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Jensen, Carl A.

Sessions Served

Other Information

House 1951-60 (District 14); Senate 1967-72 (District 17); Senate 1973-80 (District 28)

Party when first elected: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

Counties Served: Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 12/11/1920

Birth Place: Sleepy Eye, Minnesota

Birth County: Brown

Birth Country: United States

Date of Death: 5/4/1988

Gender: Male

Religion: Lutheran

Reported Minority: None Reported

Other Names:

City of Residence (when first elected): Sleepy Eye

Occupation (when first elected): Attorney

EDUCATION

Sleepy Eye High School; Secondary; Graduate
University of Minnesota; B.S.L.; Engineering, 1930s
University of Minnesota, Law School; LL.B.; With Honors, 1949

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Voyageur's National Park Commission; 19?? to 19??

School Board/Administration: Sleepy Eye, Minnesota (School District Attorney, 9 years); 19?? to 19??

Military: United States Army Air Force (World War II, Flight Instructor, Staff Sergeant); 194? to 194?

Municipal Attorney: Sleepy Eye, Minnesota (City Attorney, 16 years); 196? to 19??

Judge: Minnesota Tax Court (Appointed by Governor Al Quie; Chief Judge, 1986); 02/02/1981 to 07/1986 [Appointed]

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Lorraine Johnson (when first elected, she died in 1975); Widower; Patricia "Pat" Passman (remarried in 1977, she was a member of Governor Al Quie's staff)
Children: Eight children: Steven "Steve," Scott, Paul, and Bruce (sons with his first wife); Karen (daughter with his first wife); Ramona (stepdaughter); Richard, and John (stepsons)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
Scott Jensen - Son

GENERAL NOTES

Special Legislative Concerns: taxes.

He moved to Arden Hills, Minnesota in 1980.

He is "an active Republican party worker..." ("Know Your Minnesota Legislature: Rep. Carl A. Jensen." Minneapolis Star, Between November 1956-January 1957)

He was a member of the Republican party, until he ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party endorsed candidate for the Minnesota Senate in the 1986 election.

He was a Mason and a member of the Lion's Club.

He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.

He died of cancer at home in Arden Hills, Minnesota.

Religion provided by the Catholic Bulletin, 3/21/1975.

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Total Days Served: 8771

SESSIONS SERVED

71st Legislative Session (1979-1980) (second half of Senate term)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/3/1979

Body: Senate

District: 28

Elected: 11/2/1976

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/3/1977 to 1/4/1981
Oath Date: 1/4/1977

Counties Represented: Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood

Occupation: Lawyer

Party: Independent Republican

Committees:

Commerce
Commerce: Insurance
Commerce: Publicly Regulated Industries
Elections
Rules and Administration
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
Taxes and Tax Laws
Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax

Leadership Position: Assistant Minority Leader

70th Legislative Session (1977-1978)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/4/1977

Body: Senate

District: 28

Elected: 11/2/1976

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/3/1977 to 1/4/1981
Oath Date: 1/4/1977

Counties Represented: Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood

Occupation: Lawyer, General Law Practice

Party: Independent Republican

Committees:

Commerce
Commerce: Insurance
Commerce: Publicly Regulated Industries
Elections
Environment and Natural Resources
Rules and Administration
Rules and Administration: Election Contest Costs
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
Taxes and Tax Laws

Leadership Position: Assistant Minority Leader

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69th Legislative Session (1975-1976) (second half of Senate term)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/7/1975

Body: Senate

District: 28

Elected: 11/7/1972

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/1/1973 to 1/2/1977
Oath Date: 1/2/1973

Counties Represented: Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood

Occupation: Lawyer

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Independent Republican Caucus

Committees:

Judiciary
Judiciary: Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Privacy
Judiciary: Criminal Law and Corrections
Rules and Administration
Rules and Administration: Interim Commissions
Rules and Administration: Permanent Rules
Taxes and Tax Laws

68th Legislative Session (1973-1974)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/2/1973

Body: Senate

District: 28

Elected: 11/7/1972

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/1/1973 to 1/2/1977
Oath Date: 1/2/1973

Counties Represented: Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood

Occupation: Lawyer

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

Committees:

Judiciary
Judiciary: Criminal Law and Correction
Judiciary: Judiciary
Rules and Administration
Rules and Administration: Interim Commissions
Rules and Administration: Permanent Rules
Taxes and Tax Laws

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67th Legislative Session (1971-1972)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/5/1971

Body: Senate

District: 17

Elected: 11/3/1970

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/4/1971 to 12/31/1972
Oath Date: 1/5/1971

Counties Represented: Brown, Redwood

Occupation: Lawyer

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

Committees:

Agriculture
Commerce and Insurance
General Legislation (Chair)
Judiciary
Public Highways
Taxes and Tax Laws

66th Legislative Session (1969-1970) (second half of Senate term)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/7/1969

Body: Senate

District: 17

Elected: 11/8/1966

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/2/1967 to 1/3/1971
Oath Date: 1/3/1967

Counties Represented: Brown, Redwood

Occupation: Lawyer

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

Committees:

Agriculture
Commerce
General Legislation
Judiciary
Public Highways

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65th Legislative Session (1967-1968)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/3/1967

Body: Senate

District: 17

Elected: 11/8/1966

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/2/1967 to 1/3/1971
Oath Date: 1/3/1967

Counties Represented: Brown, Redwood

Occupation: Lawyer

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

Committees:

Commerce
Game and Fish
General Legislation
Judiciary
Public Highways

61st Legislative Session (1959-1960)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/6/1959

Body: House

District: 14

Elected: 11/4/1958

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/5/1959 to 1/1/1961
Oath Date: 1/6/1959

Counties Represented: Brown

Occupation: Attorney

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

Committees:

Elections
Employees Compensation
General Legislation
Judiciary
Reapportionment

60th Legislative Session (1957-1958)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/8/1957

Body: House

District: 14

Elected: 11/6/1956

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/7/1957 to 1/4/1959
Oath Date: 1/8/1957

Counties Represented: Brown

Occupation: Attorney

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus Party Notes: He is "an active Republican party worker..." ("Know Your Minnesota Legislature: Rep. Carl A. Jensen." Minneapolis Star, Between November 1956-January 1957)

Committees:

Education
Elections
Employees Compensation
Judiciary
Reapportionment

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59th Legislative Session (1955-1956)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/4/1955

Body: House

District: 14

Elected: 11/2/1954

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/3/1955 to 1/6/1957
Oath Date: 1/4/1955

Counties Represented: Brown

Occupation: Attorney

Committees:

Elections
Employees Compensation
General Legislation
Public Domain
Reapportionment

58th Legislative Session (1953-1954)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/6/1953

Body: House

District: 14

Elected: 11/5/1952

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/5/1953 to 1/2/1955
Oath Date: 1/6/1953

Counties Represented: Brown

Occupation: Attorney

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

Committees:

Education
Elections
Employees Compensation
Judiciary
Municipal Affairs
University

57th Legislative Session (1951-1952)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/2/1951

Body: House

District: 14

Elected: 11/7/1950

Residence: Sleepy Eye

Term of Office: 1/1/1951 to 1/4/1953
Oath Date: 1/2/1951

Counties Represented: Brown

Occupation: Attorney

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

Committees:

Dairy Products and Livestock
Education
Elections
General Legislation
Judiciary
University

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OTHER INFORMATION

Articles & Books About

"Carl Jensen, Former State Legislator and Tax Judge, Dies at 67 (Obituary)." Star Tribune, May 5, 1988, p. 16B.
"Lawmaker Carl Jensen Dies at 67 (Obituary)." Mankato Free Press, May 5, 1988, p. 9, 11.
Salisbury, Bill. "Former Lawmaker Carl A. Jensen Dies (Obituary)." St. Paul Pioneer Press, May 5, 1988, p. 1B, 3B.
Sturdevant, Lori. "Tax Court's Carl Jensen May Quit, Become DFLer, Seek Senate Seat." Minneapolis Star and Tribune, July 10, 1986, p. 4B.
Matthews, Tom. "'Ornery' Senator Jars Tradition." St. Paul Dispatch, March 24, 1969.
“Know Your Minnesota Legislature: Rep. Carl A. Jensen." Minneapolis Star, Between November 1956-January 1957.

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.

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