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So what makes a special session so special?

Rep. Mary Murphy (left) and Rep. Tom Pugh (1989-2004) share a desk in the Senate Chamber during a special session on Sept. 28, 1989. The House had to meet in the Senate Chamber because the House Chamber was under renovation. House Photography file photo
Rep. Mary Murphy (left) and Rep. Tom Pugh (1989-2004) share a desk in the Senate Chamber during a special session on Sept. 28, 1989. The House had to meet in the Senate Chamber because the House Chamber was under renovation. House Photography file photo

It’s been anything but business as usual for the 2015 Legislature with important health care, education and transportation issues to address, a nearly $2 billion budget surplus to consider and a Capitol renovation timetable that all but demands this year’s session end on time.

But what if it doesn’t?

The Minnesota Constitution requires the legislative session to finish on the first Monday after the third Saturday in May, making this year’s deadline May 18. If the Legislature hasn’t concluded its work by 11:59 p.m. that day, it won’t get done until 2016 – unless a special session is called.

If that happens, here’s a quick primer to catch you up on how a special session would work:

What it is

When legislative action is needed after the period of time authorized by the constitution, only the governor has the power to call the Legislature into special session. This is done by issuing a proclamation that must be filed with the secretary of state, printed in the journal of each house and in the Laws of Minnesota.

The proclamation must let lawmakers know when the session will begin and inform them of its purpose. They can then reconvene and pass legislation as they normally would. But once the governor has initiated a special session, legislators have the authority to determine how long they will meet and the issues they’ll address.

How it works

Each special session stands on its own. The Legislature cannot carryover bills from a previous session and act on them. New legislation must be introduced.

To accelerate the legislative process, however, constitutional requirements that each bill be referred to a committee upon introduction and considered on three separate days in each body are often suspended. When this is done, a two-thirds vote is then required in each house for passage of legislation.

How long it lasts

The longest special session in Minnesota’s history lasted nearly four months, convening in late May 1971 and not adjourning until the end of October that year. Most last only a few hours or days. That’s because an agreement limiting the scope and length is usually reached between legislative leaders and the governor before a special session is called.

How often they happen

Special sessions are not uncommon. There have been nearly 50 in the history of the Legislature, with the last called in September 2013 to provide disaster relief to counties hit by flooding. In fact, special sessions have been called more years than not since the turn of the century – in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010 (twice), 2011, 2012 and 2013.

– Read more about special sessions in this paper prepared by House Research in 2010.


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