Kalis, Henry J.
House 1975-82 (District 30A); House 1983-92 (District 29B); House 1993-2002 (District 26B)
Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Counties Served:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Martin, Waseca
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
3/2/1937
Birth Place:
Easton, Minnesota
Birth County:
Faribault
Birth Country:
Date of Death:
9/12/2018
Gender:
Male
Religion:
Catholic
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
City of Residence (when first elected):
Walters
Occupation (when first elected):
Farmer
EDUCATION
Kiester High School; Secondary; Graduate, 1955
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
County Board/Commissioner:
Faribault County, Minnesota (County Welfare Board);
[Dates Unknown]
County Board/Commissioner:
Faribault County, Minnesota (County Planning and Zoning Commission);
[Dates Unknown]
County Board/Commissioner:
Tri-County Human Services Board;
[Dates Unknown]
Military:
United States Army, and Minnesota National Guard, Company A, 147th Division (4 years);
19?? to 19??
Municipal Government:
Foster Township, Minnesota (Fire Department Rescue Squad);
19?? to 19??
Municipal Government:
Foster Township, Minnesota (Town Treasurer);
19?? to 19??
Municipal Board/Commission:
Foster Township, Minnesota (Township Board);
19?? to 19??
County Board/Commissioner:
Faribault County, Minnesota (County Commissioner);
1970 to 01/01/1975
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse:
Violet (married on November 28, 1959)
Children:
Four children: Joe, John, Jacqueline, and Jeffrey
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
GENERAL NOTES
His "proudest legislative accomplishment is passage of the Groundwater Protection Act of 1989." (Star Tribune, November 2, 2002)
Religion provided by the Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1999-2000.
His funeral was held on September 17, 2018 at St. Casimir's Catholic Church in Wells, Minnesota.
Body:
House
District:
26B
Elected:
11/7/2000
Residence:
Wells
Term of Office:
1/1/2001 to 1/5/2003
Counties Represented:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Waseca
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Special Session Bills Authored: 2001 1st Sp.S. - Author
Body:
House
District:
26B
Elected:
11/3/1998
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/4/1999 to 12/31/2000
Counties Represented:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Waseca
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Body:
House
District:
26B
Elected:
11/5/1996
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/6/1997 to 1/3/1999
Counties Represented:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Waseca
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment (Chair)
-
Economic Development and International Trade: Economic Development Finance Division
- Ex Officio Member
-
Economic Development and International Trade: Housing and Housing Finance Division
- Ex Officio Member
-
Education: Family and Early Childhood Education Finance Division
Minutes
- Ex Officio Member
-
Education: Higher Education Finance Division
Minutes
- Ex Officio Member
-
Education: K-12 Education Finance Division
Minutes
- Ex Officio Member
-
Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance
-
Governmental Operations: State Government Finance Division
Minutes
- Ex Officio Member
-
Health and Human Services: Health and Human Services Finance Division
Minutes
- Ex Officio Member
-
Judiciary: Judiciary Finance Division
- Ex Officio Member
-
Taxes
Minutes
- Ex Officio Member
-
Taxes: Property Tax and Tax Increment Financing Division
Minutes
- Ex Officio Member
-
Taxes: Sales and Income Tax Division
Minutes
- Ex Officio Member
-
Transportation and Transit: Transportation and Transit Finance Division
Minutes
- Ex Officio Member
-
Ways and Means
Body:
House
District:
26B
Elected:
11/8/1994
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/2/1995 to 1/5/1997
Counties Represented:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Waseca
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment (Chair)
-
Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance
-
Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance: Transportation Finance Division
-
Education: K-12 Education Finance Division
- Ex Officio Member
-
Transportation and Transit
-
Transportation and Transit: Transportation Safety
-
Transportation and Transit: Transportation Systems
-
Ways and Means
Body:
House
District:
26B
Elected:
11/3/1992
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/4/1993 to 1/1/1995
Counties Represented:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Waseca
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture: Soil and Water Resources (Chair)
-
Capital Investment (Chair)
-
Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance
-
Education: Higher Education Finance Division
- Ex Officio Member
-
Education: K-12 Education Finance Division
- Ex Officio Member
-
Environment and Natural Resources Finance
- Ex Officio Member
-
Governmental Operations and Gambling: State Government Finance Division
- Ex Officio Member
-
Health and Human Services: Health and Housing Finance Division
- Ex Officio Member
-
Health and Human Services: Human Services Finance Division
- Ex Officio Member
-
Judiciary: Judiciary Finance Division
- Ex Officio Member
-
Ways and Means
Body:
House
District:
29B
Elected:
11/6/1990
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/7/1991 to 1/3/1993
Counties Represented:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Martin, Waseca
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Agriculture: Soil and Water Resources
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Economic Development, Infrastructure, and Regulation Division
-
Health and Human Services
-
Health and Human Services: Health Care Access and Delivery
-
Transportation (Chair)
-
Transportation: Air, Rail, and Toll Roads
-
Transportation: Safety
-
Transportation: Surface Transportation
Body:
House
District:
29B
Elected:
11/8/1988
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/2/1989 to 1/6/1991
Counties Represented:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Martin, Waseca
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Agriculture: Agriculture Finance and Farm Programs
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Agriculture, Transportation and Semi-State Division
-
Transportation (Chair)
-
Transportation: Air Transportation
-
Transportation: Safety
-
Transportation: Surface Transportation
Body:
House
District:
29B
Elected:
11/4/1986
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/5/1987 to 1/1/1989
Counties Represented:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Martin, Waseca
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Agriculture: Agriculture Finance Division
-
Agriculture: Farm Programs and Policies
-
Agriculture: International Trade, Farm Commodities, Agri-Business and Marketing
-
Agriculture: Soil and Water Conservation
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Agriculture, Transportation and Semi-States Division
-
Appropriations: Joint Claims (Chair)
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Civil Law
-
Transportation (Chair)
Body:
House
District:
29B
Elected:
11/6/1984
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/7/1985 to 1/4/1987
Counties Represented:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Martin, Waseca
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Agriculture: Agricultural Land Use
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Agriculture, Transportation and Semi-States Division
-
Appropriations: Joint Claims
-
Financial Institutions and Insurance
Body:
House
District:
29B
Elected:
11/2/1982
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/3/1983 to 1/6/1985
Counties Represented:
Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Martin, Waseca
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Agriculture: Agricultural Exports and Marketing
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Agriculture, Transportation, Semi-State Division (Chair)
-
Appropriations: Joint Claims (Chair)
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: Commercial and Passenger Transportation
Body:
House
District:
30A
Elected:
11/4/1980
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/5/1981 to 1/2/1983
Counties Represented:
Faribault, Freeborn, Martin
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Agriculture: Farm Programs and Policies
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Semi-State Division
-
Local and Urban Affairs
-
Local and Urban Affairs: Governmental Administration (Chair)
-
Local and Urban Affairs: Local Government Financing
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: General Transportation
-
Transportation: Safety
-
Transportation: Trunk Highways (Chair)
Body:
House
District:
30A
Elected:
11/7/1978
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/1/1979 to 1/4/1981
Counties Represented:
Faribault, Freeborn, Martin
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Agriculture: Agriculture Products and Marketing
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Semi-State Division
-
Appropriations: State Departments Division
-
Education
-
Education: Higher Education Division
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: Bridges and Highways
Body:
House
District:
30A
Elected:
11/2/1976
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/3/1977 to 12/31/1978
Counties Represented:
Faribault, Freeborn, Martin
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Education
-
Transportation
Body:
House
District:
30A
Elected:
11/5/1974
Residence:
Walters
Term of Office:
1/6/1975 to 1/2/1977
Counties Represented:
Faribault, Freeborn, Martin
Occupation:
Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Transportation
Articles & Books About
-
"Henry Kalis, 1937-2018." Albert Lea Tribune, September 15, 2018.
-
Mewes, Trey. "Kalis Remembered as 'A Model for a State Representative." The Free Press, September 14, 2018.
-
Stahl, Theresa. "Fun While It Lasted: After Nearly Three Decades as a Member of the House, Kalis Says It's Time to Step Down." Session Weekly, St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives Information Office, May 3, 2002, p. 17.
District Files
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.
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.