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Gubernatorial Addresses
Gubernatorial Addresses
"State of the State" and Inaugural Addresses, 1857-present
Compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
A Brief Background
According to Article V, Section 3 of the Minnesota State Constitution, "The Governor shall communicate by message to each session of the legislature information touching the state and country." Over the years, this message was often the inaugural message. The legislature met annually through 1879. During each of those sessions, the House and Senate journals recorded the convening of joint sessions in the Hall of the House of Representatives in order to hear the annual message of the Governor.
The legislature met biennially from 1881 to 1971. During this time period, the journals referred simply to the "message of the Governor" and occasionally to the "biennial message of the Governor." As far as we could verify, Governor LeVander's 1969 message to the legislature was the first to be titled "State of the State."
The legislature began meeting annually in flexible biennial sessions in 1973. Since the 1973-74 session, messages have been delivered by the Governor to the legislature at the beginning of each session, but not always in the second year of the biennium.
The first time an inaugural address was given outside the Capitol building was in 1983, when Governor Perpich delivered a separate inaugural address at Hibbing High School. Other inaugural addresses have been held elsewhere.
The State of the State has been held outside the Capitol building eleven times: twice in Bloomington; twice in Rochester; twice at the Governor's Residence, and once in Hutchinson, Mankato, St. Cloud, Winona, and on the University of Minnesota campus. All other State of the State addresses appear to have been held at the State Capitol.
In earlier years it was common for both the incumbent governor to deliver a message and the governor-elect to deliver his inaugural address. Governor Adolph O. Eberhart explained the custom at the beginning of his January 6, 1915 Final Message:
"In accordance with the custom established in this state, I have the honor to communicate to you such information and recommendations as seem appropriate at the close of this administration. Recognizing the fact that to the incoming governor belongs the privilege as well as the responsibility of communicating such information and recommendations. I shall follow an established custom in this state, and in addressing the legislature on this occasion shall confine myself largely to policies already established and work not yet completed."
Governor Winfield Hammond followed with his Inaugural Message, outlining his recommendations.
Below are links to inaugural addressees, "State of the State" addresses, and selected special messages to the Legislature by Minnesota governors. They have been scanned and archived by the Legislative Library. The collection is not comprehensive. If the location of the speech was outside the State Capitol, the city is noted.