Warren E. Limmer (born January 24, 1955) is a

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

politician and member of the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any State legislature (Unite ...

. A member of the

Republican Party of Minnesota The Republican Party of Minnesota is the state affiliate of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party in Minnesota and the oldest active political party in the state. Founded in 1855, the party is headquartered in Edina, Minnesota, E ...

, he represents the 37th District, which includes portions of

Hennepin County Hennepin County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1,281,565, and was estimated to be 1,273,334 in 2024, making it the List of counties in ...

in the northwestern

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...

metropolitan area. Limmer previously served in the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's Minnesota Legislature, legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, whic ...

, and in 1998 he sought the Republican endorsement for

Minnesota Secretary of State The secretary of state of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch, executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Twenty-two individuals have held the office of secretary of state since statehood. The incumbe ...

, losing to

Mary Kiffmeyer Mary Kiffmeyer (born December 29, 1946) is an American politician. She served as Minnesota Secretary of State from 1999 to 2007 and went on to serve in the Minnesota legislature. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, she previously repre ...

. He was the author of the 2012 Minnesota constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Early life, education, and career

Limmer attended North Hennepin Community College, where he received an A.A., and

St. Cloud State University St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. In the fall of 2023, it ...

, where he received a

B.A. A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

criminal justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...

studies. He worked as a

corrections officer A prison officer (PO) or corrections officer (CO), also known as a correctional law enforcement officer or less formally as a prison guard, is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation ...

before serving in the legislature. Limmer is a former member of the

Corrections Advisory Commission and the

Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

Human Rights Commission. He now works as a

real estate agent Real estate agents and real estate brokers are people who represent sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and age ...

Minnesota Legislature

Before being elected to the

, Limmer was a member of the

, first elected in 1988 in the old House District 48A, and reelected in 1990, 1992 and 1994. After the 1992

redistricting Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each ten-year census. The U.S. Constitution in Art ...

, the area became House District 33B. Limmer was first elected to the Senate in a February 1995 special election held after Senator Patrick McGowan resigned upon being elected Hennepin County Sheriff. He has been continuously reelected ever since. Limmer has held multiple leadership positions, including assistant minority leader, assistant majority leader, and chair of the Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. His special legislative concerns include

public education A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-f ...

, safe school legislation,

economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...

, and

tax reform Tax reform is the process of changing the way taxes are collected or managed by the government and is usually undertaken to improve tax administration or to provide economic or social benefits. Tax reform can include reducing the level of taxati ...

. On April 27, 2011, Limmer introduced a bill to propose a referendum on an amendment to the

Minnesota Constitution The Constitution of the State of Minnesota was initially approved by the residents of Minnesota Territory in a special election held on October 13, 1857, and was ratified by the United States Senate on May 11, 1858, marking the admittance of Min ...

banning same-sex marriage. The bill passed, but voters rejected the amendment in the 2012 election by six percentage points. In the next legislative session, Senator Scott Dibble and Representative Karen Clark introduced bills to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota. The

voted 75–59 in favor of legalization. A few days later, after debate on the Senate floor, the body also voted for legalization, 37–30. On May 14, 2013, in front of a crowd of 7,000 on the Capitol Mall in St. Paul, Governor Mark Dayton signed Dibble's and Clark's marriage equality bill into law, making Minnesota the 12th state to legalize gay marriage. Limmer opposes universal background checks for gun purchases. As chair of the Senate Judiciary's public safety committee, he has refused to allow any hearings on gun safety.

Personal life

Limmer and his wife Lori live in Maple Grove and have three children.

References

External links

Minnesota State Senator Warren Limmer Campaign
website
Minnesota State Senator Warren Limmer Legislative
website
Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Senator Warren LimmerProject Vote Smart - Senator Warren Limmer Profile
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Limmer, Warren 1955 births American people of German descent American prison officers Living people Republican Party Minnesota state senators People from Maple Grove, Minnesota Presidents of the Minnesota Senate St. Cloud State University alumni 21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature