The legislature finds that service to Minnesota in the capacity of a constitutional officer as defined in section 352C.021 constitutes a unique contribution to the state and that such service is dissimilar to any other public employment. The legislature further finds that service as a constitutional officer for a period of eight years or longer deprives the individual so serving of normal opportunities to establish retirement benefits in a usual vocational pursuit and justifies adoption of special retirement provisions. The provisions of this chapter are intended by the legislature to reflect the unique nature of service as a constitutional officer and to have due regard for the unusual disruption of normal retirement planning that such service entails.