Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to push for campaign finance reform at the federal level by applying to the U.S. Congress to call a constitutional convention under Article V of the United States Constitution. This convention would propose an amendment to regulate the role of money in elections to ensure transparency, prevent corruption, and protect against undue influence over elected officials.

Main Provisions

• Article V Convention Proposal: The bill advocates for a constitutional convention specifically focused on amending the Constitution to address campaign finance reform.
• Conditional Application: If Congress does not propose the amendment by December 31, 2026, the Minnesota Legislature applies for the convention.
• Objective: The proposed amendment would aim to regulate financial contributions in elections to guarantee transparency and prevent both corruption and buying influence over representatives.
• Collaboration with Other States: Minnesota’s application aligns with similar requests from other states on campaign finance reform, which would collectively count towards the two-thirds majority needed to compel Congress to call a convention.
• Continued Advocacy: The application remains active until enough states' legislatures have applied on the same matter.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

The bill aims to utilize a constitutional mechanism that is rarely employed—calling a convention of the states under Article V. This represents a significant approach to directly amend the Constitution regarding campaign finance, moving beyond legislative or judicial measures currently in place or contemplated.

Relevant Terms

constitutional convention, Article V, campaign finance reform, transparency, corruption prevention, influence over representatives, federal amendment, state collaboration, legislative application, money in elections