At age 70, after 26 years as Minnesota’s top economic soothsayer, Tom Stinson’s retirement hardly came as a shock. He was already by far the longest-serving state economist — none of his predecessors held the position for more than five years — and he had a comfortable side job teaching economics at the University of Minnesota.

A new think tank has sprouted in Minnesota boasting a roster that includes some of the state’s most venerable policy officials who have recently retired from state service.

Tempers flared and debates grew heated around the Capitol over the past week as Republicans in the House put their controversial legislative redistricting map on the table. The map carves up a new political landscape that pits 26 incumbents against one another - 20 in the House and six in the Senate - and all but one of the matchups put a DFLer, or two, in peril.

The 2010 census figures contain some foreboding figures for DFLers looking to regain majorities in the state House and Senate. Of the 21 most populous House districts in the state, all are currently represented by Republicans.

Rep. Bob Gunther doesn't want the Republican rural caucus he helped form this session to be seen as adversarial to suburban and metro legislators. In his view, the bicameral caucus' main purpose is to educate the large number of rural GOP members of the House and Senate, many of them freshmen, on issues of special concern to outstate members.

As expected, rural legislators joined hands this week to form separate caucus to meet throughout the session. Former GOP Minority Leader, Sen. Dave Senjem, announced his intentions to form the caucus with Rep. Bob Gunther last fall.

With Minnesota's Census numbers expected to arrive as early as the middle of next month, state lawmakers are already laying plans to redraw Minnesota legislative districts and the state's eight congressional districts. But the partisan divide between Gov. Mark Dayton and the Republican majorities in the Legislature portend a round of redistricting that is likely to fall apart - just as it has done in the face of divided governments over the past four decades.

If Minnesota keeps its eight seats in Congress, it can credit state demographer Tom Gillaspy for sweating the details.

Minnesota State Demographer Tom Gillaspy says he is optimistic but not 100 percent sure the state will keep all eight of its congressional seats in the next round of redistricting.

Minnesota’s population changes over the last decade will give rise to a complex set of moving pieces when lawmakers redraw legislative districts after the 2010 U.S. Census is completed.