HF 1329 Minnesota House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Metropolitan Council appointment process and member qualifications modified.

HF 1329 modifies the appointment process and qualifications for members of Minnesota's Metropolitan Council. It eliminates the Transportation Advisory Board and changes how council members are selected, including requiring county commissioners from specific counties to be appointed by county boards, and adjusting how municipal representatives are chosen from council districts. The bill also updates term lengths and staggered appointments for members, with terms ending on specific dates based on district numbers. These changes directly affect the 44-member Metropolitan Council, which oversees regional planning and transportation in the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The bill focuses on governance structure rather than policy outcomes.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2025 Last action Mar 3, 2025

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Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 5 edits · Mar 3, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to fundamentally change how Metropolitan Council members are selected and qualified. The changes eliminate the Governor's sole appointment power and the old nominating committee, replacing them with a new committee where the Governor, city associations, and county associations share appointment authority. Additionally, the bill now requires all council members to have specific professional experience in areas like transportation and housing, and it establishes a staggered four-year term system for district representatives.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from focusing solely on Governor-appointed members to explicitly governing the appointment process for all 33 district members, including those appointed by municipal committees and county boards.

ELIGIBILITY

New qualifications require council members to have relevant experience in local government, transportation, housing, environment, and regional development.

REQUIREMENT

The appointment process was overhauled to create a new nominating committee composed of representatives from the Governor, Association of Metropolitan Municipalities, and Association of Minnesota Counties, replacing the previous Governor-only appointment and nominating committee.

Terms for members appointed by municipal committees and county boards were changed to a staggered four-year cycle based on district numbering, replacing the previous system where terms ended with the Governor's term.

The Governor's ability to appoint members not on the nominating committee's list is now restricted; the Governor must provide a written explanation if rejecting the committee's top three finalists.

TIMELINE

The bill now mandates that council districts be redrawn in 2027 to increase the number of members from 16 to 33 to ensure equal population representation.

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Full legislative history

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Key actions

Committee

Mar 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt as amended

lower

Feb 20, 2025

Introduced

Introduction and first reading, referred to Elections Finance and Government Operations

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor