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Foley, Leo T.

Senate 1997-2002 (District 49); Senate 2003-2010 (District 47)

Party when first elected:  Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Counties Served:  Anoka, Hennepin

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 10/25/1928
Birth Place: Coon Rapids, Minnesota
Birth County: Anoka
Birth Country: United States
Date of Death: 2/5/2016
Gender: Male
Religion: Protestant
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
City of Residence (when first elected): Anoka
Occupation (when first elected): Attorney, Anoka Government Center/Former State Trooper

EDUCATION

High School; Secondary; Graduate
University of Minnesota; Attended College; 1950s
Metropolitan State University; B.A.; Public Administration, 1974
Mankato State University; M.A.; Public Administration
Northwestern University; Masters Degree; Graduate Degree, Public Administration
William Mitchell College of Law; J.D.; 1994

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

County Attorney: Anoka County, Minnesota (Juvenile Division, Assistant County Attorney, Prosecutor); 19?? to 20??
State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota State Advisory Council on Mental Health; 19?? to ?
Military: United States Navy (Korean War, 5 years); 195? to 19??
State Agency: Minnesota State Patrol; 1954 to 1987

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Sally (first wife, she died in 1991); Widower (when first elected); Kathryn (married around 2000)
Children: Four children: Jane, Nancy, Aaron, Ethan
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

Special Legislative Concerns: education, health care, crime prevention, environment, transportation, social services.

He was raised on a farm.

Religion provided by the Natural Resources Defense Council's State Directories 2005 and Politics in Minnesota the Directory, 2005-2006.

Total Days Served: 5110

SESSIONS SERVED

86th Legislative Session (2009-2010) (second half of Senate term)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 47
Elected: 11/7/2006
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/1/2007 to 1/2/2011
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney; Prosecutor, Anoka County Attorney's Office, Juvenile Division
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Capital Investment
  • Finance
  • Finance: Judiciary Budget Division (Chair)
  • Finance: Public Safety Budget Division
  • Judiciary
Ran in next election? Yes. Defeated in general election

85th Legislative Session (2007-2008)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 47
Elected: 11/7/2006
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/1/2007 to 1/2/2011
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney, Anoka Government Center
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Capital Investment
  • Finance [He was a member in 2008 only.]
  • Finance: Judiciary Budget Division (Chair)
  • Finance: Public Safety Budget Division
  • Judiciary

84th Legislative Session (2005-2006) (second half of Senate term)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 47
Elected: 11/5/2002
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/6/2003 to 12/31/2006
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney, Anoka County Attorney's Office
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Crime Prevention and Public Safety (Chair)
  • Finance: Health and Human Services Budget Division
  • Finance: Public Safety Budget Division
  • Health and Family Security

83rd Legislative Session (2003-2004)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 47
Elected: 11/5/2002
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/6/2003 to 12/31/2006
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin
Occupation: Attorney, Anoka County Attorney's Office
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Special Session Bills Authored:  2003 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author    2003 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
  • Crime Prevention and Public Safety (Chair)
  • Finance: Early Childhood Policy and Budget Division-2004
  • Finance: Health, Human Services and Corrections Budget Division
  • Health and Family Security

82nd Legislative Session (2001-2002)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 49
Elected: 11/7/2000
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/1/2001 to 1/5/2003
Counties Represented: Anoka
Occupation: Attorney, Anoka County Attorney's Office
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Crime Prevention
  • Health and Family Security
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Family Law (Chair)
  • Taxes
  • Taxes: Property Tax Budget Division

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

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 49
Elected: 11/5/1996
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/6/1997 to 12/31/2000
Counties Represented: Anoka
Occupation: Attorney, Anoka County Attorney's Office
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Children, Families and Learning
  • Children, Families and Learning/Education Finance: Family and Early Childhood Education Budget Division
  • Crime Prevention
  • Education Finance
  • Health and Family Security
  • Health and Family Security/Human Resources Finance: Health and Family Security Budget Division
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Family Law (Chair)

80th Legislative Session (1997-1998)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 49
Elected: 11/5/1996
Residence: Anoka
Term of Office: 1/6/1997 to 12/31/2000
Counties Represented: Anoka
Occupation: Attorney, Anoka Government Center/Former State Trooper
Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Children, Families and Learning
  • Children, Families and Learning/Education Finance: Family and Early Childhood Education Budget Division
  • Crime Prevention
  • Education Finance
  • Health and Family Security
  • Health and Family Security/Human Resources Finance: Health and Family Security Budget Division
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Family Law (Chair)

Articles & Books About

District Files

2000 (49)
2001 (49)
2002 (49)
2003 (49)
2003 (47)
2004 (47)
2005 (47)
2006 (47)
2007 (47)
2008 (47)
2009 (47)
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

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.