Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes > Chapter 3 - Legislature

• abode: means domicile;

  (2) "action" means any proceeding in any court of this state;

  (3) "adult" means an individual 18 years of age or over;

  (4) "as now provided by law" means a reference to the laws in force at the time the law containing the phrase was finally enacted;

  (5) "as provided by law" means a reference to the laws in force at the particular time the law containing the phrase is applied;

  (6) "attorney at law" means an individual admitted to practice law by a court of record of this state;

  (7) "attorney of record" means an attorney at law who is entered on the docket or record of a court as appearing for or representing a party in a legal proceeding;

  (8) "child" or "children" includes children by birth or adoption;

  (9) "day" comprises the time from midnight to the next midnight;

  (10) "fiscal year" means the year by or for which accounts are reckoned;

  (11) "hereafter" means a reference to the time after the time when the law containing such word takes effect;

  (12) "heretofore" means a reference to the time previous to the time when the law containing such word takes effect;

  (13) "judicial sale" means a sale conducted by an officer or person authorized for the purpose by some competent tribunal;

  (14) "minor" means an individual under the age of 18 years;

  (15) "money" means lawful money of the United States;

  (16) "night time" means the time from sunset to sunrise;

  (17) "non compos mentis" refers to an individual of unsound mind;

  (18) "notary" means a notary public;

  (19) "now" in any provision of a law referring to other laws in force, or to persons in office, or to any facts or circumstances as existing, relates to the laws in force, or to the persons in office, or to the facts or circumstances existing, respectively, on the effective date of such provision;

  (20) "verified" when used in reference to writings, means supported by oath or affirmation. See Minnesota Statutes 645.45

• Account: means any deposit or credit account with a bank, including a demand, time, savings, passbook, share draft, or like account, other than an account evidenced by a certificate of deposit;

  (2) "Afternoon" means the period of a day between noon and midnight;

  (3) "Banking day" means that part of any day, excluding Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, on which a bank is open to the public for carrying on substantially all of its banking functions;

  (4) "Clearinghouse" means an association of banks or other payors regularly clearing items;

  (5) "Customer" means a person having an account with a bank or for whom a bank has agreed to collect items, including a bank that maintains an account at another bank;

  (6) "Documentary draft" means a draft to be presented for acceptance or payment if specified documents, certificated securities (section 336. See Minnesota Statutes 336.4-104

• Adjournment sine die: The end of a legislative session "without day." These adjournments are used to indicate the final adjournment of an annual or the two-year session of legislature.
• Administrative action: means an action by any official, board, commission or agency of the executive branch to adopt, amend, or repeal a rule under chapter 14. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Adult: means an individual 18 years of age or older. See Minnesota Statutes 645.451
• Advance of credit: means any money owed for goods provided or services rendered. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Approved expenditure: means an expenditure made on behalf of a candidate or a local candidate by an entity other than the candidate's principal campaign committee or the local candidate, if the expenditure is made with the authorization or expressed or implied consent of, or in cooperation or in concert with, or at the request or suggestion of the candidate or local candidate, the candidate's principal campaign committee, or the candidate's or local candidate's agent. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Associated business: means an association, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or other organized legal entity from which the individual or the individual's spouse receives compensation in excess of $250, except for actual and reasonable expenses, in any month during the reporting period as a director, officer, owner, member, partner, employer or employee, or whose securities the individual or the individual's spouse holds worth more than $10,000 at fair market value. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Association: means a group of two or more persons, who are not all members of an immediate family, acting in concert. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Bailee: means a person that by a warehouse receipt, bill of lading, or other document of title acknowledges possession of goods and contracts to deliver them. See Minnesota Statutes 336.7-102
• Ballot question: means a question or proposition that is placed on the ballot and that may be voted on by:

  (1) all voters of the state;

  (2) all voters of Hennepin County;

  (3) all voters of any home rule charter city or statutory city located wholly within Hennepin County and having a population of 75,000 or more; or

  (4) all voters of Special School District No. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01

• Ballot question political committee: means a political committee that makes only expenditures to promote or defeat a ballot question and disbursements permitted under section 10A. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Ballot question political fund: means a political fund that makes only expenditures to promote or defeat a ballot question and disbursements permitted under section 10A. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Board: means the state Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Bulk data: means data that has commercial value and is a substantial or discrete portion of or an entire formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, process, database, or system. See Minnesota Statutes 5.001
• Business entity: means an organization that is formed under chapter 300, 301, 302A, 303, 308, 308A, 308B, 315, 317, 317A, 319, 319A, 321, 322A, 322B, 322C, 323, or 323A and that has filed documents with the secretary of state. See Minnesota Statutes 5.001
• Candidate: means an individual who seeks nomination or election as a state constitutional officer, legislator, or judge. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Carrier: means a person that issues a bill of lading. See Minnesota Statutes 336.7-102
• Case law: The law as laid down in cases that have been decided in the decisions of the courts.
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• children: includes children by birth or adoption;

  (9) "day" comprises the time from midnight to the next midnight;

  (10) "fiscal year" means the year by or for which accounts are reckoned;

  (11) "hereafter" means a reference to the time after the time when the law containing such word takes effect;

  (12) "heretofore" means a reference to the time previous to the time when the law containing such word takes effect;

  (13) "judicial sale" means a sale conducted by an officer or person authorized for the purpose by some competent tribunal;

  (14) "minor" means an individual under the age of 18 years;

  (15) "money" means lawful money of the United States;

  (16) "night time" means the time from sunset to sunrise;

  (17) "non compos mentis" refers to an individual of unsound mind;

  (18) "notary" means a notary public;

  (19) "now" in any provision of a law referring to other laws in force, or to persons in office, or to any facts or circumstances as existing, relates to the laws in force, or to the persons in office, or to the facts or circumstances existing, respectively, on the effective date of such provision;

  (20) "verified" when used in reference to writings, means supported by oath or affirmation. See Minnesota Statutes 645.45

• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• Codicil: An addition, change, or supplement to a will executed with the same formalities required for the will itself.
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of the Department of Administration. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Committee on committees: Committees formed in each party conference and responsible for nominating the party's Senators to committee membership and committee leadership positions. Nominations are subject to approval by the full party conference and to a formal vote of the Senate.
• Conference committee: A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of conferees from both chamber of a legislature which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve bicameral differences on major and controversial legislation.
• Consignee: means a person named in a bill of lading to which or to whose order the bill promises delivery. See Minnesota Statutes 336.7-102
• Consignor: means a person named in a bill of lading as the person from which the goods have been received for shipment. See Minnesota Statutes 336.7-102
• constituent services: means services performed or provided by an incumbent legislator or constitutional officer for the benefit of one or more residents of the official's district, but does not include gifts, congratulatory advertisements, or charitable contributions. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contribution: includes a loan or advance of credit to a political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, local candidate, or party unit, if the loan or advance of credit is: (1) forgiven; or (2) repaid by an individual or an association other than the political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, local candidate, or party unit to which the loan or advance of credit was made. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Court reporter: A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court and produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.
• Criminal justice agencies: means all state and local prosecution authorities, all state and local law enforcement agencies, the Sentencing Guidelines Commission, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Department of Corrections, and all probation officers who are not part of the judiciary. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Data on individuals: means all government data in which any individual is or can be identified as the subject of that data, unless the appearance of the name or other identifying data can be clearly demonstrated to be only incidental to the data and the data are not accessed by the name or other identifying data of any individual. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Delivery order: means a record that contains an order to deliver goods directed to a warehouse, carrier, or other person that in the ordinary course of business issues warehouse receipts or bills of lading. See Minnesota Statutes 336.7-102
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Depository: means a bank, savings association, or credit union organized under federal or state law and transacting business within this state. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Designated lobbyist: means the lobbyist responsible for reporting the lobbying disbursements and activity of the entity the lobbyist represents. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Designee: means any person designated by a responsible authority to be in charge of individual files or systems containing government data and to receive and comply with requests for government data. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Disclaimer statement: means a written statement that is part of or separate from the lease contract that discloses all warranties and other rights provided to the lessee by the lessor and supplier in connection with the lease contract and informs the lessee in a conspicuous manner that there are no warranties or other rights provided to the lessee by the lessor and supplier other than those disclosed in the statement. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Donation in kind: means anything of value that is given, other than money or negotiable instruments. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Donee: The recipient of a gift.
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Draft: means a draft as defined in section 336. See Minnesota Statutes 336.4-104
• Drawee: means a person ordered in a draft to make payment;

  (9) "Item" means an instrument or a promise or order to pay money handled by a bank for collection or payment. See Minnesota Statutes 336.4-104

• Election: means a primary, special primary, general, or special election. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Election cycle: means the period from January 1 following a general election for an office to December 31 following the next general election for that office, except that "election cycle" for a special election means the period from the date the special election writ is issued to 15 days after the special election is held. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Electronic funds transfer: The transfer of money between accounts by consumer electronic systems-such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic payment of bills-rather than by check or cash. (Wire transfers, checks, drafts, and paper instruments do not fall into this category.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Enrolled bill: The final copy of a bill or joint resolution which has passed both chambers in identical form. It is printed on parchment paper, signed by appropriate officials, and submitted to the President/Governor for signature.
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• estimated market value: has the meaning given in section 273. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
• expenditure: includes the dollar value of a donation in kind. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Expressly advocating: means that a communication:

  (1) clearly identifies a candidate or a local candidate and uses words or phrases of express advocacy; or

  (2) when taken as a whole and with limited reference to external events, such as the proximity to the election, could only be interpreted by a reasonable person as containing advocacy of the election or defeat of one or more clearly identified candidates because:

  (i) the electoral portion of the communication is unmistakable, unambiguous, and suggestive of only one meaning; and

  (ii) reasonable minds could not differ as to whether the communication encourages actions to elect or defeat one or more clearly identified candidates or encourages some other kind of action. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01

• Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fault: means wrongful act, omission, breach, or default. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Federal Reserve System: The central bank of the United States. The Fed, as it is commonly called, regulates the U.S. monetary and financial system. The Federal Reserve System is composed of a central governmental agency in Washington, D.C. (the Board of Governors) and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks in major cities throughout the United States. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Financial institution: means a lending institution chartered by an agency of the federal government or regulated by the commissioner of commerce. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• General lobbying category: means an area of interest for lobbying for an entity that is on a list of categories specified by the board. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• General treasury money: means money that an association other than a principal campaign committee, party unit, or political committee accumulates through membership dues and fees, donations to the association for its general purposes, and income from the operation of a business. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Goods: means all things that are treated as movable for the purposes of a contract for storage or transportation. See Minnesota Statutes 336.7-102
• Government data: means all data collected, created, received, maintained or disseminated by any government entity regardless of its physical form, storage media or conditions of use. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Government entity: means a state agency, statewide system, or political subdivision. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
• Holiday: includes New Year's Day, January 1; Martin Luther King's Birthday, the third Monday in January; Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday, the third Monday in February; Memorial Day, the last Monday in May; Juneteenth, June 19; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, the first Monday in September; Indigenous Peoples Day, the second Monday in October; Veterans Day, November 11; Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November; and Christmas Day, December 25; provided, when New Year's Day, January 1; or Juneteenth, June 19; or Independence Day, July 4; or Veterans Day, November 11; or Christmas Day, December 25; falls on Sunday, the following day shall be a holiday and, provided, when New Year's Day, January 1; or Juneteenth, June 19; or Independence Day, July 4; or Veterans Day, November 11; or Christmas Day, December 25; falls on Saturday, the preceding day shall be a holiday. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
• Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
• In forma pauperis: In the manner of a pauper. Permission given to a person to sue without payment of court fees on claim of indigence or poverty.
• Independent expenditure: means an expenditure expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or local candidate, if the expenditure is made without the express or implied consent, authorization, or cooperation of, and not in concert with or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate or any candidate's principal campaign committee or agent or any local candidate or local candidate's agent. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Independent expenditure political committee: means a political committee that makes only independent expenditures and disbursements permitted under section 10A. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Independent expenditure political fund: means a political fund that makes only independent expenditures and disbursements permitted under section 10A. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• individual: includes a parent or guardian or an individual acting as a parent or guardian in the absence of a parent or guardian, except that the responsible authority shall withhold data from parents or guardians, or individuals acting as parents or guardians in the absence of parents or guardians, upon request by the minor if the responsible authority determines that withholding the data would be in the best interest of the minor. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Installment lease contract: means a lease contract that authorizes or requires the delivery of goods in separate lots to be separately accepted, even though the lease contract contains a clause "each delivery is a separate lease" or its equivalent. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Intangible property: Property that has no intrinsic value, but is merely the evidence of value such as stock certificates, bonds, and promissory notes.
• Inter vivos: Transfer of property from one living person to another living person.
• Interested person: means a person or a representative of a person or association that has a direct financial interest in a decision that the individual receiving the compensation is authorized to make as a public or local official or will be authorized to make if the individual becomes a public or local official. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• Issuer: means a bailee that issues a document of title or, in the case of an unaccepted delivery order, the person that orders the possessor of goods to deliver. See Minnesota Statutes 336.7-102
• Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
• Joint tenancy: A form of property ownership in which two or more parties hold an undivided interest in the same property that was conveyed under the same instrument at the same time. A joint tenant can sell his (her) interest but not dispose of it by will. Upon the death of a joint tenant, his (her) undivided interest is distributed among the surviving joint tenants.
• Law clerk: Assist judges with research and drafting of opinions.
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• Lease contract: means the total legal obligation that results from the lease agreement as affected by this article and any other applicable rules of law. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Leasehold interest: means the interest of the lessor or the lessee under a lease contract. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Legal tender: coins, dollar bills, or other currency issued by a government as official money. ^{Source: U.S. Mint}
• Legislative action: means any of the following:

  (1) the development of prospective legislation, including the development of amendment language to prospective legislation;

  (2) the review, modification, adoption, or rejection by a member of the legislature or an employee of the legislature, if applicable, of any (i) bill, (ii) amendment, (iii) resolution, (iv) confirmation considered by the legislature, or (v) report;

  (3) the development of, in conjunction with a constitutional officer, prospective legislation or a request for support or opposition to introduced legislation; and

  (4) the action of the governor in approving or vetoing any act of the legislature or portion of an act of the legislature. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01

• Lien: means a charge against or interest in goods to secure payment of a debt or performance of an obligation, but the term does not include a security interest. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Life estate: A property interest limited in duration to the life of the individual holding the interest (life tenant).
• Lineal descendant: Direct descendant of the same ancestors.
• Loan: means an advance of money or anything of value made to a political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, local candidate, or party unit. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Lobbyist: means an individual:

  (1) engaged for pay or other consideration of more than $3,000 from all sources in any year:

  (i) for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action, or the official action of a political subdivision, by communicating or urging others to communicate with public or local officials; or

  (ii) from a business whose primary source of revenue is derived from facilitating government relations or government affairs services if the individual's job duties include offering direct or indirect consulting or advice that helps the business provide those services to clients; or

  (2) who spends more than $3,000 of the individual's personal funds, not including the individual's own traveling expenses and membership dues, in any year for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action, or the official action of a political subdivision, by communicating or urging others to communicate with public or local officials. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01

• Local candidate: means an individual who seeks nomination or election to:

  (1) any county office in Hennepin County;

  (2) any city office in any home rule charter city or statutory city located wholly within Hennepin County and having a population of 75,000 or more; or

  (3) the school board in Special School District No. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01

• Local official: means a person who holds elective office in a political subdivision or who is appointed to or employed in a public position in a political subdivision in which the person has authority to make, to recommend, or to vote on as a member of the governing body, major decisions regarding the expenditure or investment of public money. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Major political party: means a major political party as defined in section 200. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Marital deduction: The deduction(s) that can be taken in the determination of gift and estate tax liabilities because of the existence of a marriage or marital relationship.
• Markup: The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.
• Merchant lessee: means a lessee that is a merchant with respect to goods of the kind subject to the lease. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Metropolitan governmental unit: means any of the seven counties in the metropolitan area as defined in section 473. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Minor political party: means a minor political party as defined in section 200. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. ^{Source: OCC}
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• National Credit Union Administration: The federal regulatory agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions. (NCUA also administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which insures the deposits of federal credit unions.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Noncampaign disbursement: means a purchase or payment of money or anything of value made, or an advance of credit incurred, or a donation in kind received, by a principal campaign committee for any of the following purposes:

  (1) payment for accounting and legal services related to operating the candidate's campaign committee, serving in office, or security for the candidate or the candidate's immediate family, including but not limited to seeking and obtaining a harassment restraining order;

  (2) return of a contribution to the source;

  (3) repayment of a loan made to the principal campaign committee by that committee;

  (4) return of a public subsidy;

  (5) payment for food, beverages, and necessary utensils and supplies, entertainment, and facility rental for a fundraising event;

  (6) services for a constituent by a member of the legislature or a constitutional officer in the executive branch as provided in section 10A. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01

• Official action of a political subdivision: means any action that requires a vote or approval by one or more elected local officials while acting in their official capacity; or an action by an appointed or employed local official to make, to recommend, or to vote on as a member of the governing body, major decisions regarding the expenditure or investment of public money. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
• party unit: means the state committee, the party organization within a house of the legislature, or any other party organization designated by the chair of the political party in an annual certification of party units provided to the board. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Per stirpes: The legal means by which the children of a decedent, upon the death of an ancestor at a level above that of the decedent, receive by right of representation the share of the ancestor
• Person: means an individual, an association, a political subdivision, or a public higher education system. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Person: means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, business trust, or a legal representative of an organization. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Political committee: means an association whose major purpose is to influence the nomination or election of one or more candidates or local candidates or to promote or defeat a ballot question, other than a principal campaign committee, local candidate, or a political party unit. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Political fund: means an accumulation of dues or voluntary contributions by an association other than a political committee, principal campaign committee, or party unit, if the accumulation is collected or expended to influence the nomination or election of one or more candidates or local candidates or to promote or defeat a ballot question. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Political party: means a major political party or a minor political party. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Political subdivision: means the Metropolitan Council, a metropolitan agency as defined in section 473. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Political subdivision: means any county, statutory or home rule charter city, school district, special district, any town exercising powers under chapter 368 and located in the metropolitan area, as defined in section 473. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Population: means the population established by the most recent federal census, by a special census taken by the United States Bureau of the Census, by an estimate made by the Metropolitan Council, or by an estimate made by the state demographer under section 4A. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• present sale: means a sale which is accomplished by the making of the contract. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2-106
• Present value: means the amount as of a date certain of one or more sums payable in the future, discounted to the date certain. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Principal: means an individual or association that:

  (1) spends more than $500 in the aggregate in any calendar year to engage a lobbyist, compensate a lobbyist, or authorize the expenditure of money by a lobbyist; or

  (2) is not included in clause (1) and spends a total of at least $50,000 in any calendar year on efforts to influence legislative action, administrative action, or the official action of metropolitan governmental units, as described in section 10A. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01

• Principal campaign committee: means a principal campaign committee formed under section 10A. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Probation officers: Screen applicants for pretrial release and monitor convicted offenders released under court supervision.
• Promoting or defeating a ballot question: includes activities, other than lobbying activities, related to qualifying the question for placement on the ballot. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public debt: Cumulative amounts borrowed by the Treasury Department or the Federal Financing Bank from the public or from another fund or account. The public debt does not include agency debt (amounts borrowed by other agencies of the Federal Government). The total public debt is subject to a statutory limit.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Public member: means a person who is not, or never was, a member of the profession or occupation being licensed or regulated or the spouse of any such person, or a person who does not have or has never had, a material financial interest in either the providing of the professional service being licensed or regulated, or an activity directly related to the profession or occupation being licensed or regulated. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
• Public official: means any:

  (1) member of the legislature;

  (2) individual employed by the legislature as secretary of the senate, legislative auditor, director of the Legislative Budget Office, chief clerk of the house of representatives, revisor of statutes, or researcher, legislative analyst, fiscal analyst, or attorney in the Office of Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis, House Research, or the House Fiscal Analysis Department;

  (3) constitutional officer in the executive branch and the officer's chief administrative deputy;

  (4) solicitor general or deputy, assistant, or special assistant attorney general;

  (5) commissioner, deputy commissioner, or assistant commissioner of any state department or agency as listed in section 15. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01

• Purchase: includes taking by sale, lease, mortgage, security interest, pledge, gift, or any other voluntary transaction creating an interest in goods. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Revocable trust: A trust agreement that can be canceled, rescinded, revoked, or repealed by the grantor (person who establishes the trust).
• Right of survivorship: The ownership rights that result in the acquisition of title to property by reason of having survived other co-owners.
• seal: includes an impression thereof upon the paper alone, as well as an impression on a wafer, wax, or other substance thereto attached. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
• Securities: means any stock, share, bond, warrant, option, pledge, note, mortgage, annuity, debenture, lease, or commercial paper in any corporation, partnership, trust, or other association. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Sentencing guidelines: A set of rules and principles established by the United States Sentencing Commission that trial judges use to determine the sentence for a convicted defendant. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Shipper: means a person that enters into a contract of transportation with a carrier. See Minnesota Statutes 336.7-102
• Small business: means a business entity organized for profit, including but not limited to any individual, partnership, corporation, joint venture, association or cooperative, which entity:

  (1) is not an affiliate or subsidiary of a business dominant in its field of operation; and

  (2) has 20 or fewer full-time employees; or

  (3) in the preceding fiscal year has not had more than the equivalent of $1,000,000 in annual gross revenues; or

  (4) if the business is a technical or professional service, shall not have had more than the equivalent of $2,500,000 in annual gross revenues in the preceding fiscal year. See Minnesota Statutes 645.445

• Sole ownership: The type of property ownership in which one individual holds legal title to the property and has full control of it.
• Specific subject of interest: means a particular topic or area of lobbying interest within a general lobbying category. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• State agency: means the state, the University of Minnesota, and any office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, commission, authority, district or agency of the state. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• State committee: means the organization that, by virtue of the bylaws of a political party, is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the political party at the state level. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Statewide system: includes any record-keeping system in which government data is collected, stored, disseminated and used by means of a system common to one or more state agencies or more than one of its political subdivisions or any combination of state agencies and political subdivisions. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Sublease: means a lease of goods the right to possession and use of which was acquired by the lessor as a lessee under an existing lease. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Summary data: means statistical records and reports derived from data on individuals but in which individuals are not identified and from which neither their identities nor any other characteristic that could uniquely identify an individual is ascertainable. See Minnesota Statutes 13.02
• Supply contract: means a contract under which a lessor buys or leases goods to be leased. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
• Testate: To die leaving a will.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
• User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.
• Variable Rate: Having a "variable" rate means that the APR changes from time to time based on fluctuations in an external rate, normally the Prime Rate. This external rate is known as the "index." If the index changes, the variable rate normally changes. Also see Fixed Rate.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• verified: when used in reference to writings, means supported by oath or affirmation. See Minnesota Statutes 645.45
• Veto: The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President/Governor refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President/Governor returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President/Governor usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. In Congress, the veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
• Violate: includes failure to comply with. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
• Virtual currency: means any digital currency which is only available in an electronic form and not as a physical form of money. See Minnesota Statutes 10A.01
• Warehouse: means a person engaged in the business of storing goods for hire. See Minnesota Statutes 336.7-102
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Writ of certiorari: An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.