1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to redistricting; proposing a constitutional amendment to establish a 
1.3 	redistricting commission to adopt congressional and legislative district boundaries 
1.4 	following each federal decennial census.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED.
 1.7 	An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to the people. If the amendment 
1.8 	is adopted, article IV, section 3, will read:

1.9 	Sec. 3. At its first session after each enumeration of the inhabitants of this state made 
1.10 	by the authority of the United States, the legislature shall have the power to prescribe the 
1.11 	bounds of congressional and legislative districts. Senators shall be chosen by single districts 
1.12 	of convenient contiguous territory. No representative district shall be divided in the formation 
1.13 	of a senate district. The senate districts shall be numbered in a regular series.
1.14 	By March 1 of the year following a federal decennial census, a redistricting commission 
1.15 	shall adopt boundaries of congressional and legislative districts, in accordance with the 
1.16 	principles and requirements established by this section.
1.17 	The commission consists of five retired judges of the appellate or district courts of this 
1.18 	state who have not served in a party-designated or party-endorsed position, such as a 
1.19 	legislator. The majority leader of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the speaker 
1.20 	of the house, and the minority leader of the house of representatives shall each appoint one 
1.21 	retired judge, after consulting with each other in an effort to attain geographic balance in 
1.22 	their appointments. If an appointing authority fails to make an appointment by the deadline, 
2.1 	the chief justice of the Supreme Court must appoint a retired judge to fill the position no 
2.2 	later than March 8 of that year.
2.3 	After all four appointments have been made, the chief justice of the Supreme Court shall 
2.4 	convene a meeting of the four judges no later than March 15 of that year, at which meeting 
2.5 	the appointed judges shall, by a vote of at least three judges, appoint a fifth judge. The five 
2.6 	judges shall select one of their number to serve as chair of the commission.
2.7 	In performing their duties, the members of the commission shall abide by the Code of 
2.8 	Judicial Conduct and are considered judicial officers within the meaning provided by law, 
2.9 	and must be compensated for their commission activity as provided by law.
2.10 	The commission shall adopt a schedule for interested persons to submit proposed plans 
2.11 	to the commission and to respond to plans proposed by others. The commission shall adopt 
2.12 	principles to govern the creation and format of plans submitted to it. The commission shall 
2.13 	hold at least three public hearings in different geographical regions of the state before 
2.14 	adopting its plans.
2.15 	No later than December 31 of the year following a federal decennial census, the 
2.16 	commission must, by majority vote, adopt new districting plans for legislative and 
2.17 	congressional districts. The plans adopted by the commission must take effect beginning 
2.18 	at the next state general election, and remain in effect until new plans are adopted by a 
2.19 	commission constituted following the next federal decennial census.
2.20 	The commission appointed after each federal decennial census expires when both 
2.21 	legislative and congressional redistricting plans have been adopted.

2.22 	Sec. 2. SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.
 2.23 	The proposed amendment must be submitted to the people at the 2018 general election. 
2.24 	The question submitted must be:
2.25 	"Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to remove the ability of legislators to 
2.26 	enact legislative and congressional redistricting plans, and instead establish a commission 
2.27 	of five retired judges to independently adopt redistricting plans after each federal decennial 
2.28 	census?

2.29		Yes ........
		
2.30		No ........
	"