Legislature

The following write-ups are produced and maintained by Minnesota House Research Department, with some links provided to other sources.

Structure

• Legislature as a governmental institution
• Sources of legislative authority

Operation

• Embraced and Expressed: Minnesota's Single Subject and Title Clause
  A 21-page guide that discusses the history of the Single Subject and Title Clause of the Minnesota Constitution and the importance of the clause in shaping legislation. December 2020.
• Single Subject and Title Clause
  Two-page overview of the report. December 2020.
• History of the Item Veto in Minnesota
  A 38-page information brief that provides a short history of the Minnesota item veto, or the constitutional power of governors to veto particular items of appropriations in bills with multiple appropriations. September 2018.
• Judicial Interpretation of Statutes
  An 8-page brief that discusses the role the courts play in interpreting statutes, including the tests and tools the court uses to resolve ambiguity. April 2020.
• Legislative Advisory Commission and Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy
  A 17-page publication that provides information on these two commissions, inlcuding their establishment, membership, operations, and duties and authority. November 2020.
• An Overview of Legislative Commissions: LAC and LCPFP
• Regular Sessions of the Minnesota Legislature
• Special Sessions of the Minnesota Legislature
• Retroactivity of Statutes
  An 8-page information brief that defines what a retroactive law is and addresses how a law must be drafted to be retroactive. February 2016.
• Veto Procedures
  An 11-page information brief that describes the procedures for vetoing bills and how the legislature can override vetoes. July 2018.

Constitutional Amendments

• Constitutional Amendments Data
  A spreadsheet that provides information on constitutional amendments in Minnesota.
• Legislative Approval of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (1894-2013)
• Minnesota Constitutional Amendments: History and Legal Principles
  A 78-page report that provides a general overview of historial and current legal and procedural issues related to amending the Minnesota Constitution. March 2013.
• State Constitutional Amendments
• United States Constitutional Amendment Process: Legal Principles for State Legislators
  A 57-page reference guide for state legislators and legislative staff on the history and legal principles related to amending the United States Constitution. April 2016.
• United States Constitutional Amendments: Minnesota's Legislative History
  A 39-page report that provides background on the Minnesota Legislature's involvement in the process of amending the United States Constitution. April 2016.

Legislative Office

• Compatibility of Offices
  A 14-page information brief addressing state law that determines whether one person may hold specific combinations of elected or appointed public positions simultaneously. August 2012.
• Government Immunity from Tort Liability
  A 4-page publication explaining the laws that make state and local governments immune from certain lawsuits. October 2020.
• Membership of the legislature
• Qualifications for legislative office
• Recall of State Elected Officials
• State Elected Officials' Compensation
  Lists salaries and explains how they are established. December 2018.
• Term of office for legislators

Ethics

• Ethical Issues and the Minnesota House
  A 13-page publication that answers basic questions about the operation of the House Ethics Committee, including jurisdiction, committee procedures, and the complaint process. August 2023.
• Legislative Ethics
  An 8-page publication that summarizes Minnesota laws and rules relating to ethical behavior that apply to House members and staff. November 2018.