Latest news with #MinnesotaLegislature
CBS News
01-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Boat permits, state constellation, anti-fraud measures: New Minnesota laws that take effect July 1
The Minnesota Legislature had a one-day June special session to complete the next $66 billion two-year state budget funding the state government and its programs and services. That spending kicks in July 1, along with a slate of new policies. The political makeup of the capitol is unique with a tied House for only the second time in state history. It's as closely divided as a Legislature can be in Minnesota — with 100 Republicans and 101 Democrats — which forced compromise. Here's a list of some of the new laws that take effect Tuesday: Boat permit requirements A bill approved two years ago takes effect Tuesday, requiring Minnesotans 21 and younger to have an operator's permit in order to drive a motorboat. That will expand to more age groups over the next several years. Anyone who rents a boat — regardless of their age — will need a permit, too. Anti-fraud measures In wake of high profile scandals like the Feeding Our Future scheme, the Legislature approved changes to increase oversight of public programs and prevent fraud. Under a new law, state agencies are allowed to withhold funding to organizations receiving state dollars for up to 60 days if there is significant evidence to suggest they have committed fraud. There is new training required for certain employees administering state grants and there are increased protections for whistleblowers who report wrongdoing. Lawmakers stopped short of passing an Office of Inspector General, an independent government watchdog agency, despite bipartisan support. Cannabis tax increase The gross receipts tax on cannabis sales increases from 10% to 15% before the legal adult-use market launches, despite pushback from the industry and advocates. It also applies to sales of hemp-derived THC edibles and beverages, which are already available on store shelves. New state symbols Minnesota has a state bird, drink, fish, flower and more. Now the giant beaver joins the list of state symbols as the state fossil, which got the most support when the Science Museum of Minnesota conducted a poll four years ago, according to the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislature also approved Ursa Minor, the "Little Dipper," as the state constellation. One of its stars is Polaris, "the North Star." Lane splitting for motorcycles Motorcyclists in Minnesota will be able to get through traffic jams a little quicker under a new law. Both "lane splitting" and "lane filtering" are legal starting Tuesday under certain circumstances. When there are two or more lanes of traffic going in the same direction, a motorcyclist can pass a vehicle in the same lane but no more than 25 miles per hour. Panel to find savings in special education Lawmakers are trying to pump the brakes on growing special education transportation costs, one of the largest drivers of a gap between spending and revenues that could lead to a deficit in future years. They trimmed how much districts are reimbursed by the state for those services — from 100% to 95% — and established a Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education to find more savings in the next budget. Its charge is to "develop and present to the legislature and the governor an action plan for transforming special education services while maintaining a free appropriate public education for students with disabilities" by Oct. 1 of next year. Expanding access to opioid overdose-reversal drug Following a recent law requiring doses of opioid overdose-reversal drug naloxone in K-12 school buildings, the Minnesota Legislature authorized high school students to administer naloxone to other students as needed. Schools that are part of the Minnesota State system are required to keep a supply of at least two doses of the opiate antagonist in residential buildings. The Board of Regents governing the University of Minnesota are requested to implement the same policy.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill Salisbury, a dean of Minnesota political reporting, dies at 80
Bill Salisbury, who in almost 50 years as a political reporter with the Pioneer Press covered 40 sessions of the Minnesota Legislature, eight governors as well as presidential visits and state and national political conventions and campaigns, died Monday at Lyngblomsten Care Center in St. Paul after a period of declining health. He was 80. A self-described 'newspaperman,' Salisbury noted that during his career 'assignments took me to Bosnia, the White House, conventions in New York, San Francisco and other major U.S. cities, a presidential limousine ride with Bill Clinton, factories and farms, prisons and jails, parks and sewers. I got to ask tough questions of high-ranking politicians and tell extraordinary stories of ordinary Minnesotans.' Armed with an affable nature, an objective approach — he called himself a 'political agnostic' — and quick mind, he worked the House and Senate chambers at the Minnesota Capitol as well as the halls where lobbyists and staff passed bits of news and rumor, as he made sense of policy and politics affecting the daily lives of readers. 'No one defined the Pioneer Press better than Bill,' said former executive editor Walker Lundy. 'No one knew his beat better. Most importantly, no one was a more decent human being. An editor looks for reporters he can always count on. Bill was one.' During a reception marking his retirement in 2015, Salisbury said some of the more memorable stories he covered included former Vice President Walter Mondale announcing Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate in 1984 at the Minnesota Capitol, the first time a woman was part of a national ticket. He also mentioned passage of the gay marriage bill in 2013. And, there was the death of U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone in a plane crash in 2002. Salisbury had known Wellstone since the college professor first ran for state auditor in the early 1980s. 'That was maybe the best campaign I covered and it was definitely the worst campaign I covered,' Salisbury recalled. Salisbury, who often specialized in covering the tax and spending bills, was 'infinitely fair' and didn't believe in 'gotcha' journalism, said longtime friend and colleague Steven Thomma, who now serves as the executive director of the White House Correspondents' Association. 'I knew him for nearly 40 years, and to this day, I have no idea who he voted for ever in an election. No idea,' Thomma said. 'We didn't talk about that stuff, and it didn't show in his journalism.' Thomma and Salisbury worked together at the state Capitol in the 1980s and in Washington, D.C. Salisbury ended every interview with a politician with the same question, Thomma said. 'He'd ask whoever he was interviewing — the governor, usually, 'Is there anything you want to add or emphasize?'' Thomma said. 'I remember that quote. I'm not sure it would make it into his story, but he gave them the chance of feeling that it was a conversation as much as it was anything else. It certainly wasn't a gotcha interview. Not from Bill Salisbury. He wanted to get information and find out what that person was doing and thinking, and that helped draw them out.' Rachel Stassen-Berger, who worked with Salisbury at the state Capitol for the Pioneer Press from 2001 to 2009 and from 2015 to 2017, said he drew respect from colleagues — those who worked with him and those he competed against on new stories. 'Bill was a consummate Capitol reporter, showing generations of journalists under the domed building how to be tough but fair, hard charging but respectful in our interactions,' said Stassen-Berger, who is now the executive editor of the Des Moines Register. 'In recent days, colleagues who worked with him and competed with him visited Bill to show their respect and admiration. Working beside him in the Capitol basement helped make the journalist I am.' Salisbury was born in Belgrade, Minn., on June 22, 1945. His father, the late E.R. Salisbury, was the editor and publisher of the weekly Belgrade Tribune. His mother, the late Marie Salisbury, was a homemaker and community activist who proofread his father's newspaper articles and called every home in town weekly to ask: 'Do you have any news for the Tribune?' He liked to say he launched his newspaper career as a preschooler with a 'typo.' 'Somehow I got behind my dad's newspaper printing press, pulled the letter 'B' from Tribune at the top of the front page and put it back in upside down. That week subscribers received the 'Belgrade Triqune.' My dad found it amusing but made sure it never happened again.' Upon graduating from Belgrade High School in 1963, Salisbury attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., for one year, transferred to the University of Minnesota journalism school for two quarters, and then dropped out of school and landed a job as a copy boy at U.S. News & World Report magazine in Washington, D.C. Soon after he recalled that his draft board threatened to revoke his student deferment, so he enrolled at the University of Minnesota Morris, where he earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1969. While attending school in Morris he met Janet Holt, the love of his life. They were married in Alexandria, Minn., in 1968. Janet died in 2016. The couple had one daughter, Rachael, who was born in 1969 and became a talented musician. She died in 2020. Salisbury landed his first daily newspaper reporting job at the Fairmont, Minn., Sentinel in 1971. He moved to the Rochester Post Bulletin in 1972 and was appointed their state Capitol correspondent in 1975. The Pioneer Press hired him as a general assignment reporter in 1977 and he was assigned to their Capitol bureau the following year. He served as the paper's Washington, D.C., correspondent from 1994 through 1999, before returning to the state Capitol. Salisbury retired from that beat in 2015 but continued to cover politics and government for the paper part time. Ethics mattered to Salisbury. He would tell a story of declining the offer of an ice cream cone from then-President Barack Obama during a visit in St. Paul on the grounds that he couldn't take gifts of any sort from politicians. He is survived by a sister, Wilma Salisbury of Euclid, Ohio, and son-in-law Pierre Dimba of Shoreview. He also is survived by sisters-in-law Margaret Lichty and Judy Holt, and brothers-in-law Alan Lichty, Robert Holt and Dale Logan. Salisbury's last piece for the Pioneer Press was on Aug. 11, 2024, on Vice President Kamala Harris' selection of Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate and past Minnesotans on the national ticket. He continued reporting part time after retirement 'because I enjoyed meeting people and learning new things,' he said. Journalism provided him with a 'sense of purpose' and allowed him to serve others. 'But most meaningful to me, I got to meet and occasionally befriend a lot of smart, good-hearted folks who brought much joy to my life,' Salisbury said. This story will update later today. Former Pioneer Press Twins writer Scott Miller dies at 62 Obituary: Bev Schultz, former mayor of Bayport, 'didn't do anything halfway' Sly Stone, leader of funk revolutionaries Sly and the Family Stone, dies at 82 Obituary: Col. Thomas Simonet helped lead I-35W bridge collapse response — and umpire vintage baseball Vikings legend Jim Marshall dies at age of 87
Gizmodo
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
Minnesota Shooter Wrote Letter Claiming Tim Walz Told Him to Kill Amy Klobuchar
Vance Boelter, the man accused of killing a member of the Minnesota legislature and her husband, and severely injuring another Democratic legislator and his wife, was a prepper who told his family to flee to neighboring Wisconsin if anything bad happened, according to a new report from the Star Tribune. The alleged killer even claimed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz instructed him to kill Sen. Amy Klobuchar in a letter the newspaper described as 'rambling and conspiratorial.' The letter is described as 1.5 pages long and 'incoherent,' claiming that Boelter was secretly trained by the U.S. military 'off the books.' The letter was found in Boelter's car, according to the Star Tribune, and says that Walz wanted Klobuchar killed so that the governor could run for senate, something he's expressed no desire to do. There's no evidence anything in the letter is true, but that hasn't stopped conspiracy theorists on X from insisting it's evidence that Boelter is actually left wing. The 57-year-old Boelter allegedly killed state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband in the early morning hours of June 14 disguised as a police officer. Boelter wore a mask and repeatedly shouted 'This is the police. Open the door,' after arriving at the home around 2:00 a.m. local time. After killing Hortman and her husband he moved on to the home of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. Police first thought Boelter was a fellow officer when they arrived but figured it out and exchanged gunfire, according to court documents. Boelter's apparent desire to be prepared for extremist scenarios shows up repeatedly in the unsealed court documents. A police search of Boelter's car found 'semi-automatic, assault-style rifles, as well as a large quantity of ammunition organized into loaded magazines,' along with wound treatment supplies and eye masks for sleeping. Boelter, who harbored far-right extremist views on everything from abortion to LGBT rights, allegedly told his family about a 'bailout plan' if anything happened, according to the Star Tribune, which his wife may have followed. Police used cellphone tracking to determine the location of Boelter's wife later in the morning of June 14 and found her at 6:18 a.m., according to court documents. She was pulled over and consented to a search of her phone, which revealed that she and others in the family received a text that read, 'Dad went to war last night… I don't wanna say more because I don't wanna implicate anybody.' Boelter apparently told his family to leave their house because he was afraid police would come looking. Another text to his family read: 'Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation… there's gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don't want you guys around.' Police found two handguns in the car of Boelter's wife along with about $10,000 in cash, according to the documents. Her passport and passports for her children were also in the car. In one of the most interesting details from the case, Boelter allegedly used data broker websites that compile information on private citizens to figure out where to find his targets. The list of targets included dozens of people. According to the court filing, the websites Boelter listed in a notebook included: Boelter faces faces six federal charges for the shooting and local prosecutors have said they plan to pursue a first-degree murder charge against the man. There was an outcry on social media after it was revealed Hennepin County prosecutors had only filed second degree murder charges but first degree murder can only be brought in Minnesota after evidence is presented to a grand jury.
17-06-2025
- Politics
After Minnesota shooting, some states are more tightly guarding officials' personal information
LOS ANGELES -- Lawmakers in some states are moving to delete their home addresses from online directories and Wisconsin legislators are seeking added security for a session this week after one Minnesota legislator was killed and another wounded in their suburban Minneapolis homes last weekend in what Gov. Tim Walz described as a targeted political attack. Vance Boelter is in federal custody facing murder and stalking charges in the shooting death of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Authorities say he also shot and wounded Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Boelter, 57, also faces state murder charges. Authorities said Boelter had a list of dozens of state and federal elected officials in Minnesota and meticulous notes on the homes and people he targeted early Saturday. He also stopped by the homes of two other legislators that night, according to police. Authorities say he found their addresses in a variety of internet searches. The Minnesota Legislature's website lists the addresses of members' offices in the state capital of St. Paul, not their home addresses. On Saturday, the North Dakota Legislature's staff agency removed lawmakers' addresses from their biographical webpages as a result of the targeted attacks in Minnesota, Legislative Council Director John Bjornson said. Most North Dakota lawmakers opt to give a home, business or postal box address on their webpage, where the public also can find their email addresses and phone numbers. Removing addresses of elected officials is a difficult decision because they have to be approachable, open and transparent, said Burleigh County Sheriff Kelly Leben, whose county is home to North Dakota's capital city. 'I think it's a balancing act between being a public official and the safety of myself and my family,' the elected county sheriff said. All home addresses for New Mexico legislators were also removed from the Statehouse website as an immediate precaution, said Shawna Casebier, director of the Legislature's legal office. Personal information on the website already had been limited at the discretion of individual lawmakers in the aftermath of drive-by shootings at the homes of four Democratic state and local lawmakers in Albuquerque in 2022 and 2023. In Colorado, at least 31 elected officials have filed requests to remove their personal contact information from a public-facing state campaign finance database called TRACER, which was briefly taken down Saturday so those requests could be fulfilled. 'We did so out of an abundance of caution for the safety of elected officials in an unprecedented political climate,' Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement. The Colorado development was first reported by Axios. Lawmakers in Wisconsin requested additional security for when the state Assembly meets on Wednesday, said Luke Wolff, spokesperson for Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. Wolff did not detail what was requested or what changes may be made. The Wisconsin Capitol is one of the most open in the country, with public access seven days a week, no metal detectors, screening checkpoints or security badges required to gain entry. There are galleries in both the Senate and Assembly where the public can view legislative debate. Even before the Minnesota shooting, states in recent years have stepped up efforts to shield the personal information of officials in response to high-profile attacks. One day before the Minnesota killings, Oregon lawmakers passed a bill that would prohibit the Oregon Secretary of State from making the residential addresses of those associated with a candidates' campaign committee viewable by the public on its electronic filing system. The campaign filings would still be viewable online, but home addresses would be redacted, unless the person asks the Secretary of State's office to publish it. A public records request would need to be filed to obtain such addresses. Louisiana lawmakers passed a bill last week that adds statewide elected officials and legislators to the list of people who can ask that their personal information be removed from public records and the internet. Certain judges were already on the list. Officials can seek to have home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, date of birth, marital status, school or daycare of their child, their place of worship or employment location of their spouse removed. Under current law, if person does not comply with the removal request, they can be sued and face up to 90 days in prison or $1,000 fine for the misdemeanor. The measure still needs final approval from Gov. Jeff Landry, one of the Louisiana officials whose private information would be protected. Georgia legislators passed a law earlier this year to require that home addresses of candidates who file campaign finance reports, including themselves, be redacted from by the state Ethics Commission from public view. The action came after a number of Georgia officials were targeted by swatting incidents in December 2023. Lawmakers also passed a second law which removes the personal phone number, home address, and property or tax records of a judge or their spouse from public view. Records covered include voter registration and corporation records. The Illinois State Board of Elections stopped publishing the street addresses of candidates for political office on its website last year, spokesperson Matt Dietrich said. Lawmakers had raised concerns after protestors picketed the home of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the state librarian, over legislation he pushed through the General Assembly that would cut state funding to libraries that ban books. Candidates' addresses remain on elections board documents that are no longer published on the web but accessible via public records request. In 2020, a gunman posing as a delivery driver shot and killed the 20-year-old son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in New Jersey and injured her husband at their family home. The state legislature passed a law later that year by that exempted the home addresses of current or retired judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers from disclosure under public records laws. The measure, called Daniel's Law in honor of the judge's son, also allowed officials to ask websites to remove their home addresses. Maryland enacted a law in 2024 preventing individuals from publishing judges' personal information online after a circuit court judge was shot by a man hours after the judge ruled against him in a divorce case. Judges can submit requests to government entities and private websites to remove information like phone numbers, social security numbers, and personal emails.
1News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- 1News
Man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers caught
The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another crawled to officers in surrender after they located him in the woods near his home, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge. Vance Boelter was arrested today and charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder. He is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Sunday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Authorities say he also shot Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence about about 15 kilometres away. 'One man's unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,' Democratic Governor Tim Walz said at a news conference after Boelter's arrest. The search for Boelter was the 'largest manhunt in the state's history,' Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. ADVERTISEMENT It began when Brooklyn Park officers went to check on Hortman's home and saw her husband gunned down before the shooter fled. Authorities today located a vehicle Boelter was using abandoned in rural Sibley County, where he lived, and a police officer reported that he believed he saw Boelter running into the woods, Bruley said. Police set up a large perimeter and called in 20 different tactical teams, divvying up the area and searching for him. During the search, police said they received information confirming someone was in the woods and searched for hours, using a helicopter and officers on foot, until they found Boelter. He surrendered to police, crawling out to officers in the woods before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said. This combo from photos provided by Minnesota Legislature shows from left, Senator John A. Hoffman and Rep. Melissa Hortman. (Source: Associated Press) Earlier Sunday Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said at a news conference a nationwide warrant was out for the suspect's arrest. Evans said authorities found a car very early Monday that they believed Boelter was using, a few miles from his home in Green Isle, in the farm country about an hour west of Minneapolis. He also said they found evidence in the car that was relevant to the investigation, but did not provide details. ADVERTISEMENT On Sunday evening, US Senator Amy Klobuchar shared a statement from Yvette Hoffman expressing appreciation for the outpouring of public support. 'John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,' Yvette Hoffman said in a text that Klobuchar posted on social media. 'He took nine bullet hits. I took eight, and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark. We have no words. There is never a place for this kind of political hate.' Bullet holes mark the front door of the house of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife who were shot earlier in the day. (Source: Associated Press) Authorities named Boelter, 57, as a suspect, saying he wore a mask as he posed as a police officer, even allegedly altering a vehicle to make it look like a police car. Evens confirmed that investigators found a cowboy hat near the vehicle and believe it belonged to Boelter. The superintendent also said authorities interviewed Boelter's wife and other family members in connection with Sunday's shootings. He said they were cooperative and were not in custody. The FBI had issued a reward of up to US$50,000 (NZ$83,029) for information leading to his arrest and conviction. They circulated a photo taken on Sunday of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings. ADVERTISEMENT More than 100 law enforcement officers, including SWAT teams, were searching the area, including nearby homes, Evans said. He also said they had received more than 400 tips from the public. The earlier search happened in rural Sibley County, roughly 80 kilometres southwest of Minneapolis, where Boelter had a home with his wife and five children. Residents in the area received an emergency alert about the located vehicle that warned them to lock their doors and cars. A crowd of officers were seen congregated on a dirt road near the abandoned dark sedan. Some officers broke off and walked into a wooded area off the road. The car was later towed away. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including a push to lift our superannuation age, rising Middle East tensions, and Auckland's amateur footballers face off against global giants. (Source: 1News) The shootings come as political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions. Lawmakers said they were disturbed by the attacks as Twin Cities residents mourned. Brightly coloured flowers and small American flags were placed Monday on the grey marbled stone of the Minnesota State Capitol along with a photo of the Hortmans. People scrawled messages on small notes, including, 'You were our leader through the hardest of times. Rest in Power.' Pam Stein came with flowers and knelt by the memorial. An emotional Stein called Hortman an 'absolute powerhouse' and 'the real unsung hero of Minnesota government'. ADVERTISEMENT No details on motive (Source: Associated Press) Authorities have not yet given details on a motive. A list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from the fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene, the officials said. The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about healthcare facilities, according to the officials. Evans clarified that while he described the materials on Sunday as a 'manifesto', the papers were not a political or ideological treatise. He said it was more of a notebook, listing lawmakers and other people, with various thoughts mixed in. He declined to give details. An amed FBI agent in an armoured vehicle takes part in the search for an active shooter. (Source: Associated Press) A Minnesota official told AP that lawmakers who had been outspoken in favour of abortion rights were on the list. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. ADVERTISEMENT The attacks prompted warnings to other state elected officials and the cancellation of planned 'No Kings' demonstrations against President Donald Trump, though some went ahead anyway, including one that drew tens of thousands to the State Capitol in St Paul. Authorities said the suspect had 'No Kings' flyers in his car. Law enforcement agents recovered several AK-style firearms from the suspect's vehicle, and he was believed to still be armed with a pistol, a person familiar with the matter told AP. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. The suspect This image provided by the FBI on Saturday, June 14, 2025, shows part of a poster with photos of Vance L. Boelter. (Source: Associated Press) Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other. Boelter texted friends to apologise for his actions, though he didn't say what he had done. 'I'm going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both, and I wish it hadn't gone this way. … I'm sorry for all the trouble this has caused," he wrote in messages viewed by AP. ADVERTISEMENT Two Democrats targeted Police first responded to reports of gunfire at the Hoffmans' home on Sunday and found the couple with multiple gunshot wounds. Local police from Brooklyn Park were assisting with the call and decided to proactively check on Hortman's home nearby, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said Sunday. A Sibley County Sheriff's Deputy blocks the road where the suspect involved in the shooting of two state lawmakers vehicle was found (Source: Associated Press) There, they encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle and a man dressed as an officer leaving the house. Officers confronted him, he fired at them, and officers returned fire. The suspect then retreated back into the home and fled on foot, Bruley said. On social media, Governor Tim Walz remembered Hortman on Sunday as 'the most consequential Speaker in state history'. Hortman, 55, had been the top Democratic leader in the state House since 2017. She led Democrats in a three-week walkout at the beginning of this year's session in a power struggle with Republicans. Under a power-sharing agreement, she turned the gavel over to Republican Representative Lisa Demuth and assumed the title speaker emerita. ADVERTISEMENT Hortman used her position as speaker in 2023 to champion expanded protections for abortion rights, including legislation to solidify Minnesota's status as a refuge for patients from restrictive states who travel to the state to seek abortions, and to protect providers who serve them. The couple had an adult son and an adult daughter. Hoffman, 60, was first elected in 2012 and was chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the biggest parts of the state budget. He and his wife have one adult daughter.
