Monitor status and assess impact of proposed MN Constitutional Budget Amendment

Monitor status and assess impact of proposed Minnesota Constitutional Budget Amendments

The Minnesota State Constitution Article I, Section 1, declares, “Government is instituted for the security, benefit and protection of the people.” This declaration is more important than partisan politics and ideology. This principle charges the State of Minnesota with the duty to provide and preserve sufficient funding for essential services as well as a viable safety net. However, Legislators have proposed multiple constitutional amendments that would fundamentally limit the Legislature’s flexibility in making budget decisions.

Each amendment takes a different approach, but the effect of any of them would be to artificially limit state revenue or expenditure growth and create barriers for increasing or preserving revenue. Current law and governance practice empowers a simple majority (> 50 percent) of lawmakers to determine the overall size of the state budget and to manage available resources for the common good. In a democracy, our leaders’ jobs are to be accountable to the populace by establishing a budget that responds to their needs.

LCPPM will facilitate and support public dialogue while providing accurate analysis and non-partisan information about the implications and unintended consequences of these proposed changes. We will identify amendments that could affect the ability of the state to preserve a viable safety net.