Minnesota Agencies

The task force will recommend improvements in legislative rules for the purposes of: enhancing the openness and accessibility of the legislative process to citizens; relieving the end-of-session crush of legislative business; controlling excessive work hours and late-night committee and floor meetings toward the end of session; making more effective and efficient use of limited session time and the time of legislators and staff, executive branch officials and staff, and other participants in the legislative process; improving communication and cooperation between the two houses on legislation; making the decision-making process more open, deliberative, and reflective, particularly in the closing weeks of session; and enhancing the decision-making authority of individual legislators by reducing the current reliance on decision-making through large omnibus fiscal bills covering multiple subjects within a subject area negotiated in end-of-session conference committees.

The task force was established by House Concurrent Resolution 3, adopted by the legislature in May 2001. The task force's final report details their work:

"The Task Force met for about 20 hours [in late 2001 and early 2002].

"In the course of these meetings, the Task Force heard testimony and deliberated at length on more than two dozen proposals to amend the joint rules to accomplish the objectives expressed in the charge of the Task Force. Many of these proposals were of considerable significance and complexity. The proposals were available in the meetings of the Task Force and were posted on the Internet. In addition, the Task Force notified all members of the House and Senate of the proposals under consideration and requested comment and advice from members.

"In late December, the Task Force produced a Preliminary Report, summarizing decisions on some proposals and listing those still remaining for decision. The Task Force disposed of the remaining matters at its last meeting on January 7."

Representatives Mark Olson (Co-Chair), John Tuma, Al Juhnke, Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Senators John C. Hottinger (Co-Chair), Don Betzold, Thomas M. Neuville, Pat Pariseau