FEATURES
MINNESOTA LAW ALUMNI
Take Center Stage at State Capitol BY
MIKE MOSEDALE
I
n January, when the Minnesota House of Representatives convened for the first session of the new biennium, the spectacle at the front of the chamber looked a bit like a Law School reunion. At the center of the action was Rep. Melissa Hortman ’95, who, after successfully engineering the DFL takeover of the House in November, had just been formally elected speaker. When it came time for the eight-term representative from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, to officially commence the proceedings, it was Secretary of State Steve Simon ’96 who stepped to the podium to present her with the gavel. And when the House finally got down to the business of the day—enacting a temporary set of procedural rules—there was Rep. Ryan Winkler ’01, assuming his new role as House majority leader.
Lawyer, Lawmaker, Leader That a couple of attorneys might wind up in two of the most powerful legislative positions at the Capitol is hardly a shock. After all, the business of the Legislature is making laws, so legal training presents some obvious advantages for anyone trying to get ahead. Still, Hortman and Winkler’s ascent marks the first time in more than three decades that two lawyers have simultaneously occupied the number one and number two posts in Minnesota House leadership. And it comes at a time when the number of lawyers in the Legislature (now 21 out of 201 total members) has
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dropped to its lowest level in more than a century. In kicking off the session, Hortman, Winkler, and the new DFL House majority have unveiled an ambitious legislative agenda that includes potentially contentious bills relating to health care, gun regulation, and boosting K-12 funding. To advance these items, they have a daunting obstacle to overcome: Minnesota is the only state in the nation with a divided legislature, which means they’ll have plenty of opportunity to use their lawyerly skills of persuasion negotiating with their counterparts in the GOPcontrolled state Senate. It’s a tall order, but Hortman is hopeful that she and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka will be able to find common ground. And she vows to avoid the sort of end-of-session partisan meltdowns that have many observers complaining about rising dysfunction at the Minnesota Capitol. “As a litigator, I know that conflict is expensive and risky and that settlement can produce a more efficient and fair outcome,” explains Hortman. “I think Sen. Gazelka and I have similar personalities. We don’t desire to have a fight for the sake of having a fight.” But can bipartisanship prevail in the current hyperpartisan political environment? Winkler thinks Hortman has the right stuff to make it happen. “She brings valuable personal skills to her role. She tends to be low drama, she sticks to the facts, and she doesn’t play games,” Winkler says. “Those are all qualities of a good lawyer.”
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