Minnesota Agencies

The mission of the Council is to "advise and inform the governor and legislators on matters of importance to Latinos in Minnesota. MCLA does this by consulting with state legislators and the governor's office on what impact proposed policy, procedures, laws or regulations have on Latino Minnesotans. MCLA also conducts research and relays data within various policy areas impacting Minnesota Latinos."

The Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs was created when the state's ethnic councils were restructured by legislation passed in 2015. The statutory authority for the previous council, the Chicano Latino Affairs Council, was repealed during the same time period. The Chicano Latino Affairs Council was originally created in 1978.

The council must report on the measurable outcomes achieved in the council's current strategic plan to meet its statutory duties, along with the specific objectives and outcome measures proposed for the following year. The council must submit the report by January 15 each year to the chairs of the committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate with primary jurisdiction over state government operations.

Each ethnic council has 15 voting members. Eleven members of each council are public members appointed by the governor. Includes public members with an ethnic heritage from Mexico, any of the countries in Central or South America, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, or Puerto Rico. Four members of each council are legislators. Must include one member representing each of the state's congressional districts and three members appointed at-large. The council must include at least five women. The governor must attempt to ensure that the demographic composition of council members accurately reflects the demographic composition of Minnesota's Latino community, including recent immigrants, as determined by the state demographer. Four legislators are voting members of each council. The Speaker of the House and the House Minority Leader shall each appoint one member to each council. The Subcommittee on Committees of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration shall appoint one member of the majority caucus and one member of the minority caucus to each council.

The governor may appoint a commissioner of a state agency or a designee of that commissioner to serve as an ex-officio, nonvoting member of a council. A member appointed by the governor may serve no more than a total of eight years on a council. A legislator may serve no more than eight consecutive years or 12 nonconsecutive years on any one council. The Legislative Coordinating Commission must appoint an executive director for each council.

Executive Director: Currently unfilled; formerly, Henry Jimenez (December 2015 - March 2019).