Judge Leonardo Castro strikes down 2024 Minnesota Omnibus Bill

When the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus filed a lawsuit against the 2024 Minnesota Omnibus Bill, they argued that the bill violated the Minnesota Constitution’s single-subject clause. In his ruling, Judge Castro wrote "The 2024 Omnibus Bill violates the Single Subject and Title Clause, because, at best, it contains many non-germane parts, and at worst, has no identifiable common theme. Therefore, Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment must be granted, and the only question is which remedy is appropriate: wholesale invalidation of the 2024 Omnibus Bill or severance of the offending portion now before the Court."

Judge Castro continued, writing "But make no mistake, during the late hours of May 19, 2024, lawmaking did not ‘occur within the framework of the Constitution."

The entire bill should be thrown out. According to Minnesota's Constitution, the subject is determined by what's in the title line. This Omnibus bill covered multiple distinct subjects in addition to what was in the title line. Each of those extra subjects need to be deleted.

Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, celebrated the ruling as a win "for transparency and accountability for the legislature."

"This decision is a reminder that the legislative process exists to put Minnesotans first, not to sidestep them," Johnson said. "I applaud the court for reaffirming that the people’s business must be done in the light of day, not buried in last-minute sham hearings for mega-bills. Today’s district court ruling is a validation that the consequences for a total abuse of power are just beginning."

These types of bills shouldn't be called omnibus bills. Instead, they should be nicknamed 'Christmas Tree bills' because they're filled with legislative Chrisatmas ornaments. These bills are often used, too, to force members to vote for things they want nothing to do with. Single subject bills allow legislators to vote for things that voters can keep track of. In the real world, that's called accountability.