Minnesota Legislature

Legislators Past & Present Home

Name Search:

Sams, Dallas C.

Sessions Served

Other Information

Senate 1991-92 (District 12); Senate 1993-2006 (District 11)

Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Counties Served: Becker, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Stearns, Stevens, Todd, Wadena

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 8/30/1952

Birth Place:

Birth County:

Birth Country:

Date of Death: 3/5/2007

Gender: Male

Religion: Protestant

Reported Minority: None Reported

Other Names:

City of Residence (when first elected): Staples

Occupation (when first elected): Farmer/Farm Business Management Instructor

EDUCATION

Staples High School; Secondary;
Brainerd Community College; Junior College/Community College;
University of Minnesota; B.S.; Agricultural Education

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

State Agency: Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Marketing Services Division (Contractor); 01/2007 to 03/05/2007

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Elaine (listed when first elected, no longer listed in 1997); Mary Beth Davidson (listed in 1999)
Children: Five children: Seth, Stacia, Jordan, Mitchell and Michael
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

Special Legislative Concerns: agriculture, health care, education, transportation.

He died, from brain cancer, at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. His funeral was held at the gymnasium of Staples High School in Minnesota.

Religion provided by Politics in Minnesota the Directory, 2005-2006.

Click to view

Total Days Served: 5838

SESSIONS SERVED

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

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 11

Elected: 11/5/2002

Residence: Staples

Term of Office: 1/6/2003 to 12/31/2006

Counties Represented: Douglas, Grant, Stevens, Todd

Occupation: Dairy Farmer/Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Special Session Bills Authored: 2005 1st Sp.S. - Author

Committees:

Agriculture, Veterans and Gaming
Capital Investment
Commerce
Commerce: Liquor
Commerce: No Fault Insurance
Finance
Finance: Environment, Agriculture and Economic Development Budget Division (Chair)
Rules and Administration

Ran in next election? Yes. Defeated in general election

Click to view

83rd Legislative Session (2003-2004)

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 11

Elected: 11/5/2002

Residence: Staples

Term of Office: 1/6/2003 to 12/31/2006

Counties Represented: Douglas, Grant, Stevens, Todd

Occupation: Farmer/Legislator

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:

Agriculture, General Legislation and Veterans Affairs-2003/Agriculture, Veterans and Gaming-2004
Commerce and Utilities-2003/Commerce-2004
Commerce and Utilities-2003/Commerce-2004: Telecommunications and Technology
Finance
Finance: Environment, Agriculture and Economic Development Budget Division (Chair)
Jobs, Housing and Community Development-2003/Jobs, Energy and Community Development-2004 [He was a member in 2003 only.]
Rules and Administration

Click to view

82nd Legislative Session (2001-2002)

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 11

Elected: 11/7/2000

Residence: Staples

Term of Office: 1/1/2001 to 1/5/2003

Counties Represented: Becker, Douglas, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, Wadena

Occupation: Farmer/Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Special Session Bills Authored: 2001 1st Sp.S. - Author
2002 1st Sp.S. - Author

Committees:

Agriculture, General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
Finance
Finance: Health, Human Services and Corrections Budget Division
Health and Family Security (Chair)
Rules and Administration: Elections
Telecommunications, Energy and Utilities

Click to view

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

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 11

Elected: 11/5/1996

Residence: Staples

Term of Office: 1/6/1997 to 12/31/2000

Counties Represented: Becker, Douglas, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, Wadena

Occupation: Farmer/Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Committees:

Agriculture and Rural Development (Chair)
Election Laws
Health and Family Security
Health and Family Security/Human Resources Finance: Health and Family Security Budget Division
Transportation
Transportation/State Government Finance: Transportation Budget Division

80th Legislative Session (1997-1998)

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 11

Elected: 11/5/1996

Residence: Staples

Term of Office: 1/6/1997 to 12/31/2000

Counties Represented: Becker, Douglas, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, Wadena

Occupation: Farmer/Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Committees:

Agriculture and Rural Development (Chair)
Agriculture and Rural Development: Joint House/Senate Special Select Subcommittee on Agricultural Education (Chair)
Election Laws
Health and Family Security
Health and Family Security/Human Resources Finance: Health and Family Security Budget Division
Human Resources Finance
Transportation
Transportation/State Government Finance: Transportation Budget Division

Click to view

79th Legislative Session (1995-1996) (second half of Senate term)

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 11

Elected: 11/3/1992

Residence: Staples

Term of Office: 1/4/1993 to 1/5/1997

Counties Represented: Becker, Douglas, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, Wadena

Occupation: Farmer/Farm Business Management Instructor

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Bills Authored: Chief Author Author

Committees:

Agriculture and Rural Development
Ethics and Campaign Reform
Health Care
Health Care: Health Care and Family Services Finance Division
Taxes and Tax Laws
Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Tax

Click to view

78th Legislative Session (1993-1994)

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 11

Elected: 11/3/1992

Residence: Staples

Term of Office: 1/4/1993 to 1/5/1997

Counties Represented: Becker, Douglas, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, Wadena

Occupation: Farmer/Farm Business Management Instructor

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Agriculture and Rural Development
Governmental Operations and Reform
Governmental Operations and Reform: Reform and Innovation
Health Care
Health Care: Health Care and Family Services Finance Division
Taxes and Tax Laws
Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Tax

77th Legislative Session (1991-1992)

Session Details

Body: Senate

District: 12

Elected: 11/6/1990

Residence: Staples

Term of Office: 1/7/1991 to 1/3/1993

Counties Represented: Douglas, Otter Tail, Todd, Wadena

Occupation: Farmer/Farm Business Management Instructor

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Agriculture and Rural Development
Agriculture and Rural Development: Joint Agriculture and Rural Development/Environment and Natural Resources Ad Hoc
Agriculture and Rural Development: Rural Development
Economic Development and Housing
Health and Human Services
Health and Human Services: Health Care Access Division
Veterans and General Legislation

Click to view

OTHER INFORMATION

Articles & Books About

DeFiebre, Conrad. "Ex-Sen. Dallas Sams, Champion of Agriculture; News Obituaries." Star Tribune, March 6, 2007, p. B6.
Lien, Dennis. "Dallas Sams, 54, 'Beloved' Senator (Obituary)." St. Paul Pioneer Press, March 6, 2007.

District Files

2000 (11)

2001 (11)

2002 (11)

2003 (11)

2004 (11)

2005 (11)

2006 (11)

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.

Photographs

Senator Dallas Sams speaks in committee, St. Paul, Minnesota. 1/1/1998. Photo credit: , Senate Media Services.

Legislators Past & Present Home

Name Search:

Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, 321 State Capitol, Saint Paul, MN 55155