Contacting your state Legislators about supporting the arts
Who represents you? Find out below!
MN House Districts in the SMAC Region
12A: Jeff Backer (R)
Counties: Big Stone
651-296-4929
16A: Chris Swedzinski (R)
Counties: Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Yellow Medicine, and part of Redwood.
651-296-5374 or 888-234-1242
16B: Paul Torkelson (R)
Counties: Part of Redwood and Renville.
651-296-9303
17A: Tim Miller (R)
Counties: Chippewa, Renville, Swift, and part of Kandiyohi.
651-296-4228
17B: Dave Baker (R)
Counties: Part of Kandiyohi
651-296-6206
18A: Dean Urdahl (R)
Counties: Meeker and part of McLeod.
651-296-4344 or 800-341-0510
18B: Glenn Gruenhagen (R)
Counties: Part of McLeod
651-296-4229 or 800-920-5861
22A: Joe Schomacker (R)
Counties: Lincoln, Murray, Pipestone, Rock and part of Nobles
651-296-5505 or 888-727-6307
22B: Rod Hamilton (R)
Counties: Cottonwood and part of Jackson, Nobles, and Redwood.
651-296-5373 or 800-735-2463
23A: Bob Gunther (R)
Counties: Part of Jackson
651-296-3240 or 800-684-4598
MN Senate Districts in the SMAC Region
12: Torrey N. Westrom (R)
Counties: Big Stone
651-296-3826
16: Gary H. Dahms (R)
Counties: Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine and parts of Lyon, Redwood, and Renville.
651-296-8138
17: Andrew Lang (R)
Counties: Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Swift and the majority of Renville.
651-296-4918,
18: Scott J. Newman (R)
Counties: McLeod and Meeker.
651-296-4131
22: Bill Weber (R)
Counties: Lincoln, Nobles, Pipestone, rock, and parts of Jackson, Lyon, Murray, and Redwood.
651-296-5650
23: Julie A. Rosen (R)
Counties:Part of Jackson.
651-296-5713
Follow these helpful steps:
- Visit www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts to enter your address and confirm who represents you.
- Write and send a letter or email to all applicable legislators! If you prefer, you can also call with the contact information provided.
Your letter/message can be short and simple! All you need :
- Your name and home address
- An opening sentence that explains why you are contacting them. If you have more time, you can add a few notes at the end about the arts in your town and how important they are to your community! If you are writing thanks for a grant, thank the representative for supporting the arts through the voters of Minnesota with legislative appropriations from the arts and cultural heritage fund, from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s general fund, and/or grants from the McKnight Foundation (choose the appropriate option from your grant contract).
Send your letters to the following addresses:
Representative (fill in name)
c/o MN House of Representatives
State Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155
OR
Senator (fill in name)
c/o MN State Senate
State Capitol Building
St. Paul, MN 55155
Join Minnesota Citizens for the Arts’ “Arts Alert” email list to hear the latest arts news from the MN Legislature!
Vist www.artsmn.org or send an email to staff@artsmn.org to join.
You can also connect to MCA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mncitizensforthearts/
And if you’re looking to go beyond the state level for arts advocacy, be sure to check out Americans for the Arts.