70th Minnesota Legislature
{{Short description|1977 to 1978 legislative session}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox legislative session
| name = Seventieth Minnesota Legislature
| image = Minnesota State Capitol.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption =
| body = Minnesota Legislature
| country = United States
| state = Minnesota
| meeting_place = Minnesota State Capitol
| election =
| government =
| term_start = {{Start date|1977|01|04}}
| term_end = {{End date|1979|01|02}}
| before = 69th Minnesota Legislature
| after = 71st Minnesota Legislature
| website = {{URL|www.leg.state.mn.us/}}
| chamber1 = Minnesota State Senate
| membership1 = 67 Senators
| control1 = Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
| chamber1_leader1_type = President
| chamber1_leader1 = Edward J. Gearty
| chamber1_leader2_type = Majority Leader
| chamber1_leader2 = Nick Coleman
| chamber1_leader3_type = Minority Leader
| chamber1_leader3 = Robert O. Ashbach
| chamber1_leader4_type =
| chamber1_leader4 =
| chamber1_leader5_type =
| chamber1_leader5 =
| chamber2 = Minnesota House of Representatives
| membership2 = 134 Representatives
| control2 = Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
| chamber2_leader1_type = Speaker
| chamber2_leader1 = Martin O. Sabo
| chamber2_leader2_type = Majority Leader
| chamber2_leader2 = Irv Anderson
| chamber2_leader3_type = Minority Leader
| chamber2_leader3 = Henry J. Savelkoul
| chamber2_leader4_type =
| chamber2_leader4 =
| chamber2_leader5_type =
| chamber2_leader5 =
| session1_start =
| session1_end =
}}
The seventieth Minnesota Legislature first convened on January 4, 1977. The 67 members of the Minnesota Senate and the 134 members of the Minnesota House of Representatives were elected during the General Election of November 2, 1976. It was the first Minnesota Legislature since the thirty-eighth Minnesota Legislature whose members of the Minnesota Senate were chosen in partisan elections.
Sessions
The legislature met in a regular session from January 4, 1977 to May 23, 1977. A continuation of the regular session was held between January 17, 1978 and March 24, 1978. There were no special sessions of the 70th Legislature.{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/histleg/sessions.aspx|title=Sessions of the Minnesota State Legislature and the Minnesota Territorial Legislature, 1849-present.|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=8 November 2017}}
Party summary
:Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Membership changes" section, below.
= Senate =
class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |
style="vertical-align:bottom;"
! rowspan=3 | (Shading indicates majority caucus)
! rowspan=3 | Total ! rowspan=3 | Vacant |
style="height:5px"
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | style="background-color:{{party color|Independent (United States)}}" | | style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | |
DFL
! Ind. ! IR |
---|
style="white-space:nowrap; font-size:80%;"| End of previous Legislature
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 37 | 1 | 28 ! 66 | 1 |
colspan=5 | |
style="font-size:80%" | Begin
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 48 | rowspan=6 | 0 | rowspan=3 | 18 ! 66 | 1 |
style="font-size:80%" | February 15, 1977
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 49 ! 67 | 0 |
style="font-size:80%" | November 1, 1977
| rowspan=2 {{party shading/Democratic}} | 48 ! 66 | 1 |
style="font-size:80%" | December 9, 1977
| rowspan=2 | 19 ! 67 | 0 |
style="font-size:80%" | December 1, 1978
| rowspan=2 {{party shading/Democratic}} | 47 ! 66 | 1 |
style="font-size:80%" | December 29, 1978
| 20 ! 67 | 0 |
Latest voting share
! {{percentage|47|67|0}} ! {{percentage|0|67|0}} ! {{percentage|20|67|0}} ! colspan=2 | |
colspan=4 | |
style="white-space:nowrap; font-size:80%;"| Beginning of the next Legislature
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 47 | 0 | 20 ! 67 | 0 |
= House of Representatives =
class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |
style="vertical-align:bottom;"
! rowspan=3 | (Shading indicates majority caucus)
! rowspan=3 | Total ! rowspan=3 | Vacant |
style="height:5px"
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | |
DFL
! IR |
---|
style="white-space:nowrap; font-size:80%;"| End of previous Legislature
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 103 | 31 ! 134 | 0 |
colspan=5 | |
style="font-size:80%" | Begin
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 104 | rowspan=2 | 30 ! 134 | 0 |
style="font-size:80%" | February 15, 1977
| rowspan=2 {{party shading/Democratic}} | 103 ! 133 | 1 |
style="font-size:80%" | March 18, 1977
| rowspan=2 | 31 ! 134 | 0 |
style="font-size:80%" | July 31, 1977
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 102 ! rowspan=2 | 133 | rowspan=2 | 1 |
style="font-size:80%" | August 1977{{#tag:ref|Al Wieser disaffiliated from the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and joined the Independent-Republican Party of Minnesota in August 1977.{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10712|title=Wieser, Jr., Al W.|work=Legislators Past & Present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=9 November 2017}}|name="Al_Wieser_party"|group="nb"}}
| rowspan=2 {{party shading/Democratic}} | 101 | 32 |
style="font-size:80%" | October 11, 1977
| rowspan=2 | 33 ! 134 | 0 |
style="font-size:80%" | November 4, 1977
| rowspan=2 {{party shading/Democratic}} | 100 ! 133 | 1 |
style="font-size:80%" | December 19, 1977
| 34 ! rowspan=2 | 134 | rowspan=2 | 0 |
style="font-size:80%" | March 21, 1978{{#tag:ref|Glen Sherwood disaffiliated from the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and joined the Independent-Republican Party of Minnesota on March 21, 1978.{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10611|title=Sherwood, Glen A.|work=Legislators Past & Present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=9 November 2017}}|name="Glen_Sherwood_party"|group="nb"}}
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 99 | 35 |
Latest voting share
! {{percentage|99|134|0}} ! {{percentage|35|134|0}} ! colspan=2 | |
colspan=5 | |
style="white-space:nowrap; font-size:80%;"| Beginning of the next Legislature
| 67 | 67 ! 134 | 0 |
Leadership
= Senate =
;President of the Senate
:Edward J. Gearty (DFL-Minneapolis){{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/histleg/spres.aspx|title=President and President Pro Tempore of the Minnesota Senate, 1849-present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=9 November 2017}}
;Senate Majority Leader
:Nicholas D. Coleman (DFL-Saint Paul){{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/histleg/smajmin.aspx|title=Majority and Minority Leaders of the Minnesota Senate, 1933-present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=9 November 2017}}
;Senate Minority Leader
:Robert O. Ashbach (IR-St. Paul)
= House of Representatives =
;Speaker of the House
:Martin O. Sabo (DFL-Minneapolis){{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/histleg/speakers.aspx|title=Speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives, 1849-present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=9 November 2017}}
;House Majority Leader
:Irvin N. Anderson (DFL-International Falls){{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/histleg/hmajmin.aspx|title=Majority and Minority Leaders of the Minnesota House of Representatives, 1901-present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=9 November 2017}}
;House Minority Leader
:Henry J. Savelkoul (IR-Albert Lea)
Members
= Senate =
class="wikitable sortable"
! Name ! District ! City ! Party |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 19 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 48 | IR |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 39 | Edina | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 38 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 22 | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 13 | Brainerd | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 33 | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 66 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Chmielewski, Sr., Florian W. | 14 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 65 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 60 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 62 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 18 | IR |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 25 | Randolph | IR |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 32 | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 54 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 35 | Mabel | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 01 | Hallock | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 50 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 44 | New Hope | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 28 | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 06 | Cook | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 40 | Hopkins | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 59 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 37 | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 17 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 49 | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 61 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 53 | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 34 | Lewiston | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 03 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 41 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 45 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 67 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 26 | Edgerton | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 47 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 49 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 02 | Ada | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 31 | Austin | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 20 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 58 | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 11 | Herman | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 27 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 30 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 05 | Chisholm | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 10 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 42 | Wayzata | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 24 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 23 | Le Sueur | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 46 | Fridley | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 36 | Jordan | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 16 | Albany | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 21 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 63 | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 51 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 09 | Moorhead | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 07 | Duluth | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 57 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 43 | Plymouth | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 55 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 15 | Cyrus | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 64 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 56 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 29 | Mankato | IR |
{{Party shading/Republican}}
| 08 | Duluth | IR |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 52 | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 12 | Bertha | DFL |
{{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 04 | DFL |
= House of Representatives =
class="wikitable sortable"
! Name ! District ! City ! Party |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 38B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 44B | New Hope | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 23A | Brownton | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 26A | Slayton | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 15A | Starbuck | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 15B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 03A | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 10B | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 41A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 06B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 09A | Moorhead | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 06A | Eveleth | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 56B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 59A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 08B | Duluth | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 32A | Owatonna | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 24B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 61A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 01A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 16B | Richmond | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 64B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 58B | IR |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 14A | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 44A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 56A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 60A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 19A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 63B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 01B | Oklee | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 29A | Mankato | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 22B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 58A | IR |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 21B | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 28B | New Ulm | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 02B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 45B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 60B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 26B | Hills | IR |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 28A | IR |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 10A | IR |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 40A | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 63A | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 11B | Brandon | IR |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 39A | Edina | IR |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 32B | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 55A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 05A | Virginia | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 50A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 21A | Raymond | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 62B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 35A | Preston | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 43A | Plymouth | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 37A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 47A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 07B | Duluth | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 53B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 23B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 42A | Mound | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 57A | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 33A | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 30A | Walters | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 66B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 02A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 67A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 53A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 43B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 40B | Hopkins | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 50B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 54A | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 22A | IR |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 51A | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 09B | Glyndon | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 08A | Duluth | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 34A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 19B | Anoka | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 27A | Windom | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 46A | Unknown | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 49B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 36A | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 18B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 52A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 65B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 07A | Duluth | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 14B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 49A | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 12A | Staples | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 13B | Aitkin | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 59B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 16A | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 65A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 48A | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 22B | Cokato | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 64A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 17A | Sartell | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 17B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 27B | Fairmont | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 41B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 39B | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 03B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 35A | Fountain | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 31B | Austin | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 54B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 48B | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 57B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 13A | Brainerd | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 55B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 31A | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 45A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 25B | Goodhue | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 30B | Waseca | IR |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 42B | Wayzata | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 21B | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 04B |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 52B | Hastings | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 51B | Newport | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 46B | Fridley | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 61B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 20A | Madison | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 05B | Hibbing | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 04A | Bemidji | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 20B | Marshall | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 34B | Winona | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 36B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 37B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 67B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 24A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 47B | Blaine | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 66A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 18A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 11A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 12B | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 25A | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 35B |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 29B | IR |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 38A | DFL |
{{party shading/Democratic}}
| 62A | DFL |
{{party shading/Republican}}
| 33B | IR |
Membership changes
=Senate=
class="wikitable sortable" |
style="vertical-align:bottom;"
! District ! Vacated by ! Reason for change ! Successor ! Date successor |
21
| nowrap | None | Incumbent DFLer and then-Senate President Alec G. Olson had been reelected during the General Election of 1976. However, during the same election cycle, U.S. Senator Walter Mondale was elected Vice President of the United States, causing Mondale to resign from the U.S. Senate. Governor Wendell Anderson proceeded to appoint himself to Mondale's vacated seat, which caused Lieutenant Governor Rudy Perpich to succeed to the office of Governor, and hence created a vacancy in the office of Lieutenant Governor. As per the provisions of the Minnesota Constitution, Olson, as the last-elected President of the Senate, then succeeded to the office of Lieutenant Governor, causing him to automatically resign his seat in the Minnesota Senate effective December 29, 1976. Thus, this seat was already vacant when the 70th Legislature convened. | nowrap {{party shading/Democratic}} | A. O.H. Setzepfandt |
49
| nowrap {{party shading/Democratic}} | John Watson Milton | Milton resigned effective November 1, 1977.{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10431|title=Milton, John Watson|work=Legislators Past & Present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=9 November 2017}} | nowrap {{party shading/Republican}} | Delores J. Knaak |
13
| nowrap {{party shading/Democratic}} | Winston W. Borden | Borden resigned to become the Executive Secretary of the Minnesota Association of Commerce and Industry.{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10070|title=Borden, Winston W. "Win"|work=Legislators Past & Present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=9 November 2017}} | nowrap {{party shading/Republican}} | David E. Rued |
=House of Representatives=
class="wikitable sortable" |
style="vertical-align:bottom;"
! District ! Vacated by ! Reason for change ! Successor ! Date successor |
21B
| nowrap {{party shading/Democratic}} | A. O.H. Setzepfandt | Setzepfandt resigned from the Minnesota House of Representatives after having won the special election to represent district 21 in the Minnesota Senate. | nowrap {{party shading/Republican}} | Gaylin L.R. Den Ouden |
22B
| nowrap {{party shading/Democratic}} | Harold J. Dahl | Dahl resigned on July 31, 1977 to accept appointment as a judge.{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10120|title=Dahl, Harold J. "Howard"|work=Legislators Past & Present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=9 November 2017}} | nowrap {{party shading/Republican}} | Tony Onnen |
35A
| nowrap {{party shading/Democratic}} | Neil Sherman Haugerud | Haugerud resigned on November 4, 1977, to accept appointment by President Jimmy Carter to serve on the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission.{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10246|title=Haugerud, Neil Sherman|work=Legislators Past & Present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=9 November 2017}} | nowrap {{party shading/Republican}} | Elton R. Redalen |
Notes
References
{{Reflist}}
- [https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/results?search=session&gender=both&sess=70&body=senate&q= Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Session Search Results (Session 70, Senate)]
- [https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/results?search=session&gender=both&sess=70&body=house&q= Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Session Search Results (Session 70, House)]
{{Minnesota Legislatures}}