Rules committee sends HF550 (redistricting commission amendment) to general register after debate on partisanship and deadlock

A Minnesota House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee vote on March 11, 2025 sent House File 550 — a proposed constitutional amendment to create a redistricting commission — to the General Register by an 8-6 roll-call vote, after extended public testimony and debate over whether the proposal is partisan and lacks a remedy for commission deadlock.

The bill’s author, Representative Torkelson, presented HF550 as a constitutional amendment that would place a redistricting commission before voters. He said the commission is intended to provide a new process for drawing legislative and congressional district lines and to reduce extreme partisanship in redistricting. "The need for a redistricting commission is obvious," Representative Torkelson said during closing remarks. "We should all be very frightened of a trifecta." (Representative Torkelson, Committee member)

Why it matters: The committee hearing drew multiple advocacy groups and community organizers who urged revisions. Testimony from nonprofit and community groups focused on three recurring concerns: the commission’s composition and whether it would entrench partisan control; the absence of a specified backstop if the commission deadlocks; and limited details on how public hearings and outreach would be sequenced across the state.

Public testimony and members’ concerns

Several witnesses representing civic organizations and community groups told the committee HF550, as drafted, favors party control of appointments and lacks sufficient transparency or safeguards for minority communities. Tom Wiesen, a Mahtomedi resident, urged the committee to "table this bill ... it is not ready for prime time," saying…