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Legislative Time Capsule - 85th Legislature (2007-2008)

Session Dates (All sessions)

  Convened Adjourned Calendar Days Legislative Days
House Senate
2007
1/3/2007 5/21/2007 139 75 75
2007 1st Special Session
To provide disaster relief for the flooded counties of Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona. 		9/11/2007 9/11/2007 1 1 1
2008
2/12/2008 5/18/2008 97 44 44

Legislation (All sessions)

  House - Bills Introduced Senate - Bills Introduced Laws Resolutions
2007 2552 Search 2363 Search 138   Search 0
2007 1st Special Session 3 Search 3 Search 2   Search 0
2008 1704 Search 1532 Search 192   Search 0

Vetoes (All sessions)

  Full Bills Vetoed
(including pockets)		 Pocket Vetoes Bills with Line Item Vetoes [# of lines vetoed] TOTAL
Full Bills Vetoed + Lines Vetoed		 TOTAL
Full Bills Vetoed + Bills with Lines Vetoed
2007 12 0 8   [33] 45 20
2007 1st Special Session 0 0 0   [0] 0 0
2008 32 5 2   [56] 88 34

Legislators

All House Senate Seating Chart - House Seating Chart - Senate

Leadership         

Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher  (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
House Majority Leader Anthony Sertich  (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert  (Republican)
President of the Senate James P. Metzen  (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
Senate Majority Leader Lawrence J. Pogemiller  (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
Senate Minority Leader David H. Senjem  (Republican)

Officers

Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives Albin A. Mathiowetz
House Sergeant-at-Arms Sandra Dicke
Secretary of the Senate Patrick E. Flahaven
Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Sven K. Lindquist

Party Control of the House of Representatives (All sessions)

Date Event Note Total Seats C/R/IR L/DFL Other Margin
1/3/2007 Convenes Party control of the House switches from Republican control to DFL control. [Total seats possible = 134] 134 49 85 0 36
7/17/2007 Resignation Rep. Steve Sviggum (R) resigned from District 28B to become Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. 133 48 85 0 37
8/7/2007 Special election Steve Drazkowski (R) won a special election in District 28B. 134 49 85 0 36
12/1/2007 Party change Rep. Mark Olson (16B) changes from Republican to independent Republican.
* Mark Olson was reelected as a Republican in the November 2006 election. However, on December 7, 2006 the Republican caucus suspended him. He then began calling himself an "independent" Republican in 2007. In early December 2007 the Republican members voted to expel him from their caucus. 		134 49 85 0 36
C=Conservative  R=Republican  IR=Independent Republican  L=Liberal  DFL=Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Party Control of the Senate (All sessions)

Date Event Note Total Seats C/R/IR L/DFL Other Margin
1/3/2007 Convenes [Total seats possible = 67] 67 23 44 0 21
1/1/2008 Resignation Sen. Tom Neuville's (R, 25) resignation takes effect. He was appointed as a Third Judicial District trial court judge. 66 22 44 0 22
1/3/2008 Special election Kevin Dahle (DFL) elected from District 25. 67 22 45 0 23
7/28/2008 Resignation Sen. Betsy Wergin (R, 16) is appointed to the Public Utilities Commission. 66 21 45 0 24
11/4/2008 Special election Lisa A. Fobbe (DFL, 16) and Ken Kelash (DFL, 63) are elected to be sworn in on January 6, 2009. 67 21 46 0 25
11/5/2008 Resignation Sen. Dan Larson (DFL, 63) resigns. 65 21 44 0 23
C=Conservative  R=Republican  IR=Independent Republican  L=Liberal  DFL=Democratic-Farmer-Labor

House Committees Show/Hide

Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Members Minutes
      Veterans Affairs Division Members Minutes
Biosciences and Emerging Technology Members Minutes
Commerce and Labor Members Minutes
      Labor and Consumer Protection Division Members Minutes
      Telecommunications Regulation and Infrastructure Division Members Minutes
E-12 Education Members Minutes
Environment and Natural Resources Members Minutes
      Game, Fish and Forestry Division Members Minutes
Ethics Members Minutes
Finance Members Minutes
      Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance Division Members Minutes
      Capital Investment Finance Division Members Minutes
      Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division Members Minutes
      Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division- K-12 Finance Division Members Minutes
      Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division- K-12 Finance Division-Disparities in Student Support and Service Members Minutes
      Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division-Early Childhood Learning Finance Division Members Minutes
      Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division-Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division Members Minutes
      Energy Finance and Policy Division Members Minutes
      Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division Members Minutes
      Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division-Drinking Water Source Protection Members Minutes
      Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division-Watersheds, Wetlands and Buffers Members Minutes
      Health Care and Human Services Finance Division Members Minutes
      Housing Policy and Finance and Public Health Finance Division Members Minutes
      Housing Policy and Finance and Public Health Finance Division-Environmental Justice and Healthy Housing Members Minutes
      Minnesota Heritage Finance Division Members Minutes
      Public Safety Finance Division Members Minutes
      State Government Finance Division Members Minutes
      Transportation Finance Division Members Minutes
      Transportation Finance Division-Transportation and Transit Policy Members Minutes
Governmental Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections Members Minutes
Health and Human Services Members Minutes
      Licensing Members Minutes
      Mental Health Division Members Minutes
Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs Members Minutes
Public Safety and Civil Justice Members Minutes
      Crime Victims Members Minutes
      Criminal Records Relief Members Minutes
      Data Practices Members Minutes
Rules and Legislative Administration Members Minutes
Taxes Members Minutes
      Property Tax Relief and Local Sales Tax Division Members Minutes
Ways and Means Members Minutes

Senate Committees Show/Hide

Agriculture and Veterans Members
Business, Industry and Jobs Members
Capital Investment Members
Commerce and Consumer Protection Members
Education Members
Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications Members
Environment and Natural Resources Members
      Forestry Members
      Public Lands and Waters Members
Finance Members
      Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division Members
      E-12 Education Budget Division Members
      Economic Development Budget Division Members
      Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division Members
      Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division-Energy Subdivision Members
      Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division-Natural Resources Members
      Health and Human Services Budget Division Members
      Higher Education Budget and Policy Division Members
      Judiciary Budget Division Members
      Public Safety Budget Division Members
      State Government Budget Division Members
      Transportation Budget and Policy Division Members
      Transportation Budget and Policy Division-Airways, Waterways and Railways Members
      Transportation Budget and Policy Division-Transit Subdivision Members
Health, Housing and Family Security Members
Higher Education Members
Judiciary Members
      Data Practices Members
Rules and Administration Members
      Committees Members
      Conference Committees Members
      Ethical Conduct Members
      Permanent and Joint Rules Members
State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Members
      Elections Members
      Gaming Members
Taxes Members
      Property Taxes Division Members
Transportation Members
      Airways, Waterways and Railways Members
      Transit Subdivision Members