Minnesota Legislature

Legislators Past & Present Home

Name Search:

Peterson, Donna C.

Sessions Served

Other Information

House 1980-82 (District 60B); Senate 1983-90 (District 61)

Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Counties Served: Hennepin

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 10/7/1946

Birth Place:

Birth County:

Birth Country:

Date of Death:

Gender: Female

Religion:

Reported Minority: None Reported

Other Names:

City of Residence (when first elected): Minneapolis

Occupation (when first elected): Legislator

EDUCATION

University of Minnesota; B.A.; Anthropology

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Dennis (while in office); Barry Tilley (remarried in 2010; he worked for the House Democratic-Farmer-Labor party caucus from 1972-1984)
Children: Two children
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

Special Legislative Concerns: taxes, housing, education, criminal justice, labor.

She worked at the University of Minnesota from 1990-2011. She was Associate Vice-President of Government and Community Relations when she retired.

Click to view

Total Days Served: 3647

SESSIONS SERVED

76th Legislative Session (1989-1990) (second half of Senate term)

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 61

Elected: 11/4/1986

Residence: Minneapolis

Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/15/1990 (unfinished term)

Counties Represented: Hennepin

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Commerce
Commerce: Insurance
Education
Education: Education Funding Division
Education: Indian Education
Education: Joint Senate/House Library (Chair)
Elections and Ethics
Judiciary
Judiciary: Criminal Law Division (Chair)
Taxes and Tax Laws
Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax Division
Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Taxes and Local Government Aids Division

Leadership Position: Majority Whip
Leadership Notes: She resigned from the Minnesota Legislature in January 1990.

Reason for unfinished term: Resigned

Session Notes: She resigned after being hired as a lobbyist for the University of Minnesota, effective January 16, 1990. Her official term end date is uncertain.

75th Legislative Session (1987-1988)

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 61

Elected: 11/4/1986

Residence: Minneapolis

Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/15/1990 (unfinished term)

Counties Represented: Hennepin

Occupation: None Listed

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Commerce
Commerce: Insurance
Education
Education: Education Aids Division
Education: Joint Senate/House Library (Chair)
Elections and Ethics
Judiciary
Judiciary: Criminal Law Division (Chair)
Taxes and Tax Laws
Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax

Leadership Position: Majority Whip

Reason for unfinished term: Resigned

Session Notes: She resigned after being hired as a lobbyist for the University of Minnesota, effective January 16, 1990. Her official term end date is uncertain.

74th Legislative Session (1985-1986) (second half of Senate term)

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 61

Elected: 11/2/1982

Residence: Minneapolis

Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/5/1987

Counties Represented: Hennepin

Occupation: None Listed

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Economic Development and Commerce
Economic Development and Commerce: Consumer Protection
Economic Development and Commerce: Insurance
Education
Education: Education Aids
Elections and Ethics
Energy and Housing
Energy and Housing: Energy
Energy and Housing: Housing
Energy and Housing: Research and Alternative Financing (Chair)

Click to view

73rd Legislative Session (1983-1984)

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 61

Elected: 11/2/1982

Residence: Minneapolis

Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/5/1987

Counties Represented: Hennepin

Occupation: None Listed

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Economic Development and Commerce
Economic Development and Commerce: Consumer Protection
Economic Development and Commerce: Insurance
Education
Education: Education Aids
Elections and Ethics
Energy and Housing
Energy and Housing: Energy
Energy and Housing: Housing
Energy and Housing: Research and Alternative Financing (Chair)

72nd Legislative Session (1981-1982)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 60B

Elected: 11/4/1980

Residence: Minneapolis

Term of Office: 1/6/1981 to 1/3/1983

Counties Represented: Hennepin

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Commerce and Economic Development
Commerce and Economic Development: Liquor
General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
General Legislation and Veterans Affairs: Housing (Chair)
Reapportionment and Elections
Reapportionment and Elections: Election Laws
Taxes
Taxes: Local Government Aids and Bonding
Taxes: Revenue Division

Click to view

71st Legislative Session (1979-1980)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 60B

Elected: 1/17/1980

Residence: Minneapolis

Term of Office: 1/22/1980 to 1/5/1981 (Special Election)

Counties Represented: Hennepin

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Education
Education: Higher Education Division
General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
Local and Urban Affairs
Transportation

Session Notes: She won the seat vacated by Stanley Enebo.

OTHER INFORMATION

Senate Photos

The photos in this collection were scanned from the files of the Minnesota Senate Photographer with the generous help of the Minnesota Digital Library.

Senator Dave Frederickson and Senator Donna Peterson converse during a Senate floor session, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Senator Dick Cohen, Senator Ember Reichgott Junge and Senator Donna Peterson converse outside the Senate Chamber, St. Paul, Minnesota.

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.

Legislators Past & Present Home

Name Search:

Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, 645 State Office Building, Saint Paul, MN 55155