Constitutional Amendment proposal to prohibit slavery or involuntary servitude as criminal punishment for a crime

This bill proposes amending Minnesota's constitution to explicitly ban slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishments. It would remove the current exception allowing such punishment for crimes, making it unconstitutional to force people into labor as part of a criminal sentence. The amendment would take effect if approved by voters in the 2026 general election, where the question would ask: "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to prohibit slavery or involuntary servitude as criminal punishment for a crime?" This change directly affects all Minnesotans, particularly those in the criminal justice system, by eliminating a historical loophole in the state constitution.