Now that caucuses are over and the legislature in session, I guess it’s time for the campaigning to begin.
Although we are in the process of selecting the candidates for the various offices and not yet certain of where the district lines will be drawn, it’s not too early to start the slogans for at least some things that are likely to be on the ballot: constitutional amendments.
One amendment is already in the queue and several more are being discussed, but my approach is to disregard the content of any amendment proposed. Why?
Well, some will like what some of the amendments might do, and some don’t like the content, but I say it really doesn’t make any difference. They should all be defeated, but not for the reasons you might think: it’s all about the process.
We elect the legislature to run the state, to take care of the business of government and to make decisions that the reflect the mood of the electorate from one term to the next, to implement laws and codes. When one party is in control we expect the legislation to follow the philosophies of that party. If we don’t like the direction we can change that leadership and head in a different direction.
Legislating is a process and a flexible one at that. Unless.
Unless the legislators decide to try to make permanent the issues of that process and wedge them into the constitution. The constitution, however, is not a process. It is a framework within which that process should take place.
If legislators cannot come to consensus on an issue, they should go back to the people or the drawing board and make another run at it, not abdicate their responsibility and throw it to the voters referendum style, and not try to codify process into a mandate.
That makes it easy for me to address all potential constitutional amendments in one campaign: Vote No On All Constitutional Amendments. Don’t read them and don’t get caught in the debate; just vote no on this all this time, and send them back to the legislative process.
Jerry Hiniker
Grand Marais
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