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Rukavina, Thomas "Tom"

Sessions Served

Other Information

House 1987-2012 (District 5A)

Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Counties Served: St. Louis

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 8/23/1950

Birth Place: Virginia, Minnesota

Birth County: St. Louis

Birth Country: United States

Date of Death: 1/7/2019

Gender: Male

Religion:

Reported Minority: None Reported

Other Names: Tom

City of Residence (when first elected): Virginia

Occupation (when first elected): Legal Assistant/Former Milk Truck and Garbage Truck Driver/Former Miner, Minntac Mine, 3 years

EDUCATION

Marquette Parochial School ; Elementary School;
Roosevelt High School; Secondary; Graduate, 1968
Mesabi Range Community and Technical College ; A.A.; 1970
University of Minnesota, Duluth; B.A.; Political Science Major, History Minor, Cum Laude, 1972

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitaton Board (Member: 26 years); 19?? to 20??

School Board/Administration: Virginia, Minnesota (School Board, Chair); 1973 to 19?? [Elected]

Municipal Board/Commission: Pike Township, Minnesota (Township Board Supervisor); 1976 to 1978 [Elected]

County Board/Commissioner: St. Louis County, Minnesota (County Commissioner); 2015 to 2018 [Elected]

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Lenore Lampi (when first elected; married in September 1973 for nearly 30 years); Single; Jean Cole (married in 2012)
Children: Two children: Ida (daughter), Victor "Vic" (son) and three stepdaughters: Katie, Kelsey, and Christine
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

He has Croatian ancestry.

He ran unsuccessfully to become the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate for Governor of Minnesota in the 2010 election. He dropped out during the state convention.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 1982 Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party primary election. Dominic Elioff's margin of victory over Tom Rukavina in the primary election was so small that a recount occurred. Dominic Elioff was determined to be the winner.

He worked for Congressman Rick Nolan. (Ely Echo, January 12, 2019)

"The building which houses the Iron Range Engineering Program at Mesabi Range College bears his name." (Ely Echo, January 12, 2019)

His funeral was held on January 19, 2019 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Virginia, Minnesota.

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Total Days Served: 9499

SESSIONS SERVED

87th Legislative Session (2011-2012)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/4/2011

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/2/2010

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/3/2011 to 1/6/2013
Oath Date: 1/4/2011

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Committees:

Capital Investment Minutes
Higher Education Policy and Finance Minutes
Taxes Minutes
Ways and Means Minutes

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86th Legislative Session (2009-2010)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/6/2009

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/4/2008

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/5/2009 to 1/2/2011
Oath Date: 1/6/2009

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Special Session Bills Authored: 2010 2nd Sp.S. - Chief Author 2010 2nd Sp.S. - Author

Committees:

Finance Minutes
Finance: Capital Investment Finance Division Minutes
Finance: Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division (Chair) Minutes
Taxes Minutes

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85th Legislative Session (2007-2008)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/3/2007

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/7/2006

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/1/2007 to 1/4/2009
Oath Date: 1/3/2007

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Committees:

Finance Minutes
Finance: Capital Investment Finance Division Minutes
Finance: Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division Minutes
Finance: Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division: Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division (Chair) Minutes
Taxes Minutes

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84th Legislative Session (2005-2006)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/4/2005

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/2/2004

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/3/2005 to 12/31/2006
Oath Date: 1/4/2005

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Special Session Bills Authored: 2005 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author 2005 1st Sp.S. - Author

Committees:

Commerce and Financial Institutions Minutes
Taxes Minutes
Taxes: Property and Local Tax Division Minutes
Ways and Means Minutes

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83rd Legislative Session (2003-2004)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/7/2003

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/5/2002

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/6/2003 to 1/2/2005
Oath Date: 1/7/2003

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Special Session Bills Authored: 2003 1st Sp.S. - Author

Committees:

Commerce, Jobs, and Economic Development Minutes
Taxes Minutes
Ways and Means Minutes

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82nd Legislative Session (2001-2002)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/3/2001

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/7/2000

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/1/2001 to 1/5/2003
Oath Date: 1/3/2001

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Special Session Bills Authored: 2001 1st Sp.S. - Author

Committees:

Commerce, Jobs, and Economic Development Minutes
Taxes Minutes
Taxes: Property Tax Division Minutes
Ways and Means Minutes

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81st Legislative Session (1999-2000)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/5/1999

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/3/1998

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/4/1999 to 12/31/2000
Oath Date: 1/5/1999

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Committees:

Jobs and Economic Development Policy Minutes
Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs Minutes
Taxes Minutes

80th Legislative Session (1997-1998)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/7/1997

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/5/1996

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/6/1997 to 1/3/1999
Oath Date: 1/7/1997

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Committees:

Economic Development and International Trade
Economic Development and International Trade: Economic Development
Governmental Operations Minutes
Governmental Operations: Government Structures, Reform and Efficiency Minutes
Governmental Operations: State Government Finance Division (Chair) Minutes
Labor-Management Relations
Ways and Means

79th Legislative Session (1995-1996)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/3/1995

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/8/1994

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/2/1995 to 1/5/1997
Oath Date: 1/3/1995

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Committees:

Governmental Operations
Governmental Operations: State Government Finance Division (Chair)
International Trade and Economic Development
Labor-Management Relations
Ways and Means: Government Efficiency and Oversight Division

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78th Legislative Session (1993-1994)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/5/1993

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/3/1992

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/4/1993 to 1/1/1995
Oath Date: 1/5/1993

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Environment and Natural Resources
Labor-Management Relations
Labor-Management Relations: Unemployment and Workers' Compensation
Taxes
Taxes: State Taxes

Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader

77th Legislative Session (1991-1992)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/8/1991

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/6/1990

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/7/1991 to 1/3/1993
Oath Date: 1/8/1991

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Economic Development
Economic Development: Review of Economic Development Strategies
Education
Education: Higher Education Division
Environment and Natural Resources
Labor-Management Relations
Labor-Management Relations: Worker's Compensation and Unemployment Insurance (Chair)
Redistricting

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76th Legislative Session (1989-1990)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/3/1989

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/8/1988

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/2/1989 to 1/6/1991
Oath Date: 1/3/1989

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Economic Development
Economic Development: Job Training and Retraining
Economic Development: Rural Resource Development Division
Environment and Natural Resources
Environment and Natural Resources: Solid Waste
Governmental Operations
Governmental Operations: Government Structures
Governmental Operations: Pensions
Governmental Operations: Personnel
Labor-Management Relations

75th Legislative Session (1987-1988)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/6/1987

Body: House

District: 05A

Elected: 11/4/1986

Residence: Virginia

Term of Office: 1/5/1987 to 1/1/1989
Oath Date: 1/6/1987

Counties Represented: St. Louis

Occupation: Legal Assistant/Former Milk Truck and Garbage Truck Driver/Former Miner, Minntac Mine, 3 years

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Economic Development and Housing
Economic Development and Housing: Job Development and Training
Environment and Natural Resources
Future and Technology
Future and Technology: Biotechnology
Future and Technology: Software
Governmental Operations
Governmental Operations: Pensions
Higher Education

OTHER INFORMATION

Articles & Books About

"Hundreds Pay Final Respects to Tom Rukavina." WDIO, January 19, 2019.
"Thomas 'Tom' Martin Rukavina, 68, Dies." The Ely Echo, January 12, 2019.
"Rukavina - Legislator, Commissioner, Iron Range Champion - Dies at 68." Labor World, January 9, 2019, p. 1 & 4.
"Former Lawmaker was Iron Range Lion: Rukavina Died Battling Leukemia." Pioneer Press, January 8, 2019, page 2A.
Coolican, J. Patrick. "Tom Rukavina: He was Colorful and Tireless Defender of the Iron Range." Star Tribune, January 8, 2019, pages B1-B2.
Busse, Nick. "Rangers in a Strange Land: Iron Range Lawmakers Stick Together at the Capitol." Session Weekly, St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives Information Office, April 15, 2011, p. 3-4.

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 (05A)

2001 (05A)

2002 (05A)

2003 (05A)

2004 (05A)

2005 (05A)

2006 (05A)

2007 (05A)

2008 (05A)

2009 (05A)

These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

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