January 5, 1971 (1971-01-05) – May 24, 1971 (1971-05-24)
Special sessions
1971, 1st
May 25, 1971 (1971-05-25) – October 30, 1971 (1971-10-30)
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",[1] 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%.[2] The laws earned Minnesota's Governor a spot on the cover of Time Magazine,[3] while also serving as the start to a broader period of statewide reform and DFL dominance of state politics in the 1970s.[4]
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.[5]
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