67th Minnesota Legislature explained

Sixty-seventh Minnesota Legislature
Country:	United States
Session1 Type:	1971
Special Session1 Type:	1971, 1st
Membership1:	67 Senators
Membership2:	134 Representatives

The sixty-seventh Minnesota Legislature first convened on January 5, 1971. The 67 members of the Minnesota Senate and the 134 members of the Minnesota House of Representatives were elected during the general election of November 3, 1970. The session is considered notable for the passage of the "Minnesota Miracle",^[1] a legislative package aimed at lowering local property taxes and eliminating wide fiscal disparities between school districts and local governments caused by differences in property wealth. This was achieved by raising state income, business, and sales taxes by $580 million (not inflation adjusted), while the share of school operating costs covered by the state increased from 43% to 65%.^[2] The laws earned Minnesota's Governor a spot on the cover of Time Magazine,^[3] while also serving as the start to a broader period of statewide reform and DFL dominance of state politics in the 1970s.^[4]

Sessions

The legislature met in a regular session from January 5, 1971, to May 24, 1971. After the DFL Governor and Republican legislature failed to reach an agreement on a tax bill, a special session was called. It was held from May 25 to October 30 of 1971 and is still the longest in Minnesota history.^[5]

Major legislation

• July 23, 1971: Fiscal Disparities Act^[6] (Laws 1971, Special Session chapter 24)
• August 3, 1971: Constitutional amendment allowing for flexible legislative sessions (Laws 1971, Special Session chapter 26)
• October 30, 1971: "Minnesota Miracle" – Omnibus Tax and Education Act^{[7] [8]} (Laws 1971, Special Session chapter 31)

Party summary

Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Membership changes" section, below.

Senate

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total	Vacant
	R	DFL
End of previous Legislature		45	22	67	0
Begin		34	33	67	0
Latest voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	30		37	67	0

House of Representatives

	Party^[9] (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total	Vacant
	R	DFL
End of previous Legislature		85	50	134	0
Begin		70	65	134	0
Latest voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	57		77	134	0

Leadership

Senate

• President: Rudy Perpich (DFL)^[10]
• Majority Leader: Stanley W. Holmquist (R–Grove City)^[11]
• Minority Leader: Nicholas D. Coleman (DFL–Saint Paul)^[11]

House of Representatives

• Speaker of the House: Aubrey W. Dirlam (R–Redwood Falls)^[12]
• Majority Leader: Ernest A. Lindstrom (R–Richfield)^[13]
• Minority Leader: Martin Olav Sabo (DFL–Minneapolis)^[13]

Members

House of Representatives

See also

Minnesota's Miracle: Learning from the Government that Worked – Tom Berg

References

• Minnesota Legislators Past & Present – Session Search Results (Session 67, Senate)
• Minnesota Legislators Past & Present – Session Search Results (Session 67, House)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Haynes . John E. . 18 July 2016 . Wendell Anderson and the Minnesota Miracle . 31 January 2024 . StarTribune.
2. Dornfeld . Steven . 2007 . The Minnesota Miracle . Minnesota History . Minnesota Historical Society . 60 . 8 . 13.
3. Web site: Time Magazine Vault . Time Magazine.
4. Book: Kenney, Dave . Minnesota in the '70s . Saylor . Thomas . Minnesota Historical Society Press . 2013 . 978-0-87351-893-2 . 22–23.
5. Web site: Sessions of the Minnesota State Legislature and the Minnesota Territorial Legislature, 1849–present.. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. 11 November 2017.
6. Web site: Myron . Orfeld . Wallace . Nicholas . 2007 . The Minnesota Fiscal Disparities Act of 1971: The Twin Cities Struggle and Blueprint for Regional Cooperation . University of Minnesota Press.
7. Web site: Hayes . John E. . 18 July 2016 . Wendell Anderson and the Minnesota Miracle . StarTribune.
8. Dornfeld . Steven . 2008 . The Minnesota Miracle . Minnesota History . Minnesota Historical Society . 60 . 8.
9. Web site: Party Control of the Minnesota House of Representatives, 1951–present. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. 31 January 2024.
10. Web site: President and President Pro Tempore of the Minnesota Senate, 1849–present. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. 31 January 2024.
11. Web site: Majority and Minority Leaders of the Minnesota Senate, 1933–present. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. 31 January 2024.
12. Web site: Speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives, 1849–present. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. 31 January 2024.
13. Web site: Majority and Minority Leaders of the Minnesota House of Representatives, 1901–present. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. 31 January 2024.