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    Osthoff, C. Thomas "Tom"

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 1975-80 (District 64A); House 1982-2002 (District 66A)

    Party when first elected:  Democratic-Farmer-Labor

    Counties Served:  Ramsey

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 11/8/1936
    Birth Place:
    Birth County:
    Birth Country:
    Date of Death:
    Gender: Male
    Religion: Lutheran
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names: Tom
    City of Residence (when first elected): Saint Paul
    Occupation (when first elected): Manager; Land Records Division, Ramsey County Dept. of Property Taxation

    EDUCATION

    University of Minnesota; Attended College;

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Education Council; 19?? to 19??
    State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Governor's Non-Partisan Citizen's Comm. on Voter's Participation; 19?? to 19??
    County Auditor: Ramsey County, Minnesota (Chief Deputy Auditor); 19?? to 19??
    Military: United States Army Airborne (3 years); 19?? to 19??
    Municipal Government: St. Paul, Minnesota (City Deputy Comptroller); 19?? to 19??

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Sandra Lund Osthoff (she died in 1999); Widower
    Children: One child: Tom (son)
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

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

    Most recent term photo
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    Total Days Served: 10227

    SESSIONS SERVED

    82nd Legislative Session (2001-2002)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 66A
    Elected: 11/7/2000
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/3/2001 to 1/6/2003
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Retired
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:     2001 1st Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    • Capital Investment Minutes
    • Environment and Natural Resources Finance Minutes
    • Environment and Natural Resources Policy Minutes
    • Ways and Means Minutes
    term photo
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    81st Legislative Session (1999-2000)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 66A
    Elected: 11/3/1998
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/5/1999 to 1/2/2001
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: None Listed
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Commerce Minutes
    • Environment and Natural Resources Finance Minutes
    • Environment and Natural Resources Policy Minutes
    • Ways and Means Minutes

    80th Legislative Session (1997-1998)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 66A
    Elected: 11/5/1996
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/7/1997 to 1/4/1999
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, Ramsey County Local Government Division
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Environment and Natural Resources Minutes
    • Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance (Chair)
    • Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance: Government Efficiency and Oversight
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections
    • Governmental Operations Minutes
    • Governmental Operations: Administrative Rules Minutes

    79th Legislative Session (1995-1996)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 66A
    Elected: 11/8/1994
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/3/1995 to 1/6/1997
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, Ramsey County Local Government Division
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Environment and Natural Resources Finance
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections (Chair)
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections: Elections Division
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections: Veterans Affairs
    • Governmental Operations
    • Governmental Operations: State Government Finance Division
    • Transportation and Transit
    • Transportation and Transit: Transportation Systems
    term photo
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    78th Legislative Session (1993-1994)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 66A
    Elected: 11/3/1992
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/2/1995
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, Department of Records and Revenue
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Education: K-12 Education Finance Division
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance: Banking
    • Governmental Operations and Gambling
    • Governmental Operations and Gambling: Gambling
    • Regulated Industries and Energy
    • Taxes
    • Taxes: Property Tax
    • Transportation and Transit (Chair)
    • Transportation and Transit: Transit

    77th Legislative Session (1991-1992)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 66A
    Elected: 11/6/1990
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/8/1991 to 1/4/1993
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, County Records Division
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Environment and Natural Resources Division
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs, and Gaming (Chair)
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs, and Gaming: Elections Division
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs, and Gaming: Veterans Affairs Division
    • Redistricting
    • Regulated Industries
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    76th Legislative Session (1989-1990)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 66A
    Elected: 11/8/1988
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/3/1989 to 1/7/1991
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, County Records Division
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Computer
    • Appropriations: State Departments Division
    • Financial Institutions and Housing (Chair)
    • Financial Institutions and Housing: Banking (Chair)
    • Financial Institutions and Housing: Housing Division
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Gaming
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Gaming: Elections Division
    • Regulated Industries

    75th Legislative Session (1987-1988)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 66A
    Elected: 11/4/1986
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/2/1989
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, Records Division; Ramsey County Department of Taxation
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance: Financial Institutions
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Gaming
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Gaming: Elections
    • General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Gaming: Gaming
    • Metropolitan Affairs (Chair)
    • Metropolitan Affairs: Environment
    • Metropolitan Affairs: Finance
    • Metropolitan Affairs: Government Structure
    • Metropolitan Affairs: Transportation
    • Regulated Industries
    • Taxes [Tom Osthoff and Linda Scheid were removed from this committee by Speaker Fred Norton in 1987 the day after they voted against the 1987 Omnibus Tax bill.]
    • Taxes: Property Tax Division

    74th Legislative Session (1985-1986)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 66A
    Elected: 11/6/1984
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/8/1985 to 1/5/1987
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, Land Records Division
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs: Elections
    • Regulated Industries and Energy
    • Regulated Industries and Energy: Gaming
    • Regulated Industries and Energy: Utilities
    • Rules and Legislative Administration
    • Taxes
    • Taxes: Local Government Finance Division
    Leadership Position: Assistant Minority Leader
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    73rd Legislative Session (1983-1984)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 66A
    Elected: 11/2/1982
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/7/1985
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, Land Records Division, Ramsey County
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance: Banking
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs: Elections (Chair)
    • Taxes
    • Taxes: Tax Laws Division (Chair)
    • Taxes: Tax Laws Division: Property Tax Policy and Administration Subcommittee
    • Taxes: Tax Laws Division: Property Tax System Subcommittee
    • Taxes: Tax Laws Division: State-Local Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee

    72nd Legislative Session (1981-1982)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 64A
    Elected: 11/4/1980
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/6/1981 to 1/3/1983
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, Land Records Division, Ramsey County Department of Property Taxation
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Semi-State Division
    • Appropriations: Telecommunication and Information Systems
    • Commerce and Economic Development
    • Commerce and Economic Development: Economic Development
    • Commerce and Economic Development: Liquor
    • Commerce and Economic Development: Oil Decontrol Task Force
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance: Banking
    • Reapportionment and Elections
    • Reapportionment and Elections: Election Laws (Chair)
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    71st Legislative Session (1979-1980)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 64A
    Elected: 11/7/1978
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/3/1979 to 1/5/1981
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, Land Records Division, Ramsey County Department of Property Taxation
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Education Division
    • Appropriations: Semi-State Division
    • Commerce, Economic Development and Housing
    • Commerce, Economic Development and Housing: Tourism and Consumer Protection
    • Financial Institutions and Insurance
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs: Elections and Campaign Practices (Chair)
    • Rules and Legislative Administration
    • Rules and Legislative Administration: Rules

    70th Legislative Session (1977-1978)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 64A
    Elected: 11/2/1976
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/4/1977 to 1/2/1979
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager, Land Records Division, Ramsey County Department of Property Taxation
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Environment and Natural Resources
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
    • Transportation
    term photo
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    69th Legislative Session (1975-1976)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 64A
    Elected: 11/5/1974
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 1/7/1975 to 1/3/1977
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Manager; Land Records Division, Ramsey County Dept. of Property Taxation
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
    • Governmental Operations
    • Transportation

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Articles & Books About
    Maeda, David. "Ready to Relax: After 28 Years of Fighting for St. Paul, Osthoff Says It's the Right Time to Step Aside." Session Weekly, St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives Information Office, April 19, 2002, p. 15.


    District Files

    District File - 2000 District 66A
    District File - 2002 District 66A
    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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