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Minnesota House of Representatives
| Minnesota House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Lower house |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2012 session start: | January 24, 2012 |
| Website: | Official House Page |
| Leadership | |
| House Speaker: | Kurt Zellers, (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Matt Dean, (R) |
| Minority leader: | Paul Thissen, (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 134 |
| Democratic Party (61) Republican Party (72) | |
| Length of term: | 2 years |
| Authority: | Art IV, Minnesota Constitution |
| Salary: | $31,140.90/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 2, 2010 (134 seats) |
| Next election: | November 6, 2012 (134 seats) |
| Redistricting: | Legislature has control |
Meeting place: | |
Contents |
Sessions
Article IV of the Minnesota Constitution establishes when the Minnesota State Legislature, of which the House is a part, is to be in session. Section 12 of Article IV states that the Legislature is not to meet in regular session for more than 120 legislative days in each two-year period between legislative elections. Section 12 also does not allow the Legislature to meet in regular session after the first Monday following the third Saturday in May of any year. Within these limits, Section 12 allows the Legislature to decide its meeting dates by law.
As such, MN Statute 3.011 establishes that on odd numbered years the legislature must convene on the first Monday in January, unless that lands on January 1, in which case the legislature must convene by the first Wednesday after the first Monday. The legislature is required to set its own date for even numbered years.
Section 12 of Article IV states that the Governor of Minnesota can call special sessions of the Legislature on extraordinary occasions.
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the House was in session from January 24 to May 10.
Major issues
Republicans and Democrats are both hopeful that the 2012 session will be a fresh start after last year's budget showdown that led to a three-week government shutdown. Major issues include job creation, economic development and whether to build a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.[5]
2011
In 2011, the House was in session from January 4 through May 23.
2010
In 2010, the House was in session from February 4th to March 17th. [6]
Elections
2012
Elections for the office of Minnesota House of Representatives will be held in Minnesota on November 6, 2012. All 134 seats will be up for election.
The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections is June 5, 2012. The primary election day will be August 14, 2012.
2010
Elections for the office of Minnesota House of Representatives were held in Minnesota on November 2, 2010. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was July 20, 2010 and the primary election day was on August 10, 2010.
The November 2 elections resulted in the state house shifting from a Democratic majority to a Republican majority. 33 of the 72 Republican members elected on November 2 are new to the house.[7]
In 2010, the candidates for state house raised a total of $6,377,405 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [8]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Public Fund | $819,089 |
| Public Fund | $414,924 |
| Minnesota Telecom Alliance | $29,400 |
| Education Minnesota | $25,650 |
| Minnesota Dental Association | $13,850 |
| House Republican Campaign Cmte of Minnesota | $13,473 |
| 54th Senate District Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party | $13,200 |
| Thorson, Mark | $12,850 |
| Freedom Club State PAC | $12,500 |
| 39th Senate District Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party | $12,350 |
Qualifications
To be eligible to run for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2010, a candidate must be:[9]
- Eligible to vote in Minnesota
- Have not filed for more than one office for the upcoming primary or general election
- At least 21 years old by January 3, 2011
- A resident of Minnesota for a least one year
- A resident of the legislative district for at least 6 months before November 2, 2010
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
 |
Under Minnesota law, any vacancy in the House must be filled by a special election. It is up to the appropriate elections authorities to conduct an election as soon as possible[10].
A special election must be held during the next general election if the vacancy has more than 150 days left before the unfilled term expires. If the vacancy happens in legislative session, the Governor must call for an election no more than 35 days after the vacancy occurred. If there is less than 150 days left in the unfilled term and the Legislature is out of session, the Governor must call for a special election. The Governor must call the election as soon as possible so the winner of the election can take office when the Legislature reconvenes[11].
Representatives
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
| Party | As of May 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 62 | |
| Republican Party | 72 | |
| Total | 134 | |
Leadership
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body. Duties of the Speaker include preserving order and decorum, appointing the Chief Sergeant at Arms, and signing all acts, address, joint resolutions, writs, warrants, and subpoenas of the House.[12][13]
Current leadership
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2011, members of the Minnesota legislature are paid $31,140.90/year. Senators receive $86/day per diem while representatives receive $77/day. The rates are set by the legislature/rules committee.[14]
The $31,140.90/year that Minnesota legislators are paid as of 2011 is the same as they were paid during legislative sessions in 2010 and 2007. Per diem is also the same as in 2007, but decreased from $96/day in 2010.[15][16]
When sworn in
Minnesota legislators assume office the first day of biennial (2-year) session.[17] Minnesota law provides that: "The legislature shall meet at the seat of government on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January of each odd-numbered year. When the first Monday in January falls on January 1, it shall meet on the first Wednesday after the first Monday. It shall also meet when called by the governor to meet in special session." [18]
Current members
Standing committees
- Agriculture and Rural Development
- Capital Investment
- Civil Law
- Commerce and Regulatory Reform
- Education Finance
- Education Reform
- Environment, Energy and Natural Resources
- Ethics
- Government Operations and Elections
- Health and Human Services (Finance)
- Health and Human Services (Reform)
- Higher Education Policy and Finance
- Jobs and Economic Development
- Judiciary Policy and Finance
- Public Safety Policy and Oversight
- Redistricting
- Rules and Legislative Administration
- State Government Finance
- Taxes
- Transportation
- Ways and Means
External links
- Official website of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Official list of the current members of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Project Vote Smart on the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Minnesota House of Representatives on Wikipedia
- Election results 2010
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ Minnesota State Legislature, "Frequently Asked Questions About the Minnesota Legislature"
- ↑ WCCO-TV, Reality Check: Who's Getting The Most Per Diem?, January 14, 2009
- ↑ Star Tribune, "New session opens with cautious hopes for peace," January 21, 2012
- ↑ Article on session adjourning
- ↑ Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Freshman class already making its mark in St. Paul", January 31, 2011
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Minnesota House 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ 2010 Guide for Candidates
- ↑ Minnesota Revisor of Statutes "Minnesota Election Law"(Referenced Statute 351.055)
- ↑ Minnesota Revisor of Statutes "Minnesota Election Law"(Referenced Statute 204D.19 (1)-(3))
- ↑ Rules of the Minnesota House of Representatives - Article VII: Officers of the House
- ↑ Minnesota House Leadership
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
- ↑ Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 3, Section 3.05
- ↑ Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 3, Section 3.011
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