Minnesota

Minnesota is the 32nd state of the United States, having joined the Union on May 11, 1858.

Law and government

Like the national government of the United States, power is divided into three main branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.

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The executive branch is headed by the governor, currently Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, whose term began 6 January, 2003. The governor and lieutenant governor each have four-year terms. He has a cabinet consisting of the leaders of various government agencies in the state, called commissioners. The full list of governors, and the dates they took office, is available at List of Governors of Minnesota.

Related Topics:
Governor - Tim Pawlenty - Republican - 6 January - 2003 - Lieutenant governor - Cabinet - List of Governors of Minnesota

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The Minnesota Legislature is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The state has 67 districts, each covering about 60,000 people. Each district has one senator and two representatives (each district being divided into A and B subsections). Senators serve for four years, and representatives serve for two years. In the November 2004 election, the Republican Party retained control of the Minnesota House of Representatives by a single seat, having lost a total of 13 seats. The Minnesota Senate is controlled by the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) by five seats and there is one Independence Party state senator, former Republican Sheila Kiscaden (IP-Rochester) who caucuses with the DFL.

Related Topics:
Minnesota Legislature - Bicameral - Senate - House of Representatives - November 2004 - Republican Party - Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party - Independence Party - Sheila Kiscaden

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As a result of its strong liberal and populist political culture, Minnesota has voted for Democrats for president longer than any other state (excluding the District of Columbia), since 1976. Minnesota and the District of Columbia were the only electoral votes not won by incumbent Republican president Ronald Reagan, voting instead for Democrat and Minnesota native Walter Mondale. In 2004, John Kerry narrowly won the state's 10 electoral votes by a margin of three percentage points with 51.1% of the vote. Republican strength is greatest in the western and central parts of the state, especially in the area west of Minneapolis. Democrats hold tremendous strength in Minneapolis/St. Paul and in rural northern Minnesota.

Related Topics:
District of Columbia - 1976 - Incumbent - Republican - Ronald Reagan - Walter Mondale - 2004 - John Kerry

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Minnesota's court system has three levels:

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• Trial courts. The state is split into 10 judicial districts, with 257 judges. Most state cases start in the trial courts.
• Minnesota Court of Appeals. This body hears appeals on cases tried in the trial courts. There are 16 judges, who divide into three-judge panels to hear appeals in courts across the state.
• Minnesota Supreme Court. The seven justices on the Supreme Court hear appeals from the Court of Appeals, the Tax Court, and the Worker's Compensation Court. The court automatically reviews first-degree murder convictions, and settles disputes over legislative elections.

The state has two special courts created by state law as executive-branch agencies:

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• The Tax Court deals with non-criminal tax cases across the state. It has three judges appointed by the governor to six-year terms, following approval from the state Senate
• The Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals deals with cases involving worker injuries referred to it on appeal, or transferred from district court. It has five judges appointed by the governor to six-year terms, following approval from the state Senate

Federal cases are heard in the federal district courts in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or Duluth. Minnesota is part of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in St. Louis, Missouri. Appeals beyond this level go to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C..

Related Topics:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals - St. Louis, Missouri - U.S. Supreme Court - Washington, D.C.

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In addition to the standard city and county levels of government found in the United States, Minnesota also has other entities that provide governmental oversight and planning. Some actions in the Twin Cities metropolitan area are coordinated by the Metropolitan Council, and many lakes and rivers are overseen by watershed districts and soil and water conservation districts.

Related Topics:
Metropolitan Council - Lake - Rivers - Watershed district - Soil and water conservation district

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See also: List of political parties in Minnesota

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External links: Hyperlinked state constitution, full text of state constitution

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