Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Skip Navigation Links
  • LRL Home
    • >
  • Legislators Past & Present
    • >
  • Member Record
    • Legislators Past & Present Home

    Peterson, Donna C.

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 1980-82 (District 60B); Senate 1983-90 (District 61)

    Party when first elected:  Democratic-Farmer-Labor

    Counties Served:  Hennepin

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 10/7/1946
    Birth Place:
    Birth County:
    Birth Country:
    Date of Death:
    Gender: Female
    Religion:
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names:
    City of Residence (when first elected): Minneapolis
    Occupation (when first elected): Legislator

    EDUCATION

    University of Minnesota; B.A.; Anthropology

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Dennis (while in office); Barry Tilley (remarried in 2010; he worked for the House Democratic-Farmer-Labor party caucus from 1972-1984)
    Children: Two children
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    Special Legislative Concerns: taxes, housing, education, criminal justice, labor.

    She worked at the University of Minnesota from 1990-2011. She was Associate Vice-President of Government and Community Relations when she retired.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 3647

    SESSIONS SERVED

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

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/1989
    Body: Senate
    District: 61
    Elected: 11/4/1986
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/5/1987 to 1/15/1990 (unfinished term)
    Oath Date: 1/6/1987
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Legislator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Commerce
    • Commerce: Insurance
    • Education
    • Education: Education Funding Division
    • Education: Indian Education
    • Education: Joint Senate/House Library (Chair)
    • Elections and Ethics
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Criminal Law Division (Chair)
    • Taxes and Tax Laws
    • Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax Division
    • Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Taxes and Local Government Aids Division
    Leadership Position: Majority Whip
    Leadership Notes: She resigned from the Minnesota Legislature in January 1990.
    Reason for unfinished term: Resigned
    Session Notes: She resigned after being hired as a lobbyist for the University of Minnesota, effective January 16, 1990. Her official term end date is uncertain.

    75th Legislative Session (1987-1988)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/6/1987
    Body: Senate
    District: 61
    Elected: 11/4/1986
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/5/1987 to 1/15/1990 (unfinished term)
    Oath Date: 1/6/1987
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: None Listed
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Commerce
    • Commerce: Insurance
    • Education
    • Education: Education Aids Division
    • Education: Joint Senate/House Library (Chair)
    • Elections and Ethics
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Criminal Law Division (Chair)
    • Taxes and Tax Laws
    • Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax
    Leadership Position: Majority Whip
    Reason for unfinished term: Resigned
    Session Notes: She resigned after being hired as a lobbyist for the University of Minnesota, effective January 16, 1990. Her official term end date is uncertain.

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

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/8/1985
    Body: Senate
    District: 61
    Elected: 11/2/1982
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/3/1983 to 1/4/1987
    Oath Date: 1/4/1983
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: None Listed
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Economic Development and Commerce
    • Economic Development and Commerce: Consumer Protection
    • Economic Development and Commerce: Insurance
    • Education
    • Education: Education Aids
    • Elections and Ethics
    • Energy and Housing
    • Energy and Housing: Energy
    • Energy and Housing: Housing
    • Energy and Housing: Research and Alternative Financing (Chair)
    term photo
    Click to view

    73rd Legislative Session (1983-1984)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/4/1983
    Body: Senate
    District: 61
    Elected: 11/2/1982
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/3/1983 to 1/4/1987
    Oath Date: 1/4/1983
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: None Listed
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Economic Development and Commerce
    • Economic Development and Commerce: Consumer Protection
    • Economic Development and Commerce: Insurance
    • Education
    • Education: Education Aids
    • Elections and Ethics
    • Energy and Housing
    • Energy and Housing: Energy
    • Energy and Housing: Housing
    • Energy and Housing: Research and Alternative Financing (Chair)

    72nd Legislative Session (1981-1982)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/6/1981
    Body: House
    District: 60B
    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:
    • Commerce and Economic Development
    • Commerce and Economic Development: Liquor
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs: Housing (Chair)
    • Reapportionment and Elections
    • Reapportionment and Elections: Election Laws
    • Taxes
    • Taxes: Local Government Aids and Bonding
    • Taxes: Revenue Division
    term photo
    Click to view

    71st Legislative Session (1979-1980)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/1979
    Body: House
    District: 60B
    Elected: 1/17/1980
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/22/1980 to 1/4/1981 (Special Election)
    Oath Date: 1/22/1980
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Legislator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Education [She served in 1980 only.]
    • Education: Higher Education Division [She served in 1980 only.]
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs [She served in 1980 only.]
    • Local and Urban Affairs [She served in 1980 only.]
    • Transportation [She served in 1980 only.]
    Session Notes: She won the seat vacated by Stanley Enebo. According to the Duluth News Tribune, she was sworn in on the first day of session in 1980.

    OTHER INFORMATION

    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.
    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

    Photographs

    Senator Dave Frederickson and Senator Donna Peterson converse during a Senate floor session, St. Paul, Minnesota. c. 1987-1990. Photo credit: Senate Media ServicesThis image was scanned from the files of the Minnesota Senate Photographer with the generous help of the Minnesota Digital Library..
    Senator Dick Cohen, Senator Ember Reichgott Junge and Senator Donna Peterson converse outside the Senate Chamber, St. Paul, Minnesota. c. 1987-1990. Photo credit: Senate Media ServicesThis image was scanned from the files of the Minnesota Senate Photographer with the generous help of the Minnesota Digital Library..

    Legislators Past & Present Home