Court Opinion

ID: 9884054
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-06 02:32:53.154901+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:48:34.690328
License: Public Domain

CRIPPEN, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
The revisor of statutes was instructed by the Minnesota Legislature to codify certain enactments, including an act approved on June 7, 1985 (1985 Minn.Laws ch. 309, §§ 12, 14), “consistent with the recodification of chapter 340” approved on June 5 (1985 Minn.Laws ch. 305). 1985 Minn.Laws 1st Spec.Sess. ch. 16, art. 2, § 3. The re-visor looked upon the special session instruction as one aimed at preserving the matters of form in the recodification on June 5, principally including the renumbering of sections of MinmStat. ch. 340 as sections of ch. 340A.
The trial court concluded that the special session enactment set aside the substance of the June 7 enactment (ch. 309), not just its obsolete references to a section of Minn. Stat. ch. 340. This conclusion does violence to the legislature’s declarations, and we should disapprove this construction.
“Every law shall be construed, if possible, to give effect to all its provisions.” Minn.Stat. § 645.16 (1984). The special session law can be reasonably construed without reading into it a repeal of the June 7 enactment. The three 1985 enactments are not irreconcilable, and none need be disregarded. See id. § 645.26 (1984). In addition, I fail to find what others see in such abundance, indications of the intent of the legislature not to do what was rather remarkably done on June 7. See id. § 645.16. Legislative intentions on June 7 are evident, and the Minnesota Supreme Court has already said that it cannot “blind” itself to the concerns of the legislature indicated by its action on that date. Herrly v. Muzik, 374 N.W.2d 275, 279 (Minn.1985).
It is evident that the June 7 enactment presents troublesome issues of construction, together with other questions as to the legality of the enactment. In my opinion, the judiciary must address and resolve those questions.