St. Paul, Minn.—Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith’s appointment to U.S. Senate by Governor Mark Dayton, announced today, has set in motion a number of rarely used mechanisms. The Minnesota State Senate President, Sen. Michelle Fischbach (GOP-Paynesville), will become the Lieutenant Governor according to the line of succession outlined in the Minnesota Constitution (Article 5, Section 5). Sen. Fischbach confirmed her intention to do so in a press conference this afternoon.
In 1972 Minnesotans approved a constitutional amendment removing the duties of the Senate President from the Lieutenant Governor. This amendment, which became the modern Article 4, Section 5 of the Minnesota Constitution prohibits Sen. Fischbach from serving in both the Minnesota Senate and as the Lieutenant Governor. Because the succession cannot be declined, this forthcoming appointment will trigger a special election for the senate seat, once Sen. Al Franken’s resignation is official. Senate District 13, currently represented by Sen. Fischbach, includes the communities of Sauk Rapids, Sartell, and St. Joseph, Paynesville, Kimball, Cold Spring Rockville, Holdingford and others. Continue reading “Following Smith appointment to US Senate, Minnesota Senate will be up for grabs”