87th Minnesota Legislature

The eighty-seventh Minnesota Legislature was the legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota from January 4, 2011, to January 7, 2013. It was composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives, based on the results of the 2010 Senate election and the 2010 House election. The seats were apportioned based on the 2000 United States census. It first convened in Saint Paul on January 4, 2011 and last met on August 24, 2012. It held its regular session from January 4 to May 23, 2011, and from January 24 to May 10, 2012. A special session was held on July 19 and 20, 2011, to complete the passage of budget bills. Another special session was held on August 24, 2012, to provide disaster assistance for the flooded areas of Duluth.

Major events

 * February 9, 2011: 2011 State of the State Address
 * February 21, 2011: Joint session to elect regents of the University of Minnesota.
 * February 14, 2012: 2012 State of the State Address

Major legislation

 * The legislation listed here is taken from Hot List 2011 - 2012 Regular Session, which is, according to the website of the Minnesota Legislature "an unofficial listing of House and Senate files that have become somewhat to very well-known." This is not an exhaustive list of bills enacted, proposed, or vetoed during the 87th Minnesota Legislature, but rather a list of well-known legislation.

Enacted

 * May 25, 2011: An act proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution recognizing marriage as only a union between one man and one woman
 * February 23, 2012: Public safety; requiring community notification when a person is released from the Minnesota sex offender program
 * April 5, 2012: An act proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution requiring voters to present photographic identification
 * April 9, 2012: An act authorizing county attorneys and assistant county attorneys to carry firearms on duty under the terms of a permit to carry
 * April 18, 2012: Revisor Bill
 * April 27, 2012: Omnibus Liquor Bill
 * April 27, 2012: Omnibus Education Policy & Finance Bill
 * April 28, 2012: Omnibus Agriculture Bill
 * April 28, 2012: Omnibus Health & Human Services Finance Bill
 * April 30, 2012: Omnibus Health & Human Services Policy Bill
 * May 1, 2012: Omnibus Legacy Amendment Funding Bill
 * May 3, 2012: Omnibus Environment Policy Bill
 * May 3, 2012: Omnibus Game & Fish Bill
 * May 10, 2012: Omnibus Pension Bill
 * May 10, 2012: Omnibus Transportation Finance Bill
 * May 10, 2012: Omnibus Data Practices Bill
 * May 11, 2012: Omnibus Bonding Bill
 * May 14, 2012: Omnibus Technical Tax Bill
 * May 14, 2012: Viking stadium; provides for a National Football League Stadium in Minnesota funded by gambling revenue & more
 * May 25, 2012: Omnibus Higher Education Bill

Vetoed

 * Boldface indicates the act was passed by both houses.


 * March 5, 2012: Firearms; allows use of firearm in self defense outside the permit holders home (/)
 * April 5, 2012: Omnibus K-12 Bill (/)
 * May 3, 2012: Teachers; school districts authorized to base leave of absence and discharge decisions on teacher evaluation outcomes (/)
 * May 4, 2012: Omnibus Tax Bill (/)
 * May 14, 2012: Omnibus Tax Bill (pocket veto) (/)

Summary of actions
In the 87th Minnesota Legislature, a total of 258 out of 5,731 bills introduced were passed by the Senate and House of Representatives. All of the bills appearing on the Legislature's Hot List for the 87th Legislature were approved by Governor Mark Dayton, with the notable exceptions of H.F. No. 1467, an act that would have eliminated the duty to retreat with regard to the use of firearms in self-defense and instituted a stand-your-ground law while allowing the use of firearms in self-defense outside the permit holder's home; H.F. No. 2083, the omnibus K-12 bill; H.F. No. 1870, an act that would have authorized school districts to base leave of absence and discharge decisions on teacher evaluation outcomes; H.F. No. 2337, an omnibus tax bill; and H.F. No. 247, another omnibus tax bill, all of which were vetoed, except that H.F. No. 247 was the subject of a pocket veto rather than a regular veto.

In total, 55 acts were vetoed, including 23 passed during the 2011 regular session and 32 passed during the 2012 continuation of the regular session. None of the bills passed during either of the special sessions were vetoed. Two of the 32 vetoes of bills passed during the 2012 continuation were pocket vetoes. There were no line-item vetoes. No acts or items were enacted by the Legislature over the Governor's veto.

Political composition

 * Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Membership changes" section, below.

Senate
[[File:87MNSenateStructure.svg|thumb|300px|Senate composition (from September 4, 2012)

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House of Representatives
[[File:87MNHouseStructure.svg|thumb|300px|House composition (from April 10, 2012)

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Senate

 * President: Michelle Fischbach (R)
 * President pro tempore: Gen Olson (R)

Majority (Republican) leadership

 * Majority Leader:
 * Amy Koch (until December 15, 2011)
 * David Senjem (from December 27, 2011)
 * Deputy Majority Leader:
 * Geoff Michel (until December 27, 2011)
 * Julianne Ortman (from January 3, 2012)
 * Assistant Majority Leaders:
 * Roger Chamberlain (from December 27, 2011)
 * Paul Gazelka (from December 27, 2011)
 * David Hann (until December 27, 2011)
 * Bill Ingebrigtsen (from January 3, 2012)
 * Ted Lillie (from December 27, 2011)
 * Doug Magnus (until December 27, 2011)
 * Claire Robling (from December 27, 2011)
 * David Senjem (until December 27, 2011)
 * Dave Thompson (until December 27, 2011)
 * Majority Whip:
 * Chris Gerlach (until December 27, 2011)
 * Ted Lillie (2012)
 * Assistant Majority Whips (2012):
 * John Carlson
 * Al DeKruif
 * Carla Nelson
 * Pam Wolf

Minority (DFL) leadership

 * Minority Leader: Tom Bakk
 * Assistant Minority Leader: Terri Bonoff

House of Representatives

 * Speaker: Kurt Zellers (R)
 * Speakers pro tempore:
 * Greg Davids (R)
 * Mary Liz Holberg (R)
 * Morrie Lanning (R)
 * Torrey Westrom (R)

Majority (Republican) leadership

 * Majority Leader: Matt Dean
 * Assistant Majority Leaders:
 * Kurt Daudt
 * Bob Gunther
 * Joe Hoppe
 * Tim Kelly
 * Jenifer Loon
 * Paul Torkelson
 * Tim Sanders
 * Ron Shimanski
 * Majority Whip: Rod Hamilton

Minority (DFL) leadership

 * Minority Leader: Paul Thissen
 * Deputy Minority Leader: Debra Hilstrom
 * Assistant Minority Leaders:
 * Kent Eken
 * Rick Hansen
 * Jeff Hayden (until October 25, 2011)
 * Erin Murphy
 * Kim Norton
 * John Persell
 * Steve Simon
 * Minority Whips:
 * Melissa Hortman
 * Larry Hosch
 * John Lesch
 * Terry Morrow

Senate
[[File:87th_Minnesota_Legislature_Senate_map.svg|thumb|300px|Senate districts by political party affiliation

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 * Elected in a special election.
 * †Elected to non-consecutive terms.

House of Representatives
[[File:87MNHouseMap.svg|thumb|300px|House districts by political party affiliation

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 * Elected in a special election.
 * †Elected to non-consecutive terms.