Governor's authority to declare an emergency modified, and constitutional amendment proposed.

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to give the Minnesota governor the authority to declare a peacetime emergency, which would last up to seven days unless extended by the legislature. The emergency declaration can only be used for specific situations like natural disasters, terrorist incidents, cyber attacks, or civil disturbances that threaten life and property and overwhelm local resources. If ratified by voters at the 2026 general election, the amendment would take effect on January 1, 2027, and the governor would need to notify legislative leaders immediately when declaring an emergency. The legislature would retain the power to extend the emergency declaration for up to 30 days or terminate it earlier through a majority vote in both houses.