Term limits provided for governor and lieutenant governor, and constitutional amendment proposed.
Summary
HF1849 proposes a constitutional amendment to limit the governor and lieutenant governor of Minnesota to two elected terms each. The amendment would change article V, section 2 of the Minnesota Constitution so that no person may be elected more than twice to either office. The proposal would be submitted to voters at the 2026 general election, and the ballot question would ask whether the constitution should be amended to place term limits on those offices beginning with candidates elected in 2026.
The bill also specifies that elections held before the 2026 general election cannot be counted when applying the new term limits, meaning the limit would operate prospectively rather than retroactively. It further sets the ballot title for the constitutional question, overriding the usual statutory title provision for that specific submission.
Impact
If adopted by voters, the measure would amend the Minnesota Constitution and directly affect eligibility for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor by capping each at two elected terms. It would not change ordinary statutory election law so much as create a constitutional qualification and limit for these executive offices, with the term-limit rule applying only to elections from 2026 forward. The bill also affects the wording and presentation of the 2026 ballot question.
Sentiment
Based on the available record, the bill appears to have been treated as a straightforward election-policy proposal with no recorded committee transcript or vote history showing opposition or support. The legislative history provided shows referral and re-referral through committees, suggesting the measure was actively considered, but there is not enough documented discussion here to identify a clear partisan or public sentiment from the record. The bill’s framing as a voter-submitted constitutional amendment indicates the final decision would rest with the electorate rather than the legislature alone.
Contention
The main point of contention likely concerns whether Minnesota should impose term limits on its top executive offices at all, since the proposal would restrict future voter choices for governor and lieutenant governor. Another potential issue is the prospective application date: the bill excludes pre-2026 elections from counting toward the limit, which could matter for incumbents or former officeholders. The bill also includes a special ballot-title provision, which may be relevant to those concerned with how the amendment is described to voters.