REP. STEVE GOTTWALT RESIGNS TO BE A LOBBYIST

Rep. Steve Gottwalt (R-St. Cloud) decided to leave Minnesota House of Representatives after serving 4 terms and second member to resign after Rep. Terry Morrow (DFL-St. Peter). He have taken job with Center for Diagnostic Imaging, a healthcare company in continuing its leadership in providing high quality, cost-effective diagnostic imaging services as a Lobbyist. He cannot stay as State Representative and being a Lobbyist due to conflict of interest and it was very tough decision for him.

Here is his resignation letter to fellow House Members:

Dear Colleagues:

At the beginning of December, I announced the great news that I had joined Center for Diagnostic Imaging as Director of State Legislative Policy, in a national role assisting this healthcare company in continuing its leadership in providing high quality, cost-effective diagnostic imaging services.  My role at the CDI Quality Institute is to understand and translate the complex state healthcare regulatory environment in more than 25 states in which the company sees patients, and I am proud to be working with a healthcare company actively seeking solutions at a critical time for health care across the country.

As I’ve settled in at CDI, I see the states are once again the laboratory of democracy, and each is finding its own approach to implementing the new federal healthcare law.  It’s a huge set of changes, and it makes this position one to which I must fully commit as much time and focus as possible.  It quite simply is more than a full time job, and one that will not allow me the time I need to represent the people of District 14A as their State Representative.

That is why I have made the difficult decision to resign my seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives before the end of the month. I thank you, my colleagues, for our years of service together, and my constituents for their confidence in electing me to represent them. I will always appreciate the deep honor and privilege of serving the residents of St. Cloud, Waite Park, St. Augusta and Rockville.

Sincerely in service,

Rep. Steve Gottwalt

House District 14A

Gov. Mark Dayton has not called on special election. Stay tuned for updates on special election. 

REP. KNUTH NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION

(SAINT PAUL) — Today, Representative Kate Knuth (DFL – New Brighton) announced she will not be seeking re-election to the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Rep. Knuth released the following statement:

“Representing my neighbors in New Brighton, Arden Hills, Shoreview and Fridley in the Minnesota House of Representatives is an honor. Running for and serving in office has allowed me to get to know my community and its geography and people in a unique and fulfilling way. I am so grateful for the many wonderful people who have taken the time to help me do this job well.

“I am proud of the work we do together to make Minnesota an exceptional place to live. In particular, I am proud to have worked with local leaders on environmental cleanup and redevelopment needs in my community. I am also glad that Minnesota is on a cleaner, more homegrown energy path because of work we have done over the last few years.

“While I will not be seeking reelection, I look forward to serving my neighbors through this term. I will continue to seek out ways in which to contribute to making Minnesota, and the world, a healthier and more sustainable place. I consider myself lucky to love Minnesota, my home state, more than I can fully describe. My service, leadership, and life’s work will always be firmly rooted in this place and its people.”

Rep. Greiling Retires After Long Career Focused on Education, Mental Health Reform

St. Paul, MN – Currently serving her 10th term, State Representative Mindy Greiling (DFL – Roseville) announced her retirement from the State Legislature today. Rep. Greiling will continue to serve until the end of the upcoming session. 

During her tenure, Rep. Greiling focused her legislative efforts on properly funding and reforming Minnesota’s public education system, serving as Chair of the House Education Finance Committee for four years and transitioning to DFL-Lead on the same committee in 2010. In addition to her work on education, Rep. Greiling was a strong legislative advocate for improving the way we perceive and treat mental health in Minnesota. 

“It has been my honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Senate District 54. Serving has enriched my life with a great sense of purpose for the common good. 

“I was proud to lead the legislative charge in the Minnesota House of Representatives to reform and properly fund our mental health system. We increased funding more than in any other legislative session in the history of our state. 

“However, I must honestly say, that I am leaving with a heavy heart that we now owe our public schools $3.45 billion, over $4,200 per student. I have been proud to author a sweeping education finance reform bill, developed by a broad coalition, which would properly fund schools at the state level and make the system fairer and more welcome to local innovations. I am hopeful to see enactment of this plan in the future. 

“While I announce my retirement today, I look forward to serving out the conclusion of my term. We still have much work to be done and I intend to continue fighting for the best interests of people.”

Rep. Barney Frank Won't Be Running For Re-Election

SOURCE: MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO

by Eyder Peralta, National Public Radio

November 28, 2011

(This post was retopped at 2:20 p.m. ET.)

Barney Frank, one of the most passionate liberals in Washington and the first member of Congress to openly acknowledge being gay, announced today that he will not seek a 17th term.

The 71-year-old lawmaker, who in recent years was best known for legislation aimed at tightening regulations on Wall Street and toughening consumerprotections, said redistricting in Massachusetts would have meant he would need to spend too much time introducing himself to new constituents before next November's election and not enough on the issues he cares about.

We began this post at 10 a.m. ET. Read through to see how the story developed and our earlier updates:

10 a.m. ET: WBUR in Boston reports it has confirmed that Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) will not seek re-election in 2012.

CNN says that "Frank, a 16-term Democrat, will announce Monday he does not intend to seek re-election in 2012, according to a statement from [his] office."

Back in February, Frank announced he would run again in 2012, saying he wanted to "defend the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act" that he helped enact and wanted to work to "reduce significantly America's swollen, unnecessary, worldwide military footprint." It isn't known yet why he's apparently reversed course.

Watch It's All Politics for more on this.

Update at 11:52 p.m. ET. Frank Will Announce Decision Today:

The New York Times reports that Frank will announce his decision at a 1 p.m. ET. press conference in Newton, Mass.

The Times adds that one of the fiercest liberals in the House is retiring after facing one his toughest reelection campaigns in 2010. The 2012 election has gotten even tougher for him after redistricting:

His Fourth District falls mostly in southern Massachusetts but also includes the famously liberal Boston suburbs of Newton and Brookline. Under a new redistricting plan that Gov. Deval Patrick, a fellow Democrat, signed into law last week, Mr. Frank's district would have lost heavily Democratic city of New Bedford and gained some more conservative towns.

Update at 12:02 p.m. ET. A Bit Of Biography:

The Boston Globe has a bit of Frank's biography:

Former party head Philip W. Johnston told the Globe: "He was brilliant, funny, acerbic, strategic, and unashamedly liberal. And they're in short supply these days."

Frank, 71, was raised in New Jersey but schooled at Harvard University and Harvard Law School, endowing him with a street-fighter's mouth and an academic's wit.

He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1972 and the US House eight years later. In 1987, he became the first member of the chamber to voluntarily acknowledge he was gay. Two years later, he was involved in a scandal in which a live-in boyfriend operated a gay prostitute service from his home. The House ended up reprimanding Frank for the incident.

More recently, he has been one of President Obama's most important allies but also a target of Republicans. They accuse him of helping create the country's housing collapse by pushing the government and banks into approving loans to unqualified buyers.

In 2008, Frank was one of the writers of the Wall Street bailout, known as TARP. In 2010, as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, he co-wrote and assured passage of "Dodd-Frank," which enacted major Wall Street regulatory reforms.

Update at 1 p.m. ET. It's Official; Frank Says Redistricting Is The Reason:

The congressman is holding a news conference right now, and WBUR is webcasting here. As it reported earlier, "Massachusetts lawmakers just redrew Frank's current 4th Congressional District, making it larger and eliminating New Bedford, where he held a lot of support." The 71-year-old lawmaker says that running for re-election in a district that is "half new" would have required that he spend a lot of time introducing himself to new constituents. Instead, he says, he wants to concentrate for the next year on defending the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and making the case that deficit reduction requires raising taxes on the wealthy and trimming defense spending as well as other sacrifices.

Senator Higgins will not seek re-election

State Senator Linda Higgins, DFL-Minneapolis, announced today she will not seek re-election in 2012.

Sen. Higgins plans to complete her current term, which expires in January of 2013, and is looking forward to representing her constituents during the 2012 Legislative Session.

“I’ve been honored to serve the residents of North and Downtown Minneapolis for 15 years. I’m proud of what we have accomplished, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to serve our community.” Sen. Higgins was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1996 and represents the residents of North Minneapolis, North Loop, and Downtown in Senate District 58.

During her 15 years of service in the Senate, Sen. Higgins has held many leadership roles. She chaired the Senate’s Public Safety Budget Division from 2006 to 2010 and the State and Local Government Operations Committee from 2003 to 2006. She served as Majority Whip from 2001 to 2006. She currently is the DFL lead on the Senate’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

 Sen. Higgins is widely regarded as one of the Legislature’s most effective and outspoken advocates on environmental and consumer protection issues.

During her 15 years at the Senate, Sen. Higgins:

 · Wrote and passed toughest-in-the-nation predatory lending and foreclosure prevention laws with strong bipartisan support.

 · Passed legislation to make it easier for Minnesotans to recycle old televisions, computers or other “e-waste,” the largest source of lead found in Minnesota’s municipal waste.

 · Made Minnesota the first state in the nation to ban toxic metals like lead and cadmium from children’s toys and jewelry, and banned environmentally hazardous phosphorus from lawn fertilizers.

 · Passed bipartisan, groundbreaking legislation to establish a special sentencing program for veterans facing criminal prosecution who suffer from combat-related mental health disorders.

 · Was named to Senate negotiations team for bills on issues as diverse as eminent domain, Minnesota Twins ballpark, public safety and judiciary policy and funding, environmental policy and funding, healthcare policy and funding, and early childhood education policy and funding.

Senate DFL Caucus Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said Sen. Higgins’s leadership and experience would be sorely missed at the State Capitol. “Linda has been one of the strongest and most effective legislators in recent memory,” said Sen. Bakk. “When the foreclosure crisis struck North Minneapolis, Linda rolled up her sleeves and passed the toughest anti-predatory lending laws in the nation. She tackles difficult issues, but works across party lines to build consensus, remove barriers and deliver results for her constituents and our state.”

House members give farewell speeches

Click here to watch: Goodbye speeches by House Members

Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Office

House members give farewell speeches
published 5/16/2010

While several House members have previously announced their intention not to run for their seat, on the last night of session, Rep. Larry Haws (DFL-St. Cloud) announced during farewell speeches that he, too, is stepping down.

Other House members who previously announced they will not be seeking re-election are:

• Rep. Karla Bigham (DFL-Cottage Grove)
• Rep. Laura Brod (R-New Prague)
• Rep. Rob Eastlund (R-Isanti)
• Rep. Jeremy Kalin (DFL-North Branch)
• Rep. Paul Kohls (R-Victoria)
• Rep. Marty Seifert (R-Marshall)
• Rep. Cy Thao (DFL-St. Paul)

This year both the House and Senate are up for election, as are the executive branch offices. House members retiring to seek a different elected office are:

Governor
House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL-Mpls)
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Delano)

Secretary of State
Rep. Dan Severson (R-Sauk Rapids)

Senate seat
Rep. Doug Magnus (R-Slayton)

U.S. 1st Congressional District
Rep. Randy Demmer (R-Hayfield)

- Lee Ann Schutz

REP. JEREMY KALIN WILL NOT SEEK REELECTION IN 2010

MATT SWANSON, MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRSENTATIVES

State Representative Jeremy Kalin announced today that he will not seek re-election for a third term. He issued the following statement:

"Serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives is an incredible honor. I've been lucky enough to earn the trust of my neighbors all across Chisago County for two terms. I'm confident that I would have won their trust for another term, but my name won't be on the ballot in November.

“My wife and I were married during my first year in office. For 2 and a half years, we've managed the very hectic life of a State Representative from Chisago County and an ob-gyn phsyician delivering babies 45 miles away in Minneapolis. We've decided to take a break from campaigns and elected office and enjoy our lives together, while we can still call ourselves ‘newlyweds.’

"Public service is in my blood. I am sure that the call to serve our great state will be present throughout my life. For now, I am focused on the task at hand in the legislative session - Minnesota's short- and long-term economic recovery. I cannot say 'Thank You' often enough to the voters of Chisago County for the chance to be their voice in the Minnesota House. It is truly a privilege in every sense of the word."

- - - - - - -

Among his key accomplishments so far in his two terms, Rep. Kalin chief-authored two pieces of landmark legislation. In 2007, Kalin's first session in the House, Rep. Kalin worked with Sen. Scott Dibble and the Pawlenty administration to craft the Demand Efficiency Act, the nation's strongest energy conservation standard.

In 2009, Rep. Kalin was selected by the White House to chair CLEAN, the national Coalition of Legislators for Energy Action Now working with the Obama Administration and the U.S. Senate to pass comprehensive clean energy jobs and climate legislation.

In 2008, Kalin partnered with the Pentagon and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie to pass the Military and Overseas Voting Act. Kalin's leadership resulted in a 450 percent increase in military and overseas ballots getting counted in the 2008 election.

Rep. Kalin played a key role in several Chisago County initiatives, including securing state bonding funds to acquire and create Camp Ojiketa Regional Park in Chisago City. Kalin also helped deliver needed state funds to build the new North Branch bridge, and to advance the Highway 8 project to revitalize downtown Lindstrom. Rep. Kalin secured federal Recovery Act dollars to develop the carbon-neutral bio-business park in the Chisago Lakes area.

Rep. Kalin's pending legislation in the 2010 session include state incentives for investing in innovative clean energy technologies, as well as financial tools for homeowners and small businesses to reduce their energy costs. Kalin's Ratepayer Protection Act will provide needed electricity rate reforms to protect Minnesota consumers.

CY THAO, FIRST HMONG AMERICAN LEGISLATOR TO RETIRE

LEFT: Jermeiah Ellis, a candidate to replace Thao. RIGHT: Rep. Cy Thao is going to retire after 8 years in House.

BY RACHEL EGGERT, RACH'S POLITICAL REPORT

Cy Thao, first Hmong American elected as State Representative in Minnesota’s history will be announcing his retirement from Minnesota House of Representatives anytime soon.

He have been in House for 8 years (4 terms total) and is Chair of the Licensing Division committee and sits on a number of other committees including the Health Care and Human Service Finance Division and Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight committee.

He have been representing House District 65A that includes Frogtown, Summit-University, Midway and partly of old Rondo neighborhoods in addition to busy University Avenue.

Recently, he was fined by Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure for violation of campaign ethic that total up to $3,000. Racial bias may play major role in this situation.

If he decided to run again, his opponent would be Jeremiah Ellis, a former Congresswoman McCollum’s staffer and DFL activist. Ellis is going to run for his seat and seek DFL endorsement on March 6 at the endorsement convention at St. Paul Central High School.

Murphy will not seek re-election

Steve Murphy, an 18-year member of the Minnesota Senate, announced Friday that he will not seek re-election.

By: Mike Longaecker, The Republican Eagle

Steve Murphy, an 18-year member of the Minnesota Senate, announced Friday that he will not seek re-election.

"I just want to spend more time with my family and pursue some other interests," the Red Wing Democrat said in an interview with the R-E. "The Legislature always needs a healthy infusion of fresh blood."

Murphy's District 28 seat has drawn the interest of Red Wing Mayor John Howe, who announced last week he will seek the GOP endorsement.

No other candidates have stepped forward so far in the race.

Murphy said he hopes that the seat stays in Democratic control. But "unless the DFL poses a strong candidate," he would encourage Republican Rep. Tim Kelly to run for the seat.

"If Tim Kelly would run, Tim Kelly would win," Murphy said of the first-term lawmaker who defeated incumbent Democrat Sandy Wollschlager in 2008. "He has the right attitude and the right disposition to be a good senator."

For the entire story, see Saturday's print edition