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", 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%. The laws earned Minnesota's Governor a spot on the cover of Time Magazine, while also serving as the start to a broader period of statewide reform and DFL dominance of state politics in the 1970s.

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.

Major legislation

July 23, 1971: Fiscal Disparities Act (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 (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 3037 67 0

House of Representatives Party (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) Majority Leader: Stanley W. Holmquist (R–Grove City) Minority Leader: Nicholas D. Coleman (DFL–Saint Paul)

House of Representatives Speaker of the House: Aubrey W. Dirlam (R–Redwood Falls) Majority Leader: Ernest A. Lindstrom (R–Richfield) Minority Leader: Martin Olav Sabo (DFL–Minneapolis)

See also

1970 Minneapolis teachers' strike, an illegal strike by public employees that preceded the reform laws

References

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