Minnesota lawmakers have 120 days over two years to do their work each biÂenÂniÂum. For DFL House Speaker MeÂlisÂsa Hortman, that's no longÂer enÂough.
She said the Minnesota LegÂisÂlaÂture, which has a habÂit of going into oÂverÂtime to finÂish its job, should switch to full time. Minnesota is aÂmong the maÂjorÂiÂty of states that have a part-time legÂisÂlaÂture.
GOP Senate Majority LeadÂer Paul Gazelka does not want to get rid of the existing apÂproach, where farÂmers, lawÂyers, teachÂers, docÂtors and othÂers jugÂgle those jobs with comÂing to the Capitol to pass laws.
"I think the citÂiÂzen legÂisÂlaÂtor conÂcept, where you have peoÂple from all walks of life come in and give part of their time to the state of Minnesota as a LegÂisÂlaÂture, is the way it should be," Gazelka said.
Hortman, meanÂwhile, said they aren't able to spend enÂough time on priÂoriÂties, such as closÂing edÂuÂcaÂtion opÂporÂtuÂniÂty gaps, beÂcause they have such a tight deadÂline to set the state's budgÂet.
"We get the [state ecoÂnomÂic and budgÂet] foreÂcast on March 1, and then we're supÂposed to turn around a $50 bilÂlion budgÂet by May 17," Hortman said. "There's a lot more polÂicy work that we reÂalÂly give short shrift to beÂcause we're so foÂcused on the budgÂet."
Ten states, inÂcludÂing WisÂconÂsin and MichÂiÂgan, have full-time legisÂlaÂtures. Lawmakers' avÂerÂage annuÂal comÂpenÂsaÂtion is $82,358 in those states, with an avÂerÂage of 1,250 employees workÂing for the legÂisÂlaÂture. In states with a part-time legÂisÂlaÂture, lawmakers' pay avÂerÂages $41,110 and the staff total is about 469, acÂcordÂing to National Conference of State Legislatures data from 2014 and 2015.
The switch to a full-time lawmaking body, which would reÂquire a state conÂstiÂtuÂtionÂal aÂmendÂment by voters, is not the only reÂform Hortman supÂports. If they move to full-time, she said that change should be paired with a reÂducÂtion in the numÂber of legisÂlaÂtors, which does not reÂquire a conÂstiÂtuÂtionÂal change.
Minnesota has 134 House memÂbers and 67 senaÂtors, makÂing it one of the larÂger legisÂlaÂtures in the counÂtry, though nowhere near New HampÂshire's whopÂping 424 lawmakers.
"There's no magÂic to the 134. It has been varÂiÂaÂble sizes throughÂout Minnesota's hisÂtoÂry. So I would rathÂer go to someÂthing like 90 [repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives] and 45 [senaÂtors]," Hortman said, notÂing that would reÂsult in a less crowdÂed House floor and fewer memÂbers "who feel like they need to say the same thing over and over."
Hortman said they would need to esÂtabÂlish the iÂdeÂa well aÂhead of the 2030 cenÂsus and redistricting. "That would be a natÂuÂral time to reÂduce the size," she said.
Gazelka said he is open to the iÂdeÂa of shrinkÂing the size of the LegÂisÂlaÂture, but said there's not a lot of inÂterÂest in that right now. HowÂever, there is anÂothÂer govÂernÂment reÂform he would like to see: chanÂges to the governor's emÂerÂgenÂcy powÂers.
More than 300 bills have been proÂposed in state capitals across the counÂtry this year to adÂdress emÂerÂgenÂcy powÂers, he said, beÂcause legisÂlaÂtors are conÂcerned the exÂecÂuÂtive branch is doing too much on its own authority.