Pappas, Sandra L. "Sandy"
House 1985-90 (District 65B); Senate 1991-2012 (District 65); Senate 2013-2022 (District 65); Senate 2023-Present (District 65)
Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Counties Served:
Dakota, Ramsey
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
6/15/1949
Birth Place:
Hibbing, Minnesota
Birth County:
St. Louis
Birth Country:
United States
Date of Death:
Gender:
Female
Religion:
Jewish
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
Sandy
City of Residence (when first elected):
Saint Paul
Occupation (when first elected):
Legislator
EDUCATION
Robbinsdale High School; Secondary;
University of Minnesota; German Studies, 1969
Metropolitan State University; B.A.; Public Policy, 1986
Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government; M.P.A.; Bush Fellowship, 1993
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse:
Neal Gosman
Children:
Three children: Merissa, Nicolea, and Cassarah (daughters)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
GENERAL NOTES
Special Legislative Concerns: community development, education, taxes and tax policy, transportation, transit, metropolitan issues, women's issues, children's issues, immigrant issues, labor, health care, consumer protection, criminal justice reform, social and economic equity.
She ran as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor endorsed candidate for Mayor of St. Paul in 1997; she lost to Norm Coleman.
Religion according to Jewish Community Relations Council and Politics in Minnesota the Directory, 2005-2006.
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/8/2022
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/3/2023 to 1/11/2027
Counties Represented:
Dakota, Ramsey
Occupation: Executive Director, Forward Global Women
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment (Chair)
-
Finance
-
Judiciary and Public Safety
-
Labor
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/3/2020
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/5/2021 to 1/2/2023
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Executive Director, Forward Global Women
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/8/2016
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/3/2017 to 1/4/2021
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Vice President, Women Legislators' Lobby
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy
-
Rules and Administration
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/8/2016
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/3/2017 to 1/4/2021
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Vice President, Women Legislator's Lobby
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy
-
Rules and Administration
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/6/2012
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/8/2013 to 1/2/2017
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Vice President, Women Legislators' Lobby
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Commerce
-
Finance
-
Finance: Subcommittee on Equity
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Committees Subcommittee
-
Rules and Administration: Ethical Conduct Subcommittee (Chair)
-
Rules and Administration: Personnel and Budget Subcommittee (Chair)
-
State and Local Government
Leadership Position:
President of the Senate
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/6/2012
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/8/2013 to 1/2/2017
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Vice President, Women Legislator's Lobby
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Commerce
-
Finance
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct (Chair)
-
State and Local Government (Chair)
Leadership Position:
President of the Senate
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/2/2010
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/4/2011 to 1/7/2013
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Special Session Bills Authored: 2011 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Commerce and Consumer Protection
-
Higher Education
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/7/2006
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/3/2007 to 1/3/2011
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Legislator/College Instructor; Political Science, Metropolitan State University
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Special Session Bills Authored: 2010 2nd Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Finance
-
Finance: Higher Education Budget and Policy Division (Chair)
-
Finance: State Government Budget Division
-
Higher Education (Chair)
-
State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
-
State and Local Government Operations and Oversight: Elections
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/7/2006
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/3/2007 to 1/3/2011
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Legislator/College Instructor, Political Science, Metropolitan State University
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Finance
-
Finance: Higher Education Budget and Policy Division (Chair)
-
Finance: State Government Budget Division
-
Higher Education (Chair)
-
State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
-
State and Local Government Operations and Oversight: Elections
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/5/2002
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/7/2003 to 1/2/2007
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: College Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Commerce
-
Commerce: Liquor (Chair)
-
Finance
-
Finance: Early Childhood Policy and Budget Division
-
Finance: Higher Education Budget Division (Chair)
-
Jobs, Energy and Community Development
-
Jobs, Energy and Community Development: Economic Development and Tourism
-
Jobs, Energy and Community Development: Housing
-
Rules and Administration
Leadership Position:
President Pro Tempore
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/5/2002
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/7/2003 to 1/2/2007
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: College Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Commerce and Utilities-2003/Commerce-2004
-
Commerce and Utilities-2003/Commerce-2004: Liquor (Chair)
-
Education
-
Finance
-
Finance: Higher Education Budget Division (Chair)
-
Jobs, Housing and Community Development-2003/Jobs, Energy and Community Development-2004
[She was a member in 2004 only.]
-
Rules and Administration
Leadership Position:
President Pro Tempore
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/7/2000
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/3/2001 to 1/6/2003
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: College Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Commerce
-
Commerce: Insurance
-
Education (Chair)
-
Education: Assessment and Testing
-
Education: Early Childhood Education
-
Education: Early Childhood-Grade 12 Education Budget Division
-
Education: Technology
-
Education: Workforce Education
-
Rules and Administration
-
Taxes
-
Taxes: Property Tax Budget Division
-
Transportation
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/5/1996
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/7/1997 to 1/2/2001
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: College Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Children, Families and Learning
-
Children, Families and Learning/Education Finance: K-12 Education Budget Division
-
Local and Metropolitan Government
-
Taxes
-
Taxes: Income and Sales Tax
-
Taxes/Local and Metropolitan Government: Property Taxes and Local Government Budget Division (Chair)
-
Transportation
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/5/1996
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/7/1997 to 1/2/2001
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: College Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Children, Families and Learning
-
Children, Families and Learning/Education Finance: K-12 Education Budget Division
-
Local and Metropolitan Government
-
Taxes
-
Taxes: Income and Sales Tax
-
Taxes/Local and Metropolitan Government: Property Taxes and Local Government Budget Division (Chair)
-
Transportation
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/3/1992
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/6/1997
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Education
-
Education: Education Funding Division
-
Metropolitan and Local Government
-
Metropolitan and Local Government: Metropolitan Affairs
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Tax
-
Transportation and Public Transit
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/3/1992
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/6/1997
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Education
-
Education: Education Funding Division
-
Metropolitan and Local Government
-
Metropolitan and Local Government: Metropolitan Affairs
-
Metropolitan and Local Government: Metropolitan and Local Government Tax Division
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Tax
-
Transportation and Public Transit
Body: Senate
District: 65
Elected: 11/6/1990
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/8/1991 to 1/4/1993
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Commerce
-
Commerce: Consumer Protection/Regulated Industries (Liquor)
-
Education
-
Education: Education Funding Division
-
Education: Higher Education
-
Education: Joint Senate/House Libraries (Chair)
-
Metropolitan Affairs
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: Public Transportation
-
Transportation: Transportation Safety
Body: House
District: 65B
Elected: 11/8/1988
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/3/1989 to 1/7/1991
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Legislator/Homemaker
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Agriculture, Transportation and Semi-State Division
-
Appropriations: Computer
-
Insurance
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Criminal Justice Division
-
Judiciary: Facilities Assessment (Chair)
Body: House
District: 65B
Elected: 11/4/1986
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/2/1989
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: State Departments Division
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Crime and Family Law Division
-
Judiciary: Sentencing Guidelines
-
Labor-Management Relations
-
Metropolitan Affairs
-
Metropolitan Affairs: Environment
-
Metropolitan Affairs: Government Structure
-
Rules and Legislative Administration
Body: House
District: 65B
Elected: 11/6/1984
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/8/1985 to 1/5/1987
Counties Represented:
Ramsey
Occupation: Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Crime and Family Law
-
Crime and Family Law: Family Law
-
Judiciary
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: Special Subcommittee on Department of Transportation
Session Notes:
Her margin of victory over Frank J. Rodriguez, Sr. in the 1984 Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party primary election was so small that a recount occurred.
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