Government of the State of Minnesota

“ Every law which upon its effective date applies to a single local government unit or to a group of such units in a single county or a number of contiguous counties is a special law and shall name the unit or, in the latter case, the counties, to which it applies. ”

“ In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the county or district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which county or district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel in his defense. ”

“ Each house shall be the judge of the election returns and eligibility of its own members; a majority of each shall constitute a quorum to transact business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as it may provide.
Rules of government. Sec. 4. Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, sit upon its own adjournment, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member; but no member shall be expelled the second time for the same offense. ”

“ Laws may be enacted for the purpose of encouraging and promoting forestation and reforestation of lands in this state, whether owned by private persons or the public, including the fixing in advance of a definite and limited annual tax on such lands for a term of years and a yield tax at or after the end of such term upon the timber and other forest products so grown, but the taxation of mineral deposits shall not be affected by this amendment. ”

“ The legislature is hereby authorized to provide by law for the establishment of a system of county state-aid highways. The county state-aid highway system shall be established, located, constructed, reconstructed, improved and maintained by the counties as public highways in such a manner as shall be provided by law. Such system shall include streets in cities, villages, and boroughs of less than 5,000 population where necessary, as provided by law, to provide an integrated and coordinated highway system and it may include similar streets in other cities, villages, and boroughs. ”

“ No such charter shall become effective without the approval of the voters of the local government unit affected by such majority as the legislature may prescribe by general law. If a charter provides for the consolidation or separation of a city and a county, in whole or in part, it shall not be effective without approval of the voters both in the city and in the remainder of the county by the majority required by law. ”

“ No religious test or amount of property shall ever be required as a qualification for any office of public trust under the State. No religious test or amount of property shall ever be required as a qualification of any voter at any election in this State; nor shall any person be rendered incompetent to give evidence in any court of law or equity in consequence of his opinion upon the subject of religion.
No license to peddle. Sec. 18. Any person may sell or peddle the products of the farm or garden occupied and cultivated by him without obtaining a license therefor. ”

“ Any of the public lands of the state, including lands held in trust for any purpose, may, with the unanimous approval of a commission consisting of the governor, the attorney general and the state auditor, be exchanged for lands of the United States and/or privately owned lands in such manner as the legislature may provide, and the lands so acquired shall be subject to the trust, if any, to which the lands exchanged therefor were subject, and the state shall reserve all mineral and water power rights in lands so transferred by the state. ”

“ Every person of the age of twenty-one years or more who has been a citizen of the United States for three months and who has resided in this state six months and in the precinct for thirty days next preceding an election shall be entitled to vote in that precinct, and the place of voting by one otherwise qualified who has changed his residence within thirty days preceding the election may be prescribed by law. ”

“ The legislature shall not authorize any county, township, city, or other municipal corporation to issue bonds, or to become indebted in any manner, to aid in the construction or equipment of any or all railroads to any amount that shall exceed five (5) per centum of the value of the taxable property within such county, township, city, or other municipal corporation. The amount of such taxable property to be ascertained, and determined by the last assessment of said property made, for the purpose of state and county taxation, previous to the incurring of such indebtedness. ”

“ The state may levy an excise tax upon any substance, material, fluid, force or other means or instrumentality, or the business of dealing in, selling or producing any or all thereof, used or useful, in producing or generating power for propelling motor or other vehicles used on the public highways of this state. The proceeds of such tax shall be paid into the highway user tax distribution fund. ”

“ SCHOOL FUNDS, EDUCATION AND SCIENCE Uniform system of public schools. Section 1. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it shall be the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools. [27]
Public schools in each township to be established. Sec. 2. The legislature shall make such provisions, by taxation or otherwise, as, with the income arising from the school fund, will secure a thorough and efficient system of public schools in each township in the State. ”

“ A local government unit may repeal its home rule charter and adopt a statutory form of government or a new charter upon the same majority vote as is required by law for the adoption of a charter in the first instance. ”

“ The probate court shall have unlimited original jurisdiction in law and equity for the administration of the estates of deceased persons and all guardianship and incompetency proceedings, and such further jurisdiction as the legislature may establish, including jurisdiction over the administration of trust estates and for the determination of taxes contingent upon death. ”

“ The right of every man to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience shall never be infringed, nor shall any man be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to maintain any religious or ecclesiastical ministry, against his consent ”

“ If moneys on hand in any fund are not sufficient to pay all non-refunding certificates of indebtedness issued on such fund during any biennium and all certificates refunding the same, plus interest thereon, which are outstanding on December 1 immediately following the close of such biennium, the state auditor shall levy upon all taxable property in the state a tax collectible in the then ensuing year sufficient to pay the same on or before December 1 of such ensuing year, with interest to the date or dates of payment. ”

“ Until otherwise provided by law, each county shall constitute a probate court district and there shall be one or more probate judges in each district. Each judge of the probate court in any district shall be a resident of such district at the time of his selection and during his continuance in office.
Qualifications; compensation. Sec. 7. Judges of the supreme court, the district court, and the probate court shall be learned in the law. ”

“ All persons shall before conviction be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for capital offenses when the proof is evident or the presumption great; and the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended unless when in case of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require. ”

“ Every person is entitled to a certain remedy in the laws for all injuries or wrongs which he may receive in his person, property or character; he ought to obtain justice freely and without purchase; completely and without denial ”

“ Two or more members of either house shall have liberty to dissent and protest against any act or resolution which they may think injurious to the public or to any individual, and have the reason of their dissent entered on the journal. ”

“ No person shall be imprisoned for debt in this state, [3] but this shall not prevent the legislature from providing for imprisonment, or holding to bail, persons charged with fraud in contracting said debt. A reasonable amount of property shall be exempt from seizure or sale for the payment of any debt or liability. ”

“ Within limitations prescribed by law, to secure the maximum return thereon consistent with the maintenance of the perpetuity of the fund, such fund may be invested in: (1) interest bearing fixed income securities of the United States and of its agencies, fixed income securities guaranteed in full as to payment of principal and interest by the United States, bonds of the state of Minnesota, or its political subdivisions or agencies, or of other states, but not more than 50 percent of any issue by a political subdivision, shall be purchased ”

“ Provided, however, that for the purpose of developing the agricultural resources of the state, the State may establish and maintain a system of rural credits and thereby loan money and extend credit to the people of the State upon real estate security in such manner and upon such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by law, and to issue and negotiate bonds to provide money to be so loaned. ”

“ The governor may approve, sign and file in the office of the secretary of state, within 14 days after the adjournment of the legislature, any act passed during the last three days of the session, and the same shall become a law. If any bill passed during the last three days of the session is not signed and filed within 14 days after the adjournment, it shall not become a law. ”

“ Taxes imposed upon the mining or quarrying of taconite or semi-taconite and upon the production of iron ore concentrates therefrom, which are in lieu of a tax on real or personal property, shall not be considered to be occupation, royalty, or excise taxes within the meaning of this amendment. ”

“ Senators and representatives shall be qualified voters of the State, and shall have resided one year in the State and six months immediately preceding the election in the district from which they are elected.
Laws to embrace only one subject. Sec. 27. No law shall embrace more than one subject, which shall be expressed in its title.
Divorces. Sec. 28. Divorces shall not be granted by the legislature.
Oath of office. ”

“ Representatives chosen at such election, or at any election thereafter, shall hold their office for the term of two years, except it be to fill a vacancy; and the senators chosen at such election by districts designated as odd numbers shall go out of office at the expiration of the second year, and senators chosen by districts designated by even numbers shall go out of office at the expiration of the fourth year ”

“ Credit of the State limited. Sec. 10. The credit of the State shall never be given or loaned in aid of any individual, association or corporation, except as hereinafter provided. Nor shall there be any further issue of bonds denominated "Minnesota State Railroad Bonds," under what purports to be an amendment to Section ten (10) of Article nine (9) of the Constitution, adopted April 15th, 1858, which is hereby expunged from the Constitution, saving, excepting and reserving to the State, nevertheless, all rights, remedies and forfeitures accruing under said amendment. ”