Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Skip Navigation Links > >

Greenfield, Leon "Lee"

House 1979-82 (District 57B); House 1983-92 (District 61A); House 1993-2000 (District 62A)

Party when first elected:  Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Counties Served:  Hennepin

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 7/29/1941
Birth Place: New York City (Brooklyn), New York
Birth County:
Birth Country: United States
Date of Death: 2/7/2023
Gender: Male
Religion: Jewish
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names: Lee
City of Residence (when first elected): Minneapolis
Occupation (when first elected): Legislator

EDUCATION

Stuyvesant High School, New York, New York; Secondary;
Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana; B.S.; Physics
University of Minnesota; Attended Graduate School; Philosophy and History of Science, Ph.D. Candidate

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

County Board/Commissioner: Hennepin County, Minnesota (Health Policy Lobbyist); 2001 to 2008

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Marcia
Children:
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

"During his 22 years as a Legislator, Lee worked on a wide variety of issues, but was best known as one of the "Gang of Seven" who created MinnesotaCare in the 1991/92 biennium. Thousands and thousands of Minnesotans have had and will have access to health care because of Lee's work. Lee subsequently chaired the House Health and Human Services Finance Division, where he worked to improve the lives of nursing home residents and staff and low-income families and to protect vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect and financial exploitation." (Star Tribune, February 15, 2023)

Religion provided by the Jewish Community Relations Council.

Total Days Served: 8036

SESSIONS SERVED

81st Legislative Session (1999-2000)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 62A
Elected: 11/3/1998
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/5/1999 to 1/2/2001
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Health and Human Services Finance Minutes
  • Health and Human Services Policy Minutes
  • Ways and Means Minutes

80th Legislative Session (1997-1998)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 62A
Elected: 11/5/1996
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/7/1997 to 1/4/1999
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Health and Human Services Minutes
  • Health and Human Services: Health and Human Services Finance Division (Chair) Minutes
  • Rules and Legislative Administration
  • Transportation and Transit Minutes
  • Transportation and Transit: Transportation Operations Minutes

79th Legislative Session (1995-1996)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 62A
Elected: 11/8/1994
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/3/1995 to 1/6/1997
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Financial Institutions and Insurance
  • Health and Human Services
  • Health and Human Services: Health and Human Services Finance Division (Chair)
  • Housing

78th Legislative Session (1993-1994)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 62A
Elected: 11/3/1992
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/2/1995
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Financial Institutions and Insurance
  • Financial Institutions and Insurance: Insurance
  • Health and Human Services
  • Health and Human Services: Health and Housing Finance Division
  • Health and Human Services: Human Services Finance Division (Chair)
  • Rules and Legislative Administration
  • Ways and Means

77th Legislative Session (1991-1992)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 61A
Elected: 11/6/1990
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/8/1991 to 1/4/1993
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Appropriations
  • Appropriations: Human Resources Division (Chair)
  • Health and Human Services
  • Health and Human Services: Standards and Regulations
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Criminal Justice Division
  • Rules and Legislative Administration
  • Ways and Means

76th Legislative Session (1989-1990)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 61A
Elected: 11/8/1988
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/3/1989 to 1/7/1991
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Appropriations
  • Appropriations: Health and Human Services Division (Chair)
  • Health and Human Services
  • Health and Human Services: Social Services
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Criminal Justice Division
  • Judiciary: Facilities Assessment
  • Ways and Means

75th Legislative Session (1987-1988)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 61A
Elected: 11/4/1986
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/2/1989
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Appropriations
  • Appropriations: Health and Human Services Division
  • Health and Human Services (Chair)
  • Health and Human Services: Social Services
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Sentencing Guidelines

74th Legislative Session (1985-1986)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 61A
Elected: 11/6/1984
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/8/1985 to 1/5/1987
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Appropriations
  • Appropriations: Education Division
  • Crime and Family Law
  • Crime and Family Law: Family Law
  • Health and Human Services
  • Health and Human Services: Social Services

73rd Legislative Session (1983-1984)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 61A
Elected: 11/2/1982
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/7/1985
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Appropriations
  • Appropriations: Health, Welfare, and Corrections Division
  • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
  • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs: Gaming Division
  • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs: Veterans Affairs and Miscellaneous Legislation (Chair)
  • Health and Welfare
  • Health and Welfare: Social Services (Chair)

72nd Legislative Session (1981-1982)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 57B
Elected: 11/4/1980
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/6/1981 to 1/3/1983
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Energy
  • Financial Institutions and Insurance
  • Financial Institutions and Insurance: Insurance
  • Governmental Operations
  • Governmental Operations: Personnel
  • Health and Welfare
  • Health and Welfare: Health Care
  • Health and Welfare: Social Services

71st Legislative Session (1979-1980)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 57B
Elected: 11/7/1978
Residence: Minneapolis
Term of Office: 1/3/1979 to 1/5/1981
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Legislator
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Criminal Justice
  • Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement and Corrections
  • Energy and Utilities
  • Energy and Utilities: Alternative Energy Systems
  • Financial Institutions and Insurance
  • Financial Institutions and Insurance: Insurance
  • Health and Welfare
  • Health and Welfare: Health Services
Articles & Books About
"Leon 'Lee' Greenfield [obituary]." Star Tribune, February 15, 2023.

Maeda, David. "Health Care Pioneer." Session Weekly, St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives Information Office, April 7, 2000, p. 19.


District Files

District File - 2000 District 62A
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library has collected newspaper articles on legislators since 1973. They are available in the Library.