Steve Sviggum
Steve Sviggum | |
---|---|
56th Tom Pugh | |
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 28B, 26A, 25A district | |
In office January 3, 1979 – July 17, 2007 | |
Preceded by | James F. White |
Succeeded by | Steve Drazkowski |
Personal details | |
Born | regent, legislator | September 15, 1951
Steven A. Sviggum is a
Background
Of
Service and leadership in the Minnesota House
Sviggum was first elected to the House in 1978. He served as
In 2003 Sviggum alleged that then-State Representative Rebecca Otto had knowingly distributed false campaign materials. Otto was indicted, but the presiding judge dismissed the charges.[7]
In the 2006 election, the Democrats regained control of the House, ending Sviggum's tenure as Speaker. Though he won reelection to his House seat, he chose not seek a leadership position in the next session. Democrat Margaret Anderson Kelliher succeeded him as Speaker.[8]
State commissioner
On June 26, 2007, Governor
On December 2, 2010, in the waning days of the Pawlenty administration, Sviggum was appointed Commissioner of the Minnesota Management and Budget Office, the department responsible for preparing budget proposals for the governor.[11] He served just over a month, leaving office with Pawlenty on January 3, 2011.[12]
University of Minnesota regent
Sviggum and former Representative Laura Brod were elected to the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents on February 21, 2011, by a joint meeting of the Minnesota House and Senate. He is serving a six-year term on the 12-member body, which is charged with overseeing the University of Minnesota system.[13][14]
In 2022, Sviggum suggested that the University of Minnesota Morris might be "too diverse".[15] He said that two of his friends' children had not gone to Morris because they "just didn't feel comfortable there".[16]
Morris has a little over 1,000 students, of whom 54% are white and 41% are Black, Indigenous, and people of color.[17] When asked for a response to criticism of his remarks, he replied, "I was just asking a question. I'm sorry some feel the question might be offensive."[18]
Work with Minnesota senate
On January 16, 2012, Sviggum was named communications director and executive assistant for the Republican caucus in the
Sviggum admitted that taxpayers should not have paid for pamphlets created by the Minnesota Senate Republican communications department and used by 15 Republican Senators for Republican attendees of precinct caucuses. He publicly apologized for using taxpayer's resources to produce campaign materials.[20]
On June 11, 2012, the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings ruled that sufficient evidence existed for a complaint the
References
- ^ Senate GOP taps Sviggum as communications chief
- ^ "Sviggum, Steven A. "Steve" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present".
- ^ "Sviggum, Steven A. "Steve" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present".
- ^ Smith, Dane (April 18, 1992). "Sviggum chosen IR's leader in the House". Star Tribune.
- ^ "HHH : University of Minnesota - Home Page". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
- ^ "Sviggum, Steven A. "Steve" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present".
- ^ "Charges against Otto are dismissed".
- ^ "Sviggum, Steven A. "Steve" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present".
- ^ "HHH : University of Minnesota - Home Page". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
- ^ "Election Reporting". Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
- ^ Former House leader Sviggum named to budget post
- ^ "Sviggum, Steven A. "Steve" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present".
- ^ "Former legislators Brod, Sviggum among four U of M regents approved". February 21, 2011.
- ^ "The Kenyon Leader".
- ^ Zahneis, Megan (October 17, 2022). "A U. of Minnesota Regent Asks if One of the System's Campuses Is 'Too Diverse'". The Chronicle of Higher Education.
- ^ Tribune, Rochelle Olson Star. "Twin Cities Native American group wants Steve Sviggum removed from University of Minnesota Board of Regents immediately". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ "'Diversity is our strength,' says U of M board chair after Sviggum comments". MSN. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ Wiita, Tommy (October 17, 2022). "U of M regent under fire for suggesting 'diversity' causing low enrollment in Morris". Bring Me The News.
- ^ Senate GOP taps Sviggum as communications chief
- ^ Scheck, Thomas (February 14, 2012). "Sviggum apologizes for pamphlet mistake". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- ^ Scheck, Thomas (June 11, 2012). "DFLers cry foul over GOP fliers printed with public money". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved July 1, 2012.