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STATE OF MINNESOTA
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
SUITE 1100
445 MINNESOTA STREET
LORI SWANSON January
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ST. PAUL, MN 55101-2128
ATTORNEY GENERAL TELEPHONE: (651) 282-5700

Chief Justice Lone Skjerven Gildea

Minnesota Supreme Court
424 Minnesota Judicial Center
25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
St. Paul, I\4N 55155

Re: Hippert, et al. v. Ritchie, et al.

Case No. A11-152

Dear Chief Justice Gildea:

I am writing in response to Mr. Weinblatt’s letter, dated January 27, 2011, on behalf of
Respondent Ritchie.

The letter erroneously implies that Respondent Ritchie’s opposition to the immediate
appointment of a state special redistricting panel is based on the pendency of a federal
redistricting case. I ask that the Court accept this letter for the limited purpose of correcting that
implication.

The second page of Mr. Weinblatt’ s letter states that "since the three judge federal court
has already been constituted to hear the complaint regarding redistricting, the Minnesota courts
should not entertain the request to appoint a special redistricting panel to compete with the
already pending federal action." Mr. Weinblatt subsequently states on the same page of his letter
that "I am also advised that Defendant Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, through Solicitor General
Alan I. Gilbert, has made the same request."

Respondent Ritchie’s opposition to the immediate appointment of a special redistricting

panel is not based on the pendency of the federal case. Rather, as reflected in Respondent
Ritchie’s Response of January 26, 2011, and the prior Orders of Chief Justice Blatz, Respondent
Ritchie’s opposition is based on the "primacy" of the Legislature’s redistricting authority.

Ve truly yours

O AI.GIL
Solicitor General
IT

(651) 757-1450 (Voice)

(651) 282-5832 (Fax)

cc: Tony P. Trimble, Esq.

Greg Kryzer, Assistant Wright County Attorney
AG: #2763743-vi
TTY: (651) 296-1410 Toll Free Lines: (800) 657-3787 (Voice), (800) 366-4812 (TTY) www.ag.state.mn.us
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