Policy
- Support the adoption of staggered terms for state senators. The Minnesota Chamber supports switching to a staggered system for electing state senators for two reasons. First, overlapping terms promote continuity. A body should not be replaced entirely in response to short-lived, controversial political issues that largely mobilize the electorate in one direction. Second, staggered terms mean that at any given time, a portion of the Senate will behave more like trustees (those not facing re-election for three to four years) and the other half more like delegates, representing the immediate interests of their voters. Having the trustee and delegate roles evenly split among members at all times ensures that a balance between sound policy-making and representative government is fostered.
- Move the primary election to June. Moving Minnesota’s primary to June might encourage more candidates to compete in primary elections by allowing additional time following the primary to introduce themselves to party activists and voters. This would encourage additional participation in the pre-general election political process. It also would strengthen political parties by helping them recruit better and stronger candidates, and help nominees focus their time, energy and money on the general election rather than on an intraparty fight. By virtue of this more inclusive candidate selection process, the Legislature is more likely to represent the state’s overall population and workforce.
- Draw legislative district lines by commission. It is time for Minnesota to adopt a system that works to more effectively redraw district lines every 10 years to ensure that the criteria reflect our population’s growth and mobility. An independent redistricting commission, selected by the Legislature, governor and secretary of state, would remove a time-consuming step from the redistricting process, and insulate elected officials from allegations that lines have been drawn for political reasons.
- Return to biennial legislative sessions. Until 1972, the Minnesota Legislature met once every two years to set the state’s budget and pass laws. Since 1973, sessions have been held annually – historically a “long” session in odd-numbered years, where legislators’ main work is to pass a biennial budget, and a “short” session in the election year, where legislators pass a capital expenditures (bonding) bill.
More recently, bonding bills have been proposed and passed in the same year as budget bills, proving that the work can be completed in one session, even in today’s more complicated environment.
Returning the Legislature to a biennial, part-time, citizen-led body would increase the quality of legislation, the accountability of legislators, and the effectiveness of both bodies by focusing the Legislature’s work and maximizing legislators’ contact with their constituents and their own private-sector jobs.
Business Impact
Businesses invest in Minnesota. From the moment a business is started, it adds to the economic fabric of our state. It is also, like every Minnesota citizen, subject to taxes, regulations and laws. Unlike individual citizens, businesses cannot fully participate in elections, in part due to stringent campaign finance laws that apply unequally to businesses. In essence, businesses pay for many state programs and services while at the same time are relegated into electoral irrelevance. This formula has led to a perceived accountability gap between the Legislature and its stakeholders that should be addressed before it becomes unmanageable. Increasing the Legislature’s attention to private-sector concerns is emerging as an issue among Minnesota Chamber members. Many businesses have begun to conclude that the process of making laws has been overwhelmed by politics, and by elected officials who have fewer ties to the private-sector economy. Changes to the process by which we elect legislators and conduct legislative sessions is becoming a “business issue.”
Furthermore, there exists a de facto disincentive for Minnesota business owners and private-sector leaders to run for office. The commitment necessary to gain enough traction in the party nominating process, and, if elected, serve in the Legislature, makes service an impossibility for otherwise qualified, motivated Minnesotans with a direct stake in their government. Reducing the barriers to service in the Legislature by increasing the role of the primary election and returning the Legislature to biennial sessions will greatly enhance the likelihood that businesspeople will run for, and serve, in the Legislature, adding much-needed experience to the process.
This web site is developed and owned by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Any use or reprinting is strictly prohibited without prior consent of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
