Minnesota Senate


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. 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.

History

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

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 the most controversial are traditionally rejected by the body. The Senate has rejected only seven executive appointments since 2000.

Elections

Each Senate district is split between an A and B House district. The Minnesota Constitution forbids a House district to be within more than one Senate district.
In order to account for decennial redistricting, members run for one two-year term and two four-year terms each decade. Senators are elected for four-year terms in years ending in 2 and 6, and for two-year terms in years ending in 0. 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, 2016.

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. The president, who presides over official Senate proceedings, also acts as the parliamentarian and oversees the secretary of the senate. The current president of the Senate is Republican Jeremy Miller of Winona.
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 Paul Gazelka, a Republican from Nisswa. Each caucus also selects its owner leaders and deputy leaders.

Minnesota Senate Building

Committee hearings primarily take place in the Minnesota Senate Building, a 293,000 square feet office building that opened in January 2016. The $90 million office building, which is located 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.
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 of the State Capitol since its opening in 1905.

Composition

Members, 2017–2021

DistrictNamePartyResidenceFirst elected
1Mark JohnsonRepublicanEast Grand Forks2016
2Paul UtkeRepublicanPark Rapids2016
3Tom BakkDFLCook2002
4Kent EkenDFLTwin Valley2012
5Justin EichornRepublicanGrand Rapids2016
6David TomassoniDFLChisholm2000
7Erik SimonsonDFLDuluth2016
8Bill IngebrigtsenRepublicanAlexandria2006
9Paul GazelkaRepublicanNisswa2010
10Carrie RuudRepublicanBreezy Point2002
11Jason RarickRepublicanPine City2019
12Torrey WestromRepublicanElbow Lake2012
13Jeff HoweRepublicanRockville2018
14Jerry RelphRepublicanSt. Cloud2016
15Andrew MathewsRepublicanMilaca2016
16Gary DahmsRepublicanRedwood Falls2010
17Andrew LangRepublicanOlivia2016
18Scott NewmanRepublicanHutchinson2010
19Nick FrentzDFLNorth Mankato2016
20Rich DraheimRepublicanMadison Lake2016
21Mike GogginRepublicanRed Wing2016
22Bill WeberRepublicanLuverne2012
23Julie RosenRepublicanVernon Center2002
24John JasinskiRepublicanFaribault2016
25Dave SenjemRepublicanRochester2002
26Carla NelsonRepublicanRochester2010
27Dan SparksDFLAustin2002
28Jeremy MillerRepublicanWinona2010
29Bruce AndersonRepublicanBuffalo Township2012
30Mary KiffmeyerRepublicanBig Lake2012
31Michelle BensonRepublicanHam Lake2010
32Mark KoranRepublicanNorth Branch2016
33David OsmekRepublicanMound2012
34Warren LimmerRepublicanMaple Grove1995
35Jim AbelerRepublicanAnoka2016
36John HoffmanDFLChamplin2012
37Jerry NewtonDFLCoon Rapids2016
38Roger ChamberlainRepublicanLino Lakes2010
39Karin HousleyRepublicanSt. Marys Point2012
40Chris EatonDFLBrooklyn Center2011
41Carolyn LaineDFLColumbia Heights2016
42Jason IsaacsonDFLShoreview2016
43Chuck WigerDFLMaplewood1996
44Paul AndersonRepublicanPlymouth2016
45Ann RestDFLNew Hope2000
46Ron LatzDFLSt. Louis Park2006
47Scott JensenRepublicanChaska2016
48Steve CwodzinskiDFLEden Prairie2016
49Melisa FranzenDFLEdina2012
50Melissa Halvorson WiklundDFLBloomington2012
51Jim CarlsonDFLEagan2006
52Matt KleinDFLMendota Heights2016
53Susan KentDFLWoodbury2012
54Karla BighamDFLCottage Grove2018
55Eric PrattRepublicanPrior Lake2012
56Dan HallRepublicanBurnsville2010
57Greg ClausenDFLApple Valley2012
58Matt LittleDFLLakeville2016
59Bobby Joe ChampionDFLMinneapolis2012
60Kari DziedzicDFLMinneapolis2012
61Scott DibbleDFLMinneapolis2002
62Jeff HaydenDFLMinneapolis2011
63Patricia Torres RayDFLMinneapolis2006
64Dick CohenDFLSaint Paul1986
65Sandy PappasDFLSaint Paul1990
66John MartyDFLRoseville1986
67Foung HawjDFLSaint Paul2012