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Vanasek, Robert E. "Bob"

Sessions Served

Other Information

House 1973-82 (District 24A); House 1983-92 (District 25A)

Party when first elected: Nonpartisan Election-Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus

Counties Served: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 4/2/1949

Birth Place: New Prague, Minnesota

Birth County:

Birth Country: United States

Date of Death:

Gender: Male

Religion: Catholic

Reported Minority: None Reported

Other Names: Bob

City of Residence (when first elected): New Prague

Occupation (when first elected): None Listed

EDUCATION

New Prague High School; Secondary; Graduate
University of Minnesota; B.A.; Political Science, 1971
Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government; M.P.A.; Public Administration, 1988
William Mitchell College of Law; Attended Law School;

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

Municipal Government: New Prague, Minnesota (Volunteer Fire Department, 21 years); 19?? to 19??

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Mary
Children: Three children: Robert Martin (son); Lora Beth, and Becky (daughters)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

He was a member of the Republican party until 1968 when he switched to the Democratic party.

He was a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party.

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

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Total Days Served: 7308

SESSIONS SERVED

77th Legislative Session (1991-1992)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 25A

Elected: 11/6/1990

Residence: New Prague

Term of Office: 1/8/1991 to 1/4/1993

Counties Represented: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Rules and Legislative Administration
Taxes
Taxes: Property Tax
Taxes: State Taxes and Tax Laws
Ways and Means (Chair)

Leadership Position: Speaker of the House
Leadership Notes: He resigned as Speaker of the House effective January 6, 1992.

Session Notes: He resigned to become the Executive Director of the Minnesota High Technology Council a private, nonprofit special interest group. He became the Executive Director on July 1, 1991.

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76th Legislative Session (1989-1990)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 25A

Elected: 11/8/1988

Residence: New Prague

Term of Office: 1/3/1989 to 1/7/1991

Counties Represented: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

Occupation: Legislator

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Rules and Legislative Administration
Taxes
Taxes: Tax Laws
Ways and Means (Chair)

Leadership Position: Speaker of the House

75th Legislative Session (1987-1988)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 25A

Elected: 11/4/1986

Residence: New Prague

Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/2/1989

Counties Represented: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

Occupation: Executive Director; New Prague Opportunities, Inc., a Nonprofit Economic Development Corporation

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Rules and Legislative Administration (Chair)
Taxes
Taxes: Property Tax Division
Ways and Means

Leadership Position: Majority Leader

Leadership Position: Speaker of the House
Leadership Notes: He was selected to become Speaker of the House by his caucus on June 2, 1987 and was officially elected to the position on June 25, 1987; the first day of the Special Session.

74th Legislative Session (1985-1986)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 25A

Elected: 11/6/1984

Residence: New Prague

Term of Office: 1/8/1985 to 1/5/1987

Counties Represented: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

Occupation: Executive Director

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Environment and Natural Resources
Environment and Natural Resources: Environment
Judiciary
Judiciary: Civil Laws and Administration
Taxes
Taxes: Local Government Finance Division

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73rd Legislative Session (1983-1984)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 25A

Elected: 11/2/1982

Residence: New Prague

Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/7/1985

Counties Represented: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

Occupation: Miller

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Environment and Natural Resources
Environment and Natural Resources: Game and Fish
Judiciary (Chair)
Judiciary: Criminal Justice Division
Rules and Legislative Administration
Rules and Legislative Administration: Election Recounts
Taxes
Taxes: Tax Laws Division
Taxes: Tax Laws Division: Property Tax System Subcommittee

Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader

72nd Legislative Session (1981-1982)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 24A

Elected: 11/4/1980

Residence: New Prague

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

Counties Represented: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

Occupation: Flour Miller

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Criminal Justice (Chair)
Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement and Corrections
Environment and Natural Resources
Environment and Natural Resources: Recreation and Open Space (Chair)
Local and Urban Affairs: Local Government Financing
Rules and Legislative Administration
Taxes
Taxes: Mineral Taxation
Taxes: Tax Laws Division

Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader

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71st Legislative Session (1979-1980)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 24A

Elected: 11/7/1978

Residence: New Prague

Term of Office: 1/3/1979 to 1/5/1981

Counties Represented: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

Occupation: Flour Miller

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Criminal Justice (Chair) [He was the Chair in 1980 only.]
Environment and Natural Resources
General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
General Legislation and Veterans Affairs: General Law and Veterans Affairs
Taxes
Taxes: Division I - Income and Sales Tax Division

Leadership Position: Assistant DFL Caucus Leader-1979
Leadership Notes: The House was evenly split along party lines after the November 1978 election. Thus neither party had majority nor minority status going into the 71st Legislative Session. In May 1979 the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party gained majority status.

Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader
Leadership Notes: He became Assistant Majority Leader in May 1979.

70th Legislative Session (1977-1978)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 24A

Elected: 11/2/1976

Residence: New Prague

Term of Office: 1/4/1977 to 1/2/1979

Counties Represented: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

Occupation: Public Relations

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Environment and Natural Resources
Taxes
Transportation

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69th Legislative Session (1975-1976)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 24A

Elected: 11/5/1974

Residence: New Prague

Term of Office: 1/7/1975 to 1/3/1977

Counties Represented: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

Occupation: Public Relations

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Judiciary
Taxes
Transportation

68th Legislative Session (1973-1974)

Session Details

Body: House

District: 24A

Elected: 11/7/1972

Residence: New Prague

Term of Office: 1/2/1973 to 1/6/1975

Counties Represented: Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

Occupation: None Listed

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus

Committees:

Agriculture
Higher Education
Judiciary
Taxes

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OTHER INFORMATION

Articles & Books About

These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

Archive Collections

Robert E. Vanasek Papers, 1969-1991 - Available in the Minnesota Historical Society's Collections.

Photographs

Senators Larry Pogemiller, Doug Johnson, LeRoy Stumpf, and Roger Moe confer with Representative Robert Vanasek and Representative Dee Long in a tax conference committee, St. Paul, Minnesota. c. 1987-1990. Photo credit: This image was scanned from the files of the Minnesota Senate Photographer with the generous help of the Minnesota Digital Library.

The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library has collected newspaper articles on legislators since 1973. They are available in the Library.

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