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Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports the local decisions made <br />by cities to deliver services by establishing <br />a city enterprise operation. The state <br />should refrain from infringing on the <br />ability of a city to provide services for its <br />community. <br />SD-19. Constitutional Amendments <br />Issue: The Minnesota Constitution requires <br />that a constitutional amendment be approved <br />by a simple majority of both chambers of the <br />Legislature at one session, and must then be <br />ratified by a majority of all the voters voting <br />at the election. Minnesota is one of 18 states <br />that require a simple majority vote by <br />legislators while 26 states require a higher <br />threshold (17 states require a two-thirds <br />majority and nine require a three -fifths <br />majority). Since statehood, 215 proposed <br />constitutional amendments have been voted <br />on by the electorate; 120 of them have been <br />approved (56%) and 95 rejected (44%). <br />Cities provide a variety of critical and <br />essential services to residents of Minnesota. <br />Many public policy decisions at the state <br />level impact cities and therefore, city <br />officials depend on their state legislators to <br />represent city interests at the Legislature. <br />Additionally, unlike a statutory change, a <br />constitutional amendment is difficult to <br />modify or repeal once enacted. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities strongly supports our <br />representational system of government <br />and opposes laws and amendments that <br />restrict local government. The Legislature <br />is the appropriate governing body to <br />consider and enact laws that reflect <br />statewide interests. Utilizing <br />constitutional amendments to change <br />public policy circumvents this process. <br />Therefore, the League supports requiring <br />a supermajority vote (two-thirds in <br />support) by the Legislature to put an <br />amendment on the ballot. <br />SD-20. Initiative and Referendum <br />Issue: The Legislature has frequently <br />considered legislation to establish initiative <br />and referendum by proposing to place a <br />question for voter approval on the state <br />general election ballot to amend the state <br />constitution to allow voters to initiate or <br />repeal state laws by submitting a petition <br />which would cause such questions to be <br />placed on the state general election ballot. <br />Response: Cities strongly support our <br />representational system of governance <br />and, therefore, oppose amending the state <br />constitution to provide for initiative and <br />referendum. The Legislature is the <br />appropriate governing body to consider <br />and enact public policy that reflects <br />statewide interests. <br />The process of adopting state law based <br />on good public policy is best upheld and <br />supported by increasing the <br />accountability and responsiveness of the <br />legislative process, not by circumventing <br />it. Presenting complex issues to voters in <br />the guise of direct democracy further <br />weakens representative government. <br />A state constitutional amendment to <br />provide for initiative and referendum <br />subjects cities and their residents and <br />taxpayers to the unintended outcomes of <br />sometimes unwise attempts to place <br />significant public policy decisions into the <br />hands of special interests that can raise <br />unlimited funds for the purpose of <br />promoting their more narrow interests. <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2015 City Policies Page 12 <br />