This legislative bill, labeled SF No 696, proposes an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution affecting the way legislative districts in Minnesota are set up for the state senate and house of representatives. Here’s a simplified summary:

1. Constitutional Amendment Proposal:

   • The bill suggests a new method for defining the number of state senators and representatives and how these representatives are to be distributed across the state.
   • For the House of Representatives, districts will be based on equal population throughout different areas of the state.
   • For the Senate, each county will have its own district regardless of its population, meaning each county will be represented by one senator.

2. Procedure and Timeline:

   • This change to the constitution would be decided by Minnesota voters in the general election scheduled for 2026.
   • Voters would be asked a yes/no question on whether to amend the state constitution as described.

3. Statutory Changes:

   • Adjustments would also be made in the statutes to reflect changes in the number of senators and representatives. Currently, the Senate has 67 members and the House 134 members, but these numbers could be changed depending on new data or decisions by the legislature using the new system.

4. Effect on Legislative Districts:

   • The proposal rearranges not just how many, but also how legislative districts are drawn, which could have significant political and representational implications for different areas, particularly balancing urban and rural influence in the state legislature.

In essence, the bill asks for altering the constitution and statutes concerning legislative representation that would shift how areas of the state are represented in government.