Purpose of the Bill

The bill proposes changes to the Minnesota Constitution regarding how legislative districts are composed and apportioned. The goal is to amend the way representation is allocated across the state in the state's Senate and House of Representatives.

Main Provisions

• Constitutional Amendment: The proposed amendment mandates changes to article IV sections 2 and 3 of the Minnesota Constitution.

  • It would require that representation in the Minnesota House of Representatives be evenly distributed across the state based on population.
  • Representation in the Minnesota Senate would be apportioned equally by county.

• Districts Configuration: Following a population enumeration, the state legislature will determine the bounds for congressional and legislative districts. Each county in Minnesota would form its own Senate district, ensuring districts are made up of contiguous territory.

• Voter Submission: The proposed constitutional amendment will be put to a vote in the 2026 general election. The ballot question will ask voters whether they agree with revising the legislative districts to create Senate districts for each county and House districts apportioned by population.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Senate Membership: Changes the number of Senate districts from 67 to 87, corresponding to a shift from the current structure to a model where each county has its own Senate district.

• Legislative Membership Count: The Senate would consist of 87 members, aligning with the new structure, and the House would retain 134 members, ensuring proportional representation based on population.

Relevant Terms

• Constitutional amendment
• Legislative districts
• Apportionment
• Senate districts
• House of Representatives
• Population-based representation
• Contiguous territory