Although it was widely speculated that Minnesota would lose one of its congressional seats due to other states having stronger rates of population growth, Census Bureau officials announced that Minnesota will keep its eight congressional seats for the coming decade.

With this announcement, the state legislature is able to avoid the complex realignment of the state's current eight political districts into a smaller number. Minnesota, which has grown more slowly relative to some states, has been on the edge of losing one of its seats in the U.S. House for decades. The last time Minnesota lost representation in Congress was after the 1960 population count.

While Minnesota's population is growing more slowly than some other states, it led the nation this cycle with a 75% self-response rate to the census. State redistricting experts have said that could give Minnesota an edge over other states with a lower response rate and be the reason the state will not lose representation in this Census count. In fact, it was reported that Minnesota kept its last seat by just 89 people, beating out the State of New York.

States Gaining Congressional Seats:

• Texas + 2
• Colorado + 1
• Florida + 1
• Montana + 1
• North Carolina + 1
• Oregon + 1

States Losing Congressional Seats:

• California – 1
• Illinois – 1
• Michigan – 1
• New York – 1
• Ohio – 1
• Pennsylvania – 1
• West Virginia – 1

The other 37 states will maintain their previous number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, which has 435 seats total. Every decade, as the Census survey updates population changes, the number of House seats for each state may change based on the updated data collected. States that have grown may gain House members, at the expense of shrinking states. The size of the House has not changed since 1913.

The population for apportionment includes residents of the 50 states, plus overseas service members and federal civilian employees who are attached to their home state's tally, according to the Census Bureau. The release of the apportionment numbers Monday afternoon comes almost four months later than planned because of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and anomalies discovered in the data as the numbers were being crunched.

New congressional districts will take effect for the 2022 election. These changes have the potential to impact the majority in the House of Representatives which is split by a slim margin of 218-212, with five seats currently vacant.

Each year, Minnesota gets about $15 billion in federal resources for health insurance, SNAP benefits, transportation, Medicaid, and special education. Had Minnesota lost a seat, this funding likely would have been reduced.

Legislative Activity for April 26, 2021

Today, both the Minnesota House of Representatives and Minnesota Senate had floor sessions focused on passing omnibus budget bills.

Late tonight the Minnesota House passed their Omnibus Health and Human Services bill on a 70-62 vote. The Minnesota Senate passed their Omnibus State Government Finance and Veterans bill earlier this evening on a 38-28 vote.

State Launches Direct Scheduling for State Vaccination Sites

Today, Governor Tim Walz announced that Minnesotans can now use the Vaccine Connector to directly schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the state’s Community Vaccination Program locations.

“To end this pandemic, we need as many Minnesotans vaccinated as possible, as quickly as possible,” said Governor Walz. “To drive that goal, Minnesotans can now book appointments at our Community Vaccination locations directly and at their convenience. The sooner we get shots in arms, the sooner we can get back to the things we love and the people we miss. Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans have been able to find their COVID-19 vaccine through the Vaccine Connector, and today, that is easier than ever.”

“The Community Vaccination Program is a key component of our vaccination network, ensuring Minnesotans around the state are able to easily get their shots in trusted and familiar locations,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “Today, everyone will be able to directly sign up for an easy, free, and safe appointment at these locations. We’re working hard to make getting vaccinated as easy as possible, and now we just need you to roll up your sleeves, get your shot, and help end this pandemic.”

Minnesotans can visit VaccineConnector.mn.gov to directly schedule appointments at Community Vaccination locations around the state. If all appointments are full, Minnesotans can also sign up to be informed when they are able to book a Community Vaccination Program appointment and be notified about other vaccination opportunities near them.

Community Vaccination Program locations are strategically located around the state to give Minnesotans another option to get their COVID-19 vaccine. There are currently locations in Saint Paul, Bloomington, Oakdale, Mankato, Duluth, Rochester, Lino Lakes and St. Cloud. A federally-supported Community Vaccination Program location at the State Fairgrounds specifically serves residents of socially vulnerable zip codes in and around Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

Minnesota continues to lead the nation and make strong progress vaccinating everyone 16 years of age and older. The state has now administered more than 4 million doses to nearly 2.5 million Minnesotans. More than 56% of Minnesotans 16+ and 85% of adults 65+ have received at least one dose. Nearly one-third of all Minnesotans have completed the COVID-19 vaccination series.

Amos A. Briggs | Government Relations
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