Minnesota lawmakers could go around the governor and call a special session of the Legislature under a constitutional amendment being introduced at the Capitol.

Rep. Lyndon Carlson, a Crystal Democrat who has served in the House for 36 years, said in a news release that the current system, which allows only governors to call lawmakers back to work outside of their regular annual sessions, breeds delay and confusion.

Under the measure, a majority of the 201 lawmakers would have to sign a call for a special session or the presiding officers of both the House and Senate would have to agree to bring lawmakers back to the Capitol.

In order to change the rules for special sessions, a majority of lawmakers would have to approve the constitutional amendment and then a majority of Minnesotans voting on Election Day 2008 would have to vote for the ballot measure.

Since the democrats didn't get their hefty tax increases passed last year, this could be their way of "breeding delay and confusion" in order to get their way past vetos or their special interest legislation moved forward. Or is it the money? Carlson and legislators would earn more per diem income by coming to the Capitol more often. One Pioneer Press reader commented on Carlson:

36 years of living off the backs of taxpayers. MN needs term limits, badly.

Another commenter raised a good point:

Seems to me the Legislature never adjourned ... haven't they been having countless committee meetings non-stop since June?

This comment summed it up nicely:

If you want to call a special session, run for Governor.

This November, it's high time the good residents of SD-45B vote to retire this lifer — and the good residents of Minnesota to vote NO if it appears on our ballots.