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    Voss, Gordon Owen

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 1973-82 (District 47B); House 1983-88 (District 52A)

    Party when first elected:  Nonpartisan Election-Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus

    Counties Served:  Anoka, Ramsey

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 2/25/1938
    Birth Place: Duluth, Minnesota
    Birth County: St. Louis
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death: 6/21/2017
    Gender: Male
    Religion:
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names:
    City of Residence (when first elected): Blaine
    Occupation (when first elected): Engineer

    EDUCATION

    Proctor High School; Secondary; 1956
    University of Minnesota; B.S.M.E.; Mechanical Engineering
    University of Minnesota; Ph.D.; Mechanical Engineering

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    Municipal Board/Commission: Blaine, Minnesota (City Planning and Zoning Commission); 19?? to 19??
    State Board/Commission/Council: Metropolitan Waste Control Commission, Minnesota (Chief Administrator); 01/03/1989 to 1994 [Appointed]

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Elaine
    Children: Two children: Gregory and Kirsten
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    He was a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

    He was "known as the namesake of the "Voss report," still published by the Minnesota Department of Revenue, which examines property taxes as a share of income." (Star Tribune obituary, July 7, 2017)

    The funeral was held at Peace Lutheran Church in Coon Rapids.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 5847

    SESSIONS SERVED

    76th Legislative Session (1989-1990)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 52A
    Elected: 11/8/1988
    Residence: Blaine
    Term of Office: 1/3/1989 to 1/4/1989 (unfinished term)
    Counties Represented: Anoka, Ramsey
    Occupation: Legislator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    Reason for unfinished term: Appointed to other office
    Session Notes: He resigned after he was appointed to the position of Chief Administrator of the Minnesota Metropolitan Waste Control Commission.

    75th Legislative Session (1987-1988)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 52A
    Elected: 11/4/1986
    Residence: Blaine
    Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/2/1989
    Counties Represented: Anoka, Ramsey
    Occupation: Legislator/Engineer
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance: Financial Institutions
    • Rules and Legislative Administration
    • Taxes (Chair)
    • Taxes: Property Tax Division
    • Taxes: Tax Law Division
    • Ways and Means

    74th Legislative Session (1985-1986)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 52A
    Elected: 11/6/1984
    Residence: Blaine
    Term of Office: 1/8/1985 to 1/5/1987
    Counties Represented: Anoka, Ramsey
    Occupation: Legislator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Budget
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • Local and Urban Affairs
    • Local and Urban Affairs: Metropolitan Affairs
    • Taxes
    term photo
    Click to view

    73rd Legislative Session (1983-1984)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 52A
    Elected: 11/2/1982
    Residence: Blaine
    Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/7/1985
    Counties Represented: Anoka, Ramsey
    Occupation: Legislator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: State Departments Division
    • Energy (Chair)
    • Energy: Energy and Society
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance: Insurance

    72nd Legislative Session (1981-1982)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 47B
    Elected: 11/4/1980
    Residence: Blaine
    Term of Office: 1/6/1981 to 1/3/1983
    Counties Represented: Anoka
    Occupation: Legislator/Engineer
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: State Departments Division
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • Local and Urban Affairs (Chair)
    • Local and Urban Affairs: Economic Development
    • Local and Urban Affairs: Local Government Financing
    term photo
    Click to view

    71st Legislative Session (1979-1980)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 47B
    Elected: 11/7/1978
    Residence: Blaine
    Term of Office: 1/3/1979 to 1/5/1981
    Counties Represented: Anoka
    Occupation: Legislator/Engineer
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Appropriations (Chair) [He was the Chair in 1980 only.]
    • Appropriations: State Departments Division
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance: Banking
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Judicial Administration
    • Rules and Legislative Administration
    Leadership Position: Assistant DFL Caucus Leader-1979
    Leadership Notes: The House was evenly split along party lines after the November 1978 election. Thus neither party had majority nor minority status going into the 71st Legislative Session. In May 1979 the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party gained majority status.
    Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader
    Leadership Notes: He became Assistant Majority Leader in May 1979.

    70th Legislative Session (1977-1978)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 47B
    Elected: 11/2/1976
    Residence: Blaine
    Term of Office: 1/4/1977 to 1/2/1979
    Counties Represented: Anoka
    Occupation: Engineer
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: State Departments Division
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • Local and Urban Affairs
    • Rules and Legislative Administration
    term photo
    Click to view

    69th Legislative Session (1975-1976)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 47B
    Elected: 11/5/1974
    Residence: Blaine
    Term of Office: 1/7/1975 to 1/3/1977
    Counties Represented: Anoka
    Occupation: Engineer
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: State Departments Division
    • Deinstitutionalization
    • Local and Urban Affairs
    • Rules and Legislative Administration
    • Transportation

    68th Legislative Session (1973-1974)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 47B
    Elected: 11/7/1972
    Residence: Blaine
    Term of Office: 1/2/1973 to 1/6/1975
    Counties Represented: Anoka
    Occupation: Engineer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: State Departments Division
    • Higher Education
    • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs
    • Transportation
    term photo
    Click to view

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Articles & Books About
    Roper, Eric. "Blaine Legislator Left His Mark on Tax Policy, Amateur Sports." Star Tribune, July 7, 2017.

    "Voss, Gordon "Gordy" Owen." Star Tribune, July 2, 2017.


    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

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

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