MINNESOTA’S

STATE
GOVERNMENT

puzzle
book 13

for 10
12

11
14

15
16

kids 8
9 17

18

7 19 20
6
3 23

4 21 22 24 25
1/30 2 5

29 28 27 26

1
 unscramblingUnscramble these state government words!

ibll
esntoar
mmtendane
ngovti
steta poacilt
alw
etmmtocei
eotv
iiznect
nrpetseevtirae

Answers to all the puzzles are on page 8.

2
 word find
Find the hidden words for Minnesota symbols in the puzzle. The words are listed at the bottom of the page.

M I N N E S O T A Y M B S E R N

R G O O B W L K H C E N I C N W

S N R W Y S Z N S P Y A H I O L

Y J T K A G A T E I X D F R R U

M V H Q E L M O J E D F V D W A

B I S O Z L L A P R U C T L A B

O Y T P D T Z E O M S S V I Y B

L K A A R Y B Z Y W Q H N W P B

S D R T K L X R B E V O G A I S

T B L E E S R H H G P L J T N R

K M B R C E A G J H W I D B E J

Y T O H B L I R M O B N K F X D

O M Q E M V O F N R N K Y E O C

J I U P O K L C Y X O N B V L A

X L M J Y Y Y B D E O P S K R X

B K Z E P R E P P I L S Y D A L

Minnesota symbols
flower: Lady Slipper (pink and white) grain: Wild rice
nickname: North Star (state) bird: Loon
muffin: Blueberry muffin fish: Walleye pike
tree: Norway pine fungus: Morel
gem: Agate (Lake Superior) beverage: milk

3
 matching
Match the sentences on the left with the correct answers on the right.

Minnesota has 67 of these. governor

This person is head of state government. the Minnesota Constitution

This branch of state government 1858

contains the House of Representatives
and the Senate.

The highest law of Minnesota. Minneapolis and St. Paul

This person designed the State Capitol. senators

The two largest cities in Minnesota. Cass Gilbert

The year Minnesota became a state. legislative

Minnesota has 134 of these. 1905

The year the State Capitol was built. representatives

4
 1
crossword
2 3

4 5 6

8 9 10 11

12 13

14

Across 2. The Lake Superior Agate is Minnesota’s state

1. To enact laws _______.
4. A ________ to adjourn is always in order. 3. Conference committees may have either six or
7. A nay vote means ______. _____ members.
8. The governor’s signature turns a bill into a ______. 5. Each Senator and Representative sits ___ several
9. Voters approved a constitutional amendment for an committees.
Environmental ______ Fund. 6. A _____ of 201 men and women serve in the
12. When a motion to _______ a bill is approved, the Minnesota Legislature.
bill usually won’t be acted upon. 10. Bills on the Senate Calendar are ______ for final
14. The three branches of government are the legisla- passage.
tive, the judicial and the __________. 11. A bill’s _______ explains briefly what is in the
bill.
Down 12. Government obtains money through its power to
1. Attorneys in the Revisor of Statutes Office draft _______.
bills so that they will be ________. 13. At the end of a busy session, lawmakers rarely
have time to ____ or sleep.
5
how a bill becomes law
Start here

Proposal: an idea
for a law First reading: Committee
bill introduced hearing:
and read to the Senators discuss
full Senate bill in committee
meetings
First passage: after
committee approval,
the bill is given its
Bill drafting: second reading and
the bill is voted on by Senators
written in
proper form

Committee action:
Layover: after first
committee approves
passage, bills are “laid
bill and sends it on; or
over” for 24 hours
does not approve the
bill and it dies Third reading and final
passage: 34 votes are
needed to pass most bills
Conference House passage:
Committee: the House must Bill sent to the House:
if House and also pass the bill it must go through the
Senate bills differ, same process there
a committee
works out a Presentation to Governor’s action:
compromise governor: the governor may sign a
The bill is given a bill into law, veto it or
chapter number and pocket-veto it
presented to the
governor

Veto override: if a bill

is vetoed, it may still
Bill becomes law: it is become law by a two-
deposited in the Office thirds majority vote of
of the Secretary of State the Senate and House

End here
6
 making words
Use the letters in the word “Minnesota” to make as many words as you can! Make words of six letters or less.
Turn to the answer page to see some of the words we made!

M I N E
1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2
3 3 3
4 4 4
5 5 5
6 6 6
7 7 7
8 8 8

S O T A
1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2
3 3 3 3
4 4 4 4
5 5 5 5
6 6 6
7 7 7
8 8 8
7
unscrambling
answers word find
bill
senator
amendment
voting
state capitol
law
committee
veto or vote
citizen
representative

matching

making words
M I N T S
ma in name tan saint
main inane neat tea same
man innate nest team sane
mast insane net ten sat
mat inseam nine tennis sea
me inset noise time seam
mean iota nome tin seat
how a bill becomes law meant is nose to sent
meat it note toe set
met item E tome sin
mine A east ton sit
mint aim eat tone some
mist am O son
mit an oat sonnet
mite ant omen stain
moan as on steam
moat at one stem
most ate onset stone
mote atom

crossword