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Reichgott Junge, Ember D.

Senate 1983-2000 (District 46)

Party when first elected:  Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Counties Served:  Hennepin

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 8/22/1953
Birth Place:
Birth County:
Birth Country:
Date of Death:
Gender: Female
Religion:
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
Former Name: Reichgott
Alternate Spelling of Last Name: Junge
City of Residence (when first elected): Robbinsdale
Occupation (when first elected): Attorney

EDUCATION

Robbinsdale High School; Secondary; Valedictorian, 1970
St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota; B.A.; Psychology and Political Science, Summa Cum Laude, Shared Valedictorian, 1974
St. Thomas University; M.B.A.; 1991
Duke University Law School; J.D.; 1977

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Commission on the Economic Status of Women; 19?? to 19??
U.S. Legislative Staff/Council/Commission: United States Senate (College Intern in United States Senator Walter Mondale's Office); 19?? to ?

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Single (when first elected); Michael Junge (first listed in 1994)
Children:
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

Special Legislative Concerns: education, family violence and children's issues, crime prevention, ethics, business law issues, taxes/taxation, corporate issues, public finance, human services, judiciary, housing, energy, economic development, small business and corporate issues.

From 1983-1993 she was listed as Ember Reichgott. From 1994-1996 her last name was listed as Reichgott Junge. From 1997-2000 Reichgott was listed as her middle name and her last name was listed as Junge.

She ran as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party endorsed candidate for Minnesota Attorney General in the 1998 primary election which she lost to Mike Hatch.

She sought and lost the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party endorsement to Keith Ellison for the 5th Congressional House District in May 2006. Although she lost the endorsement, she still ran in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary which was won by Ellison.

Total Days Served: 6574

SESSIONS SERVED

81st Legislative Session (1999-2000) (second half of Senate term)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 46
Elected: 11/5/1996
Residence: New Hope
Term of Office: 1/7/1997 to 1/2/2001
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Children, Families and Learning
  • Children, Families and Learning/Education Finance: K-12 Education Budget Division
  • Crime Prevention
  • Election Laws
  • Judiciary/Crime Prevention/Human Resources Finance: Crime Prevention and Judiciary Budget Division
  • Rules and Administration
  • Rules and Administration: Bill Referral (Chair)
  • Rules and Administration: Committees
  • Rules and Administration: Ethical Conduct (Chair)
  • Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules (Chair)
  • Rules and Administration: Personnel
  • Rules and Administration: Senate Audit
  • State Government Finance
Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader

80th Legislative Session (1997-1998)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 46
Elected: 11/5/1996
Residence: New Hope
Term of Office: 1/7/1997 to 1/2/2001
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Children, Families and Learning
  • Children, Families and Learning/Education Finance: K-12 Education Budget Division
  • Crime Prevention
  • Election Laws
  • Judiciary/Crime Prevention/Human Resources Finance: Crime Prevention and Judiciary Budget Division
  • Rules and Administration
  • Rules and Administration: Bill Referral (Chair)
  • Rules and Administration: Committees
  • Rules and Administration: Ethical Conduct (Chair)
  • Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules (Chair)
  • Rules and Administration: Personnel
  • State Government Finance
Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader

79th Legislative Session (1995-1996) (second half of Senate term)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 46
Elected: 11/3/1992
Residence: New Hope
Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/6/1997
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Education
  • Education: Education Funding Division
  • Ethics and Campaign Reform
  • Judiciary
  • Rules and Administration
  • Rules and Administration: Bill Referral (Chair)
  • Rules and Administration: Committees
  • Rules and Administration: Ethical Conduct (Chair)
  • Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules (Chair)
  • Rules and Administration: Personnel
  • Taxes and Tax Laws
  • Taxes and Tax Laws: Income and Sales Tax
  • Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Tax
Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader

78th Legislative Session (1993-1994)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 46
Elected: 11/3/1992
Residence: New Hope
Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/6/1997
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Education
  • Education: Education Funding Division
  • Ethics and Campaign Reform
  • Judiciary (Chair)
  • Rules and Administration
  • Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
  • Taxes and Tax Laws
  • Taxes and Tax Laws: Income and Sales Tax (Chair)
  • Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Tax
Leadership Position: Majority Whip

77th Legislative Session (1991-1992)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 46
Elected: 11/6/1990
Residence: New Hope
Term of Office: 1/8/1991 to 1/4/1993
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Corporate Attorney
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Education
  • Education: Early Childhood/Special Populations
  • Education: Education Funding Division
  • Education: Governance and Structures
  • Energy and Public Utilities
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Civil Law Division
  • Redistricting
  • Taxes and Tax Laws
  • Taxes and Tax Laws: Income, Sales, and Economic Development Division
  • Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Taxes and Local Government Aids Division (Chair)
Leadership Position: Majority Whip

76th Legislative Session (1989-1990) (second half of Senate term)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 46
Elected: 11/4/1986
Residence: New Hope
Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/7/1991
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Corporate Attorney
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Economic Development and Housing
  • Education
  • Education: Education Funding Division
  • Education: Higher Education Division
  • Education: Joint Senate/House Library
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Civil Law Division (Chair)
  • Taxes and Tax Laws
  • Taxes and Tax Laws: Economic Development (Chair)
  • Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax Division

75th Legislative Session (1987-1988)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 46
Elected: 11/4/1986
Residence: New Hope
Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/7/1991
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Economic Development and Housing
  • Education
  • Education: Education Aids Division
  • Education: Higher Education Division
  • Education: Joint Senate/House Library
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Civil Law Division
  • Taxes and Tax Laws
  • Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax

74th Legislative Session (1985-1986) (second half of Senate term)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 46
Elected: 11/2/1982
Residence: New Hope
Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/5/1987
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Education
  • Education: Education Operation and Governance
  • Education: Post-Secondary and Higher Education
  • Energy and Housing
  • Energy and Housing: Energy
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Judicial Administration (Chair)
  • Judiciary: Revisor's Bill
  • Local and Urban Government
  • Local and Urban Government: Urban Government

73rd Legislative Session (1983-1984)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 46
Elected: 11/2/1982
Residence: Robbinsdale
Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/5/1987
Counties Represented: Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
  • Education
  • Education: Educational Operation and Governance
  • Education: Post-Secondary and Higher Education
  • Energy and Housing
  • Energy and Housing: Energy
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Judicial Administration (Chair)
  • Judiciary: Revisor's Bills
  • Local and Urban Government
  • Local and Urban Government: Urban Government
Articles & Books By
Reichgott Junge, Ember. "Could Public School Choice for Pre-K be a Solution to the Budget Impasse?" Minnpost, May 22, 2015.

Reichgott Junge, Ember. Zero Chance of Passage: the Pioneering Charter School Story. Edina, MN: Beaver's Pond Press, 2012.



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