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    Greenfield, Leon "Lee"

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    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.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 8036

    SESSIONS SERVED

    81st Legislative Session (1999-2000)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/1999
    Body: House
    District: 62A
    Elected: 11/3/1998
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/4/1999 to 12/31/2000
    Oath Date: 1/5/1999
    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   Convened Date: 1/7/1997
    Body: House
    District: 62A
    Elected: 11/5/1996
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/6/1997 to 1/3/1999
    Oath Date: 1/7/1997
    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   Convened Date: 1/3/1995
    Body: House
    District: 62A
    Elected: 11/8/1994
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/2/1995 to 1/5/1997
    Oath Date: 1/3/1995
    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
    term photo
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    78th Legislative Session (1993-1994)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/1993
    Body: House
    District: 62A
    Elected: 11/3/1992
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/4/1993 to 1/1/1995
    Oath Date: 1/5/1993
    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   Convened Date: 1/8/1991
    Body: House
    District: 61A
    Elected: 11/6/1990
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/7/1991 to 1/3/1993
    Oath Date: 1/8/1991
    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
    term photo
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    76th Legislative Session (1989-1990)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/1989
    Body: House
    District: 61A
    Elected: 11/8/1988
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/2/1989 to 1/6/1991
    Oath Date: 1/3/1989
    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   Convened Date: 1/6/1987
    Body: House
    District: 61A
    Elected: 11/4/1986
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/5/1987 to 1/1/1989
    Oath Date: 1/6/1987
    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   Convened Date: 1/8/1985
    Body: House
    District: 61A
    Elected: 11/6/1984
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/7/1985 to 1/4/1987
    Oath Date: 1/8/1985
    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
    term photo
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    73rd Legislative Session (1983-1984)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/4/1983
    Body: House
    District: 61A
    Elected: 11/2/1982
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/3/1983 to 1/6/1985
    Oath Date: 1/4/1983
    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   Convened Date: 1/6/1981
    Body: House
    District: 57B
    Elected: 11/4/1980
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/5/1981 to 1/2/1983
    Oath Date: 1/6/1981
    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
    term photo
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    71st Legislative Session (1979-1980)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/1979
    Body: House
    District: 57B
    Elected: 11/7/1978
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/1/1979 to 1/4/1981
    Oath Date: 1/3/1979
    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

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Articles & Books About

    News Sources

    The Library maintains newspaper clippings on individual legislators during their terms. Clippings are available from 1973 to the present in a variety of formats: 1973-1999, microfiche available at the Library; 2000-2009, scanned in yearly compilations and digitally available on the legislative network; 2009-present, archived in a searchable database maintained by the Library and available on the legislative network.

    District News Files

    2000 (62A)
    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

    Photographs

    Portrait of Leon Greenfield. c. 1991. Photo credit: Minnesota House of Representatives.
    Portrait of Leon Greenfield. c. 1981. Photo credit: Minnesota House of Representatives.

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