Editing Minnesota (section)

== Law and government ==
{{See also|Law of Minnesota}}

[[File:Minnesota state coat of arms (illustrated, 1876).jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Historical coats of arms of the U.S. states|historical coat of arms]] of Minnesota in 1876]]

Minnesota is governed pursuant to the [[Minnesota Constitution]], which was adopted on October 13, 1857, roughly one year before statehood.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Constitution of the State of Minnesota|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/constitution/|url-status=live|website=Office of the Revisor of Statutes|access-date=August 9, 2021|archive-date=May 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502203236/https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/constitution/}}</ref> Like all U.S. states and the federal government, Minnesota has a [[Republicanism in the United States|republican system]] of political representation with power divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.<ref>{{cite web|title=Minnesota Government |url=http://www.state.mn.us/portal/mn/jsp/content.do?id=-8494&agency=NorthStar |publisher=State of Minnesota |access-date=October 20, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018193346/http://www.state.mn.us/portal/mn/jsp/content.do?id=-8494&agency=NorthStar |archive-date=October 18, 2006 }}</ref> The state constitution includes a bill of rights that reaffirms many of the same rights and freedoms as its [[United States Bill of Rights|federal counterpart]], with some protected more strongly and explicitly.<ref name=":1" />

=== Executive ===

{{Main|Governor of Minnesota}}
[[File:Tim Walz official photo (cropped 2).jpg|thumb|upright|Governor [[Tim Walz]]]]

The executive branch is led by Minnesota's [[Governor (United States)|governor]], currently [[Tim Walz]], a [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|DFLer]] who took office on January 7, 2019. Walz was also [[Kamala Harris]]'s running mate in the [[2024 United States presidential election]]. As chief executive, the [[Governor of Minnesota|governor]] appoints the heads of state agencies and is responsible for faithful execution of the law. As commander-in-chief of the state's armed forces, the governor also has command and control over the [[Minnesota National Guard]].<ref name="Article V, Minnesota Constitution">{{Cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/constitution/#article_5|title=Article V, Minnesota Constitution|publisher=Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=May 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502203236/https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/constitution/#article_5|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[Governor of Minnesota#Cabinet|cabinet]] consisting of the [[Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota|lieutenant governor]] and the heads of Minnesota's 22 state agencies consults and assists the governor in the business of state government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mn.gov/governor/about-gov/governors-cabinet/|title=Governor's Cabinet|publisher=Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190246/https://mn.gov/governor/about-gov/governors-cabinet/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Aside from the governor and lieutenant governor, who are elected on a [[joint ticket]], Minnesotans separately elect three other constitutional officers: a [[Secretary of State of Minnesota|secretary of state]], an [[Minnesota Attorney General|attorney general]], and a [[Minnesota State Auditor|state auditor]].<ref name="Article V, Minnesota Constitution"/>{{Efn|The secretary of state is custodian of state records and the [[Great Seal of the State of Minnesota|state seal]], registers businesses, and administers elections. The secretary of state also processes notary public applications and administers Minnesota's [[address confidentiality program]] for victims of crime, among other responsibilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/index/statute/topic/SECRETARY%20OF%20STATE?year=2022|title=What does the Secretary of State's Office do?|publisher=Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190246/https://www.revisor.mn.gov/index/statute/topic/SECRETARY%20OF%20STATE?year=2022|url-status=live}}</ref>}}{{Efn|The attorney general is the chief law officer for the state of Minnesota, representing state agencies in legal proceedings and issuing written opinions on questions of law. As chief law officer, the attorney general also enforces state consumer protection and antitrust laws, regulates charities, and advocates for people and small businesses in utilities matters, among other responsibilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/|title=About Our Office|publisher=Office of the Minnesota Attorney General|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190247/https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}{{Efn|The state auditor supervises and audits the finances of Minnesota's 3,600 local governments, which altogether spend over $40 billion annually.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.osa.state.mn.us/about/about-us/what-we-do/|title=What We Do|publisher=Office of the Minnesota State Auditor|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015073657/https://www.osa.state.mn.us/about/about-us/what-we-do/|url-status=live}}</ref> The state auditor also performs under contract the annual [[single audit]] of [[Administration of federal assistance in the United States|federal programs]] administered by state agencies and their subrecipients. Public expenditures overseen by the state auditor thus exceed standalone state spending by 15.3 percent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.osa.state.mn.us/media/zubfptyn/2022-state-of-mn-single-audit.pdf|title=State of Minnesota Financial and Compliance Report on Federally Assisted Programs for the Year ended June 30, 2022|publisher=Minnesota Department of Management and Budget|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190247/https://www.osa.state.mn.us/media/zubfptyn/2022-state-of-mn-single-audit.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2023/11/why-minnesotas-local-audit-function-is-in-trouble/|title=Why Minnesota's local audit function is in trouble|author=Noah McVay|publisher=MinnPost|publication-date=November 6, 2023|access-date=December 6, 2023}}</ref>}} These five "executive officers" together constitute the [[Minnesota Executive Council|Executive Council]], which has certain statutory responsibilities in matters of state finance, emergency management, and public lands administration.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/index/statute/topic/EXECUTIVE%20COUNCIL?year=2022|title=2022 Minnesota Statutes Index: Executive Council|publisher=Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190247/https://www.revisor.mn.gov/index/statute/topic/EXECUTIVE%20COUNCIL?year=2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

Constitutional officeholders:
* Governor [[Tim Walz]] (DFL)
* Lt. Governor [[Peggy Flanagan]] (DFL)
* Secretary of State [[Steve Simon]] (DFL)
* Attorney General [[Keith Ellison]] (DFL)
* State Auditor [[Julie Blaha]] (DFL)

=== Legislature ===

{{Main|Minnesota Legislature}}
[[File:Minnesota State Capitol.jpg|thumb|The [[Minnesota State Capitol]] in Saint Paul, designed by [[Cass Gilbert]]]]

The [[Minnesota Legislature]] is a [[bicameral]] body consisting of the [[Minnesota Senate|Senate]] and the [[Minnesota House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. The state has 67 districts, each with about 60,000 people. Each district has one senator and two representatives, each senatorial district being divided into ''A'' and ''B'' sections for members of the House. Senators serve for four years and representatives for two years.

Since 2023, both the House and Senate have had a slim DFL majority.<ref name="Faircloth 2022">{{cite web | last=Faircloth | first=Ryan | title=Democrats take control of the Minnesota Legislature | website=Star Tribune | date=November 7, 2022 | url=https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-legislature-control-republicans-senate-democrats-house-election-results-2022/600222707/ | access-date=January 26, 2023 | archive-date=January 26, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126222201/https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-legislature-control-republicans-senate-democrats-house-election-results-2022/600222707/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Judiciary ===

Minnesota's court system has three levels. Most cases start in the [[Minnesota District Courts|district courts]], which are courts of general jurisdiction. There are 279 district court judgeships in ten judicial districts. Appeals from the trial courts and challenges to certain governmental decisions are heard by the [[Minnesota Court of Appeals]], consisting of 19 judges who typically sit in three-judge panels. The seven-justice [[Minnesota Supreme Court]] hears all appeals from the tax court, the [[Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals|workers' compensation court of appeals]], first-degree murder convictions, and [[Certiorari#State courts|discretionary appeals]] from the court of appeals; it also has [[original jurisdiction]] over election disputes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Minnesota Supreme Court |publisher=Court Information Office, State of Minnesota |url=http://www.courts.state.mn.us/documents/CIO/otherResources/SupremeCourt.doc |format=doc |access-date=October 19, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061101095530/https://www.courts.state.mn.us/documents/CIO/otherResources/SupremeCourt.doc |archive-date=November 1, 2006 }}</ref>

Two specialized courts within administrative agencies have been established: the workers' compensation court of appeals, and the tax court, which deals with non-criminal tax cases.

Supreme Court Justices<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mncourts.gov/SupremeCourt.aspx |title=Minnesota Supreme Court |access-date=August 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806010915/https://www.mncourts.gov/supremecourt.aspx |archive-date=August 6, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Chief Justice [[Natalie Hudson]]
Associate Justices
* [[Gordon Moore (judge)]]
* [[Theodora Gaïtas]]
* [[Karl Procaccini]]
* [[Sarah Hennesy]]
* [[Anne McKeig]]
* [[Paul Thissen]]

=== Regional ===

In addition to the city and county levels of government found in the United States, Minnesota has other entities that provide governmental oversight and planning. [[Regional Development Commissions|Regional development commissions]] (RDCs) provide technical assistance to local governments in the broad multi-county areas of the state. Along with this [[Metropolitan Planning Organizations]] (MPOs), such as the [[Metropolitan Council (Minnesota)|Metropolitan Council]], provide planning and oversight of land use actions in metropolitan areas. Many lakes and rivers are overseen by [[Watershed district (Minnesota)|watershed districts]] and [[soil and water conservation district]]s.

=== Federal ===

Minnesota's [[United States senator]]s are Democrats [[Amy Klobuchar]] and [[Tina Smith]]. The state has eight [[Minnesota Congressional Districts|congressional districts]]; they are represented by [[Brad Finstad]] ([[Minnesota's 1st congressional district|1st district]]; R), [[Angie Craig]] ([[Minnesota's 2nd congressional district|2nd]]; DFL), [[Kelly Morrison]] ([[Minnesota's 3rd congressional district|3rd]]; DFL), [[Betty McCollum]] ([[Minnesota's 4th congressional district|4th]]; DFL), [[Ilhan Omar]] ([[Minnesota's 5th congressional district|5th]]; DFL), [[Tom Emmer]] ([[Minnesota's 6th congressional district|6th]]; R), [[Michelle Fischbach]] ([[Minnesota's 7th congressional district|7th]]; R), and [[Pete Stauber]] ([[Minnesota's 8th congressional district|8th]]; R).

Federal court cases are heard in the [[United States District Court for the District of Minnesota]], in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and [[Fergus Falls]]. Appeals are heard by the [[Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals]] in [[St. Louis, Missouri]] and St. Paul.

=== Tribal ===

The State of Minnesota was created by the United States federal government in the traditional and cultural range of lands occupied by the [[Dakota people|Dakota]] and [[Anishinaabe]] peoples as well as other Native American groups. After many years of unequal treaties and forced resettlement by the state and federal government, the tribes re-organized into sovereign tribal governments. Today, the tribal governments are divided into 11 semi-autonomous [[Indian reservation|reservations]] that negotiate with the U.S. and the state on a bilateral basis:

Four Dakota [[Mdewakanton]] communities:
* [[Prairie Island Indian Community]]
* [[Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community]]
* [[Lower Sioux Indian Reservation]]
* [[Upper Sioux Community, Minnesota|Upper Sioux Community{{snd}}Pejuhutazizi Oyate]]

Seven Anishinaabe reservations:
* [[Bois Forte Band of Chippewa]]
* [[Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa]]
* [[Grand Portage Band of Chippewa]]
* [[Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe]]
* [[Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe]]
* [[White Earth Band of Ojibwe]]
* [[Red Lake Band of Chippewa]]

The first six of the Anishinaabe bands compose the [[Minnesota Chippewa Tribe]], the collective federally recognized tribal government of the Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech Lake, Mille Lacs, and White Earth reservations.