; and
33.23 (9) establish committees and subcommittees by a majority vote of the commission with
33.24the support of at least one vote from a member identifying with the largest political party
33.25in the state, one vote from a member identifying with the second largest political party in
33.26the state, and one vote from a member identifying with no political party or with a political
33.27party that is not the largest or second largest in the state.
33.28 (e) The vice-chair shall perform the duties of the chair when the chair is unavailable,
33.29except as otherwise provided by law. The vice-chair shall act in the capacity of the chair in
33.30the chair's absence. The vice-chair shall help facilitate group discussion on items before the
33.31advisory commission. The vice-chair is also responsible for other duties as designated by
33.32the chair.
33Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 34.1 Subd. 16.Secretary.The executive director, or their designee, is secretary to the advisory
34.2commission without vote, and in that capacity shall keep the official record of all proceedings
34.3of the commission and furnish, under the direction of the commission, all technical services
34.4that the commission deems necessary. The duties of the secretary shall also include:
34.5 (1) facilitating the process for the selection of commissioners pursuant to subdivision
34.62, paragraphs (e) to (p), and replacement of commissioners pursuant to subdivision 4,
34.7paragraph (h);
34.8 (2) issuing a call convening the advisory commission by May 15 in the year of the federal
34.9decennial census;
34.10 (3) publishing the redistricting plan for each type of district adopted under subdivision
34.1125 within 30 days of the adoption of the plan. This publication shall include the plan and
34.12the material reports, reference materials, and data used in drawing it, including any
34.13programming information used to produce and test the plan. The published materials shall
34.14be such that an independent person is able to replicate the conclusion without any
34.15modification of any of the published materials;
34.16 (4) maintaining a public record of all proceedings of the advisory commission and
34.17publishing and distributing each plan and required documentation. An adopted redistricting
34.18plan shall become law upon submission to the secretary of state absent any legal action
34.19resulting in a court finding constitutional violations and ordering new maps be drawn; and
34.20 (5) taking and maintaining minutes of all advisory commission meetings including votes
34.21on all official actions taken at those meetings. All decisions of the commission shall be
34.22recorded, and the record of its decisions shall be readily available to any member of the
34.23public as required by law and shall be provided without charge.
34.24 Subd. 17.Orientation and training.(a) Orientation for members of the advisory
34.25commission shall be coordinated by the Legislative Coordinating Commission.
34.26 (b) Commissioners shall receive nonpartisan orientation, ongoing education, and training
34.27on the purposes and activities of the advisory commission. Information may be presented
34.28in a manner most convenient or useful to the commission including the use of interactive
34.29or subject-matter expert presentations. Training should include insights from other states
34.30operating under advisory citizens commissions.
34.31 (c) Orientation shall be coordinated by nonpartisan Legislative Coordinating Commission
34.32staff and must be completed within four weeks of the commission being formed.
34Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 35.1 Subd. 18.Employment of personnel.The advisory commission shall be compensated
35.2as prescribed in law. The Legislative Coordination Commission must provide the commission
35.3with the services of nonpartisan experts, consultants, and support staff, as necessary to carry
35.4out its duties pursuant to this section.
35.5 Subd. 19.Public hearings in diverse state regions.(a) Prior to adopting a legislative
35.6or congressional districting plan, the advisory commission must hold a minimum of 16
35.7public hearings throughout the state, with at least eight hearings held before adopting
35.8preliminary drafts of legislative or congressional district plans. The primary purpose of the
35.9first eight public hearings is to request public input on how to define communities of interest
35.10and to provide an opportunity for public comment from residents of that part of the state.
35.11The commission must make reasonable efforts to schedule hearings in the evenings, on
35.12weekends, and at other times that most residents of that region are able to attend.
35.13 (b) By February 15 of each year ending in one, the advisory commission must hold at
35.14least eight public hearings in diverse regions of the state, including southern Minnesota,
35.15central Minnesota, Northern Minnesota, and the Twin Cities Metro Area, before adopting
35.16preliminary drafts of legislative or congressional district plans. The primary purpose of
35.17these first public hearings in each location is to request advice on how to define communities
35.18of interest and to provide an opportunity for public testimony from residents of that
35.19community. The commission must make reasonable efforts to schedule hearings in the
35.20evenings, on weekends, and at other times that most residents from that region are able to
35.21attend.
35.22 (c) After completing the first round of public hearings to get public input on communities
35.23of interest, the advisory commission must publish on its website preliminary drafts of the
35.24legislative and congressional district plans. The commission also must publish the reports
35.25for each preliminary draft prior to hearings discussing that draft. The advisory commission
35.26must allow the public at least 14 days to submit comments to the commission after
35.27publication. After those 14 days, the commission must then hold at least one additional
35.28public hearing to allow for open public input and comment. Nonpartisan GIS experts,
35.29consultants, and support staff shall be present to hear and consider public comment on the
35.30proposed plans. The commission may require its general counsel to attend.
35.31 (d) The advisory commission must make reasonable efforts to allow the public to submit
35.32written testimony prior to a hearing and make copies of that testimony available to all
35.33commissioners and the public prior to and at the hearings.
35Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 36.1 Subd. 20.Internal communications.(a) The advisory commission may designate one
36.2or more commission staff to communicate with commissioners regarding administrative
36.3matters and may define the scope of the permitted communication. The designation must
36.4be announced at the next public hearing following the designation.
36.5 (b) A commissioner must not direct, request, suggest, or recommend to staff an
36.6interpretation of a districting principle or a change to a district boundary, except during an
36.7open meeting of the commission. Communication between retained counsel and members
36.8of the commission or the designated commission staff does not violate the provisions of
36.9this section.
36.10 Subd. 21.External communications.(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b),
36.11commissioners and staff must not communicate with anyone outside the commission
36.12regarding the content of a plan, except at an open meeting of the commission or when
36.13soliciting or receiving written communications regarding a plan that is the subject of a public
36.14hearing.
36.15 (b) The following external communications are expressly permitted:
36.16 (1) a communication of general information about the commission, proceedings of the
36.17commission, or redistricting, including questions or requests for information and responses
36.18to or from commission staff;
36.19 (2) testimony or documents submitted by a person for use at a public hearing;
36.20 (3) a report submitted under subdivision 5, paragraph (a), clause (11); and
36.21 (4) a communication required by chapter 13 or 13D.
36.22 Subd. 22.Prohibitions on gifts and gratuities.The advisory commission, individual
36.23commissioners, staff, attorneys, experts, and consultants may not directly or indirectly solicit
36.24or accept any gift or loan of money, goods, services, or other thing of value greater than $5
36.25for the benefit of any person or organization, which may influence the manner in which the
36.26individual commissioner, staff, attorney, expert, or consultant performs their duties.
36.27 Subd. 23.Reports of improper activity.(a) Advisory commission staff shall report to
36.28the commission any attempt to exert improper influence over the staff in drafting plans.
36.29 (b) A commissioner or commission staff shall report to the advisory commission chair
36.30and vice-chair any prohibited communication. The report must include a copy of a written
36.31communication or a written summary of an oral communication.
36Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 37.1 (c) A report under this subdivision must be made no later than three business days after
37.2the attempt to exert improper influence or the prohibited communication, or before the next
37.3meeting of the commission, whichever is earlier. If special circumstances make this
37.4requirement impracticable, the report must be made at the following meeting of the
37.5commission.
37.6 Subd. 24.Data used.(a) The advisory commission shall use census data representing
37.7the entire population of this state to draw congressional and legislative districts. Except
37.8when required by law or for the purposes of drawing districts in compliance with provisions
37.9of state or federal law, citizen voting age or citizen population must not be used as the
37.10method to calculate population equality. The commission may also consider demographic
37.11trend data provided by the Minnesota state demographer and relevant election data.
37.12 (b) The advisory commission shall use population data that reflects incarcerated persons
37.13at their last known residence before incarceration.
37.14 Subd. 25.Deadlines.(a) After completing the public hearings required by subdivision
37.1519, but by May 1 of each year ending in one, the advisory commission shall submit plans
37.16and its reports to the legislature for legislative and congressional districts. Each plan must
37.17be accompanied by a report summarizing information and testimony received by the
37.18redistricting commission in the course of the hearings and include any comments and
37.19conclusions the advisory commission deems appropriate on the information and testimony
37.20received at the hearings or otherwise presented. To submit a plan to the legislature, the
37.21advisory commission must approve the plan by an affirmative vote of twelve members or
37.22more, including at least one member identifying with the largest political party in the state,
37.23one member identifying with the second largest political party in the state, and one member
37.24identifying with no political party or with a political party that is not the largest or second
37.25largest in the state. When the advisory commission approves a plan, the plan and its reports
37.26must be published to the advisory commission's website.
37.27 (b) The legislature intends that a bill be introduced to enact each plan received from the
37.28advisory commission and that the bill be brought to a vote within one week in either the
37.29senate or the house of representatives under a procedure or rule permitting no amendment.
37.30The legislature further intends that the bill be brought to a vote in the second house within
37.31one week after final passage in the first house.
37.32 (c) If the secretary of the senate or chief clerk of the house of representatives notifies
37.33the advisory commission that the first plan has failed, or the governor vetoes the first plan,
37.34the commission shall submit a second plan within two weeks after it receives the notice. If
37Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 38.1the legislature has adjourned the regular session in the year ending in one before the
38.2commission submits a second plan, and no special session is called before October 1 to
38.3consider the second plan, then the commission must submit the second plan to the legislature
38.4before October 1 to be considered at the opening of its regular session in the year ending
38.5in two. The legislature intends that the second plan be considered by the legislature under
38.6the same procedure provided for a first plan under paragraph (b).
38.7 (d) If the secretary of the senate or the chief clerk of the house of representatives notifies
38.8the advisory commission that a second plan has failed, or the governor vetoes a second plan,
38.9the commission shall submit a third plan within two weeks after it receives the notice. If
38.10the legislature has adjourned the regular session in the year ending in one, before the
38.11commission submits a third plan, and there is no special session called before October 1 to
38.12consider the third plan, then the commission must submit the third plan to the legislature
38.13before October 1 to be considered at the opening of its regular session in the year ending
38.14in two. The legislature intends that the third plan be considered by the legislature under the
38.15same procedure provided for the first and second plans under paragraph (b) whether it is
38.16being considered during the regular or a special session with the exception that amendments
38.17by the legislature may be proposed.
38.18 (e) If the advisory commission cannot reach an agreement on a plan for any reason, the
38.19commission shall use the following procedure to adopt a plan for that type of district:
38.20 (1) each commissioner may submit one proposed plan for each type of district to the
38.21full commission for consideration;
38.22 (2) each commissioner shall rank the plans submitted according to preference. Each plan
38.23shall be assigned a point value inverse to its ranking among the number of choices, giving
38.24the lowest ranked plan one point and the highest ranked plan a point value equal to the
38.25number of plans submitted; and
38.26 (3) the advisory commission shall adopt the plan receiving the highest total points, that
38.27is also ranked among the top half of plans by at least two commissioners not affiliated with
38.28the party of the commissioner submitting the plan or, in the case of a plan submitted by
38.29nonaffiliated commissioners, is ranked among the top half of plans by at least two
38.30commissioners affiliated with a major party. If plans are tied for the highest point total, the
38.31executive director shall by lottery select the final plan from those plans.
38.32 (f) If the legislature and governor have not approved a plan by October 1 of the year
38.33ending in one, then the advisory commission must submit a map approved by the commission
38.34to the Minnesota Supreme Court for review for adherence to state constitution and statutes.
38Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 39.1 (g) If the legislature and governor have neither rejected the commission plans three
39.2times, nor approved the commission plans by the statutory required date for plan approval
39.3as provided in section 204B.14, and the court has found the commission plan to meet all
39.4legal requirements, then the court shall order implementation of the commission plan in the
39.5absence of a legislative plan.
39.6 (h) Final approval of all plans, whether enacted by the legislature or as provided by court
39.7order, must take place no later than the date provided in section 204B.14, subdivision 1a.
39.8 (i) Notwithstanding subdivision 30, the established advisory commission must complete
39.9its activity by October 1 in each year ending in one. Upon final approval of the advisory
39.10commission's adopted plan by the legislature and governor, the plan must be communicated
39.11to the secretary of state. The plan becomes effective for the following election upon filing
39.12with the secretary of state. The commission must also publish the adopted plans and the
39.13related reports on the redistricting commission's website.
39.14 Subd. 26.Activity and evaluation report.Within 30 days of the enactment into law
39.15or adoption by court order of both a legislative plan and a congressional plan, the advisory
39.16commission must submit a report to the chief clerk of the house of representatives, the
39.17secretary of the senate, the majority and minority leaders of each house of the legislature,
39.18and the governor. At a minimum, the report must include a summary of the commission's
39.19work, including the information required in subdivision 5, clause (15), and any recommended
39.20changes to laws affecting redistricting. The report must also inform the legislature if the
39.21commission determines that funds or other resources provided for the operation of the
39.22commission were inadequate. A commissioner who voted against a redistricting plan may
39.23submit a dissenting report, which shall be issued with the commission's report. The
39.24commission must publish the report on its website.
39.25 Subd. 27.Criminal liability as public officers.Members of the advisory commission
39.26exercise the functions of a public officer for the purposes of sections 609.415 to 609.4751.
39.27 Subd. 28.Data.The advisory commission is subject to chapter 13, except that a plan is
39.28not public data until it has been submitted to the advisory commission for its consideration.
39.29 Subd. 29.Lobbyist registration.Action by the redistricting commission is administrative
39.30action for the purposes of section 10A.01, subdivisions 2 and 21.
39.31 Subd. 30.Expiration.(a) The advisory commission expires 45 days after:
39.32 (1) both a legislative and a congressional redistricting plan have been enacted into law
39.33or adopted by court order; and
39Article 3 Sec. 2.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 40.1 (2) any legal challenges to the plans have been resolved.
40.2 (b) If a court enjoins the use of a plan after the advisory commission expires, the court
40.3enjoining the plan may direct a new commission to be appointed under this section to draft
40.4a remedial plan for presentation to the legislature in accordance with deadlines established
40.5by the court's order.
40.6 Sec. 3. [2A.32] REDISTRICTING PRINCIPLES.
40.7 Subdivision 1.Districting principles.The prohibitions and principles in this section
40.8apply to both legislative and congressional districts.
40.9 Subd. 2.Prohibitions(a) Districts must not be drawn to violate the Fourteenth and
40.10Fifteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution or the Voting Rights Act of 1965,
40.11as amended.
40.12 (b) Districts must not be drawn to purposefully favor or disfavor a candidate or incumbent.
40.13 (c) Districts must not be drawn using voter registration, voter turnout, voting history, or
40.14party preference, including participation in the presidential nominating primary, general
40.15election, voting patterns, and primary voting patterns, except for the purposes of verifying
40.16the compliance of maps with the requirements of this section and of issuing the reports
40.17required by section 2A.23.
40.18 (d) Districts must not be drawn using the location of incumbents' or candidates' residences.
40.19 (e) Districts must not be drawn using data subject to reporting or regulation under chapter
40.2010A; section 201.091, subdivision 4a; United States Code, title 52, subtitle III; or United
40.21States Code, title 26, subtitle H.
40.22 (f) Districts must not be drawn with the effect of unduly favoring or disfavoring any
40.23political party. Districts shall be subjected to a test of partisan fairness using the standard
40.24of proportionality as the benchmark for fairness. Using four recent statewide elections, any
40.25proposed Congressional or legislative plan must be close to achieving major-party seat share
40.26proportional to the corresponding share of the popular vote in at least three out of the four
40.27contests. The standard of closeness is one seat for Congressional contests and seven
40.28percentage points for legislative contests. If a plan fails to meet this standard, it triggers a
40.29rebuttable presumption of excessive partisan advantage. This may be rebutted if a court
40.30determines that the degree of disproportionality was necessary in order to reasonably balance
40.31the rules and criteria in effect for redistricting.
40Article 3 Sec. 3.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 41.1 Subd. 3.Priority of principles.Districts must be drawn in accordance with the principles
41.2in this section. If districts cannot be drawn fully in accordance with the principles, a
41.3districting plan must give priority to those principles in the order in which they are listed,
41.4except when doing so would violate federal or state law.
41.5 Subd. 4.Population equality.(a) Each congressional district must be as nearly equal
41.6in population as practicable.
41.7 (b) Each legislative district must be substantially equal in population. The population
41.8of a legislative district must not deviate by more than plus or minus five percent from the
41.9population of the ideal district.
41.10 Subd. 5.Minority representation.(a) Districts must not dilute or diminish the equal
41.11opportunity of racial, ethnic, and language minorities to participate in the political process
41.12and to elect candidates of their choice, whether alone or in coalition with others.
41.13 (b) Districts must provide racial minorities and language minorities who constitute less
41.14than a voting-age majority of a district with an equal opportunity to substantially influence
41.15the outcome of an election.
41.16 Subd. 6.Preservation of Native Nations.The reservation lands of a federally recognized
41.17Native Nation must be preserved to the extent practicable. Discontiguous portions of a
41.18federally recognized Native Nation's reservation lands must be included in the same district
41.19and must not be divided more than necessary to meet constitutional requirements.
41.20 Subd. 7.Communities of interest.Districts must minimize the division of identifiable
41.21communities of interest. A community of interest may include a racial, ethnic, or linguistic
41.22group or any group with shared experiences and concerns, including but not limited to
41.23geographic, governmental, regional, social, cultural, historic, socioeconomic, occupational,
41.24trade, environmental, or transportation interests. Communities of interest shall not include
41.25relationships with political parties, incumbents, or candidates.
41.26 Subd. 8.Convenience and contiguity.Each district must be convenient and contiguous.
41.27A district is convenient if it allows reasonable ease of travel within the district. Contiguity
41.28by water is sufficient if the water is not a serious obstacle to travel within the district. A
41.29district with areas that touch only at a point is not contiguous.
41.30 Subd. 9.Nesting.A representative district must not be divided in the formation of a
41.31senate district.
41.32 Subd. 10.Political subdivisions.Districts must minimize the division of counties, cities,
41.33and towns except when (1) the division occurs because a portion of a city or town is not
41Article 3 Sec. 3.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 42.1contiguous with another portion of the same city or town, or (2) despite the division, the
42.2known population of any affected county, city, or town remains wholly located within a
42.3single district.
42.4 Subd. 11.Compactness.Districts must be reasonably compact. More than one measure
42.5must be used to evaluate compactness of districts.
42.6 Subd. 12.Natural geographic boundaries.Districts must be drawn to respect natural
42.7geographic boundaries to the extent possible, including bodies of water, mountain ranges,
42.8and other significant geological and topographic features.
42.9 Subd. 13.Numbering.(a) Congressional district numbers must begin with district one
42.10in the southeast corner of the state and end with the district with the highest number in the
42.11northeast corner of the state.
42.12 (b) Legislative districts must be numbered in a regular series, beginning with house of
42.13representatives district 1A in the northwest corner of the state and proceeding across the
42.14state from west to east, north to south. In a county that includes more than one whole senate
42.15district, the districts must be numbered consecutively.
42.16 Subd. 14.Additional principles.The advisory commission established in section 2A.20
42.17may adopt additional principles by a two-thirds vote, but the additional principles must not
42.18be prioritized above the principles in the Constitution of Minnesota or in this section.
42.19 Subd. 15.Severability.The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision of
42.20this section or its application is held to be invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other
42.21provisions of this section, which shall be given the maximum possible effect in the absence
42.22of the invalid provision.
42.23Sec. 4. [2A.33] LEGISLATIVE COORDINATING COMMISSION;
42.24REDISTRICTING .
42.25 Subdivision 1.Administrative and professional support.The Legislative Coordinating
42.26Commission shall provide administrative, professional, and support services to the
42.27commission established in section 2A.31. The responsibilities assigned to the Legislative
42.28Coordinating Commission executive director may be implemented through a process or
42.29delegation to an individual responsible to the executive director to carry out the assigned
42.30activities.
42.31 Subd. 2.Data used.(a) The geographic areas and population counts used in maps, tables,
42.32and legal descriptions of legislative and congressional districts considered by the legislature
42.33and the redistricting commission must be those used by the GIS Office. The population
42Article 3 Sec. 4.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 43.1counts shall be the block population counts provided to the state under Public Law 94-171
43.2after each decennial census, subject to correction of any errors acknowledged by the United
43.3States Census Bureau.
43.4 (b) Nothing in this subdivision prohibits the use of additional data, except as provided
43.5by sections 2A.31 and 2A.32.
43.6 (c) The GIS Office must make this data available to the public on the GIS Office's
43.7website.
43.8 Subd. 3.Publication; consideration of plans.A plan must not be finalized until the
43.9plan's block equivalency file has been submitted to the GIS Office in a form prescribed by
43.10the GIS Office. The block equivalency file must show the district to which each census
43.11block has been assigned. The GIS Office shall publish each plan submitted to it on the GIS
43.12Office website.
43.13 Subd. 4.Reports.Publication of a plan shall include the reports described as follows:
43.14 (1) a population equality report that lists each district in the plan, its population as the
43.15total number of persons, and deviations from the ideal as both the number of persons and
43.16as a percentage of the population. The report must also show the populations of the largest
43.17and smallest districts and the overall range of deviations of districts;
43.18 (2) a minority voting-age population report that lists for each district the voting age
43.19population of each racial, ethnic, or language minority and the total minority voting age
43.20population, according to the categories recommended by the United States Department of
43.21Justice. The report must also specify each district with 30 percent or more total minority
43.22population;
43.23 (3) a contiguity report that lists each district that is noncontiguous either because two
43.24areas of a district do not touch or because they are linked by a point;
43.25 (4) if a plan preserves a community of interest, a communities of interest report that
43.26includes maps of the plan with a layer identifying the census blocks within each preserved
43.27community of interest and includes a description of the research process used to identify
43.28each community of interest. The report must also list each district to which a community
43.29of interest has been assigned, the number of communities of interest that are split, and the
43.30number of times communities of interest were split;
43.31 (5) a political subdivision and Native Nation reservation splits report that lists each split
43.32of a county, city, township, federally recognized Native Nation reservation, unorganized
43.33territory, and precinct, and the district to which each portion of a split division is assigned.
43Article 3 Sec. 4.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 44.1The report also must show the number of subdivisions split and the number of times a
44.2subdivision is split;
44.3 (6) a plan components report that lists for each district the names and populations of the
44.4counties within it and, if a county is split between or among districts, the names and
44.5populations of the portion of the split county and each of the split county's whole or partial
44.6cities, townships, unorganized territories, and precincts within each district;
44.7 (7) a measures of compactness report that lists for each district the results of the multiple
44.8measures of compactness, including but not limited to Reock, Polsby-Popper, Minimum
44.9Convex Hull, Population Polygon, Population Circle, Ehrenburg, Perimeter, and
44.10Length-Width measures. The report must also state for each district the sum of the district's
44.11perimeter and the mean of the measurements. The report may list additional tests of
44.12compactness that are accepted in political science and statistics literature; and
44.13 (8) a partisanship report that lists multiple measures of partisan symmetry. The report
44.14may list additional tests of partisan bias that are accepted in political science and statistics
44.15literature.
44.16Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
44.17 This article is effective January 1, 2027, if the constitutional amendments proposed in
44.18article 1 are not ratified.
44Article 3 Sec. 5.
25-01557 as introduced02/12/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ Page.Ln 1.14
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS; INDEPENDENT
REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.......................................................ARTICLE 1
Page.Ln 11.7
INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION; STATUTORY
IMPLEMENTATION.............................................................................ARTICLE 2
Page.Ln 21.1CITIZENS ADVISORY REDISTRICTING COMMISSION...............ARTICLE 3
1
APPENDIX
Article locations for 25-01557 2.91 REDISTRICTING PLANS.
Subdivision 1.Distribution.Upon enactment of a redistricting plan for the legislature or for
Congress, the Legislative Coordinating Commission shall deposit the plan with the secretary of
state. The secretary of state shall provide copies of the relevant portions of the redistricting plan to
each county auditor, who shall provide a copy of the relevant portions of the plan to each municipal
clerk within the county. The secretary of state, with the cooperation of the commissioner of
administration, shall make copies of the plan file, maps, and tables available to the public for the
cost of publication. The revisor of statutes shall code a metes and bounds description of the districts
in Minnesota Statutes.
Subd. 2.Corrections.The legislature intends that a redistricting plan encompass all the territory
of this state, that no territory be omitted or duplicated, that all districts consist of convenient
contiguous territory substantially equal in population, and that political subdivisions not be divided
more than necessary to meet constitutional requirements. Therefore, in implementing a redistricting
plan for the legislature or for Congress, the secretary of state, after notifying the Legislative
Coordinating Commission and the revisor of statutes, shall order the following corrections:
(a) If a territory in this state is not named in the redistricting plan but lies within the boundaries
of a district, it is a part of the district within which it lies.
(b) If a territory in this state is not named in the redistricting plan but lies between the boundaries
of two or more districts, it is a part of the contiguous district having the smallest population.
(c) If a territory in this state is assigned in the redistricting plan to two or more districts, it is
part of the district having the smallest population.
(d) If a territory in this state is assigned to a district that consists of other territory containing a
majority of the population of the district but with which it is not contiguous, the territory is a part
of the contiguous district having the smallest population.
(e) If the description of a district boundary line that divides a political subdivision is ambiguous
because a highway, street, railroad track, power transmission line, river, creek, or other physical
feature or census block boundary that forms part of the district boundary is omitted or is not properly
named or has been changed, or because a compass direction for the boundary line is wrong, the
secretary of state shall add or correct the name or compass direction and resolve the ambiguity in
favor of creating districts of convenient, contiguous territory of substantially equal population that
do not divide political subdivisions more than is necessary to meet constitutional requirements.
Subd. 3.Notice of corrections.The secretary of state shall provide a copy of each correction
order to each affected county auditor, municipal clerk, and candidate.
Subd. 4.Recommendations to legislature.The secretary of state and the revisor of statutes
shall recommend to the legislature any additional technical corrections to the redistricting plan they
deem necessary or desirable.
1R
APPENDIX
Repealed Minnesota Statutes: 25-01557