The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature.[2] Floor sessions are held in the west wing of the State Capitol in Saint Paul. Committee hearings, as well as offices for senators and staff, are located north of the State Capitol in the Minnesota Senate Building. Each member of the Minnesota Senate represents approximately 80,000 constituents.[3]

History

The Minnesota Senate held its first regular session on December 2, 1857.[4]

Powers

In addition to its legislative powers, certain appointments by the governor are subject to the Senate's advice and consent. As state law provides for hundreds of executive appointments, the vast majority of appointees serve without being confirmed by the Senate; only in rare instances does the Senate reject appointees.[5] It has rejected only nine executive appointments since 2000.[6]

Elections

Each Senate district is split between an A and B House district (e.g., Senate District 41 contains House districts 41A and 41B). The Minnesota Constitution forbids House districts that are within more than one Senate district.[7]

To account for decennial redistricting, members run for one two-year term and two four-year terms each decade. Senators are elected to four-year terms in years ending in 2 and 6, and to two-year terms in years ending in 0.[8] Districts are redrawn after the decennial United States Census in time for the primary and general elections in years ending in 2. The most recent election was held on November 8, 2022.

Leadership

From statehood through 1972, the lieutenant governor served as president of the Senate. In 1972, voters approved a constitutional amendment that provided for the Senate to elect its own president beginning January 1973.[9] The president, who presides over official Senate proceedings, also acts as the parliamentarian and oversees the secretary of the senate.[10] The majority leader is responsible for managing and scheduling the business of the Senate and oversees partisan and nonpartisan staff. The current majority leader is Erin Murphy, a Democrat from Saint Paul.[11] The current minority leader is Mark Johnson, a Republican from East Grand Forks.[12] Each caucus also selects its own leaders and deputy leaders.

Minnesota Senate Building

Committee hearings mostly take place in the Minnesota Senate Building, a 293,000-square-foot (27,200 m2) office building that opened in January 2016.[13] The $90 million office building, which is north of the State Capitol across University Avenue, includes three committee hearing rooms, offices for all senators and staff, a raised terrace overlooking the State Capitol, and a 264-space underground parking facility.[14]

The 2016 session was held in the newly constructed Minnesota Senate Building due to an extensive restoration at the State Capitol. It was the first time the Senate held a regular session outside the Capitol since it opened in 1905.[15]

Composition

Historical composition

AffiliationParty[16]
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic–
Farmer–Labor		RepublicanIndependentVacant
2001–200341250067
2003–200735310067
2007–201144230067
2011–201330370067
2013–201739280067
2017-202133340067
2021–202331342067
2023–202734330067

Current composition

93rd Minnesota Legislature (2023–2025)
Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
TotalVacant
RepublicanIndependentDemocratic–
Farmer–Labor
End of the previous Legislature34131661
Begin 202333034670
Latest voting share49%0%51%

Members, 2023-2027

Senate districts
  Republican
  DFL
Politics of Minnesota
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Subdivisions
Congressional delegation
DistrictNamePartyResidenceFirst elected
1Mark JohnsonRepublicanEast Grand Forks2016
2Steve GreenRepublicanFosston2022
3Grant HauschildDFLHermantown2022
4Rob KupecDFLMoorhead2022
5Paul UtkeRepublicanPark Rapids2016
6Justin EichornRepublicanGrand Rapids2016
7Robert FarnsworthRepublicanHibbing2022
8Jen McEwenDFLDuluth2020
9Jordan RasmussonRepublicanFergus Falls2022
10Nathan WesenbergRepublicanLittle Falls2022
11Jason RarickRepublicanPine City2019[nb 1]
12Torrey WestromRepublicanAlexandria2012
13Jeff HoweRepublicanRockville2018[nb 1]
14Aric PutnamDFLSt. Cloud2020
15Gary DahmsRepublicanRedwood Falls2010
16Andrew LangRepublicanOlivia2016
17Glenn GruenhagenRepublicanGlencoe2022
18Nick FrentzDFLNorth Mankato2016
19John JasinskiRepublicanFaribault2016
20Steve DrazkowskiRepublicanMazeppa2022
21Bill WeberRepublicanLuverne2012
22Rich DraheimRepublicanMadison Lake2016
23Gene DorninkRepublicanHayfield2020
24Carla NelsonRepublicanRochester2010
25Liz BoldonDFLRochester2022
26Jeremy MillerRepublicanWinona2010
27Andrew MathewsRepublicanMilaca2016
28Mark KoranRepublicanNorth Branch2016
29Bruce AndersonRepublicanBuffalo Township2012
30Eric LuceroRepublicanSaint Michael2022
31Cal BahrRepublicanEast Bethel2022
32Michael KreunRepublicanBlaine2022
33Karin HousleyRepublicanStillwater2012
34John HoffmanDFLChamplin2012
35Jim AbelerRepublicanAnoka2016[nb 1]
36Heather GustafsonDFLVadnais Heights2022
37Warren LimmerRepublicanMaple Grove1995[nb 1]
38Susan PhaDFLBrooklyn Park2022
39Mary Kunesh-PodeinDFLNew Brighton2020
40John MartyDFLRoseville1986
41Judy SeebergerDFLAfton2022
42Bonnie WestlinDFLPlymouth2022
43Ann RestDFLNew Hope2000
44Tou XiongDFLMaplewood2022
45Kelly MorrisonDFLDeephaven2022
46Ron LatzDFLSt. Louis Park2006
47Nicole MitchellDFLWoodbury2022
48Julia ColemanRepublicanChanhassen2020
49Steve CwodzinskiDFLEden Prairie2016
50Alice MannDFLEdina2022
51Melissa Halvorson WiklundDFLBloomington2012
52Jim CarlsonDFLEagan2006[nb 2]
53Matt KleinDFLMendota Heights2016
54Eric PrattRepublicanPrior Lake2012
55Lindsey PortDFLBurnsville2020
56Erin Maye QuadeDFLApple Valley2022
57Zach DuckworthRepublicanLakeville2020
58Bill LieskeRepublicanLonsdale2022
59Bobby Joe ChampionDFLMinneapolis2012
60Kari DziedzicDFLMinneapolis2012[nb 1]
61Scott DibbleDFLMinneapolis2002
62Omar FatehDFLMinneapolis2020
63Zaynab MohamedDFLMinneapolis2022
64Erin MurphyDFLSaint Paul2020
65Sandy PappasDFLSaint Paul1990
66Clare Oumou VerbetenDFLSaint Paul2022
67Foung HawjDFLSaint Paul2012

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Elected in a special election.
  2. ^ Lost re-election 2010. Elected again in 2012.

References

  1. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions - Representatives and Senators - Minnesota Legislature".
  2. ^ Legislatures, National Conference of State. "Number of Legislators and Length of Terms in Years". www.ncsl.org. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  3. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions - - Minnesota Legislature". www.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  4. ^ "Sessions of the Minnesota State Legislature and the Minnesota Territorial Legislature, 1849-present". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  5. ^ "Creation and Organization of Executive Branch Agencies". Minnesota House of Representatives Research Department. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  6. ^ "Senate Confirmations: Problematic Governor Appointments - Minnesota Legislative Reference Library". www.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  7. ^ "Minn. Const. art. IV, § 3". Constitution of the State of Minnesota. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  8. ^ "Minn. Const. art. IV, § 4". Constitution of the State of Minnesota. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  9. ^ "President and President Pro Tempore of the Minnesota Senate, 1849-present". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  10. ^ "Minnesota Senate President and President Pro Tempore, 1849-present - Minnesota Legislative Reference Library". www.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  11. ^ "Majority and Minority Leaders of the Minnesota Senate, 1933-present". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  12. ^ "Senate Member Information 2021 - 2022". Minnesota Legislature. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  13. ^ Davis, Don (January 11, 2016). "Minnesota Senate Building quietly opens in spite of disagree..." Forum News Service. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  14. ^ "After controversy, new Minnesota Senate Office Building finally opens". Twin Cities. January 11, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  15. ^ Stassen-Berger, Rachel E. (August 6, 2017). "How the newly restored Minnesota Capitol came to be". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  16. ^ "Party Control of the Minnesota Senate". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved December 30, 2022.

External links

44°57′19″N 93°6′10″W / 44.95528°N 93.10278°W / 44.95528; -93.10278

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Senate