Jim Abeler
Jim Abeler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 35th district | |
| Assumed office February 22, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Branden Petersen |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 35A district 49A (1999–2003), 48B (2003–2013) | |
| In office January 5, 1999 – January 5, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Charlie Weaver |
| Succeeded by | Abigail Whelan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 18, 1954 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Barb |
| Children | 6 |
| Residence | Anoka, Minnesota |
| Alma mater | University of Minnesota Hamline University Northwestern College of Chiropractic |
| Occupation | Chiropractor |
James J. Abeler II (/ˈeɪblər/ AYB-lər; born May 18, 1954) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represents District 35 in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. He formerly represented District 35A in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Early life and education
Abeler was born in Minneapolis. He graduated from Anoka High School in Anoka, then attended the University of Minnesota and Hamline University in Saint Paul.[1] He earned his D.C. from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Bloomington in 1979. In the late 1990s, he founded PACT Charter School in Anoka.[2]
Minnesota Legislature
Minnesota House of Representatives
Abeler was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1998 and was re-elected every two years since then until retiring in 2014. Prior to the 2002 legislative redistricting, he represented the old District 49A. He served as chair of the Health Policy and Finance Subcommittee for the Health Care Cost Containment Division during the 2005 to 2006 biennium.[3]
Minnesota Senate
He was elected to the Minnesota Senate in a special election on February 9, 2016 and assumed office on February 22, 2016.[3] Abeler was a member of the Republican Senate Majority in 2022. Abeler was noted for not realizing that he approved a DFL-sponsored bill that legalized in Minnesota THC edibles derived from hemp.[4][5][6][7]
2014 U.S. Senate campaign
Abeler was a candidate of the 2014 U.S. Senate election in Minnesota.[8] He lost the Republican nomination to Mike McFadden.
Political stances
Jim Abeler formed the MN Autism Council in Fall of 2018. He was subsequently criticized for appointing Wayne Rohde, cofounder of the Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota, to the council in 2019. Rohde is a prominent vaccine skeptic and an executive for Health Choice, which advocates for health conditions in children "caused by side effects of vaccine choices."[9]
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, in November 2020, he opened a bar called Nucky's Speakeasy as a co-owner. Abeler had owned the Anoka building in which it opened since 1994. The bar was named after Atlantic City racketeer Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson.[10]
Personal life
Abeler is married to Barb and together they have six children: Jamie, Jesse, Jordan, Josiah (died in 2011), Jude, and Judson. He is a Baptist and a chiropractor.[3]
References
- ^ Anoka Lawmaker Hoping For A Successful Rookie Year Minnesota Legislative Reference Library Session Weekly, January 15, 1999
- ^ Belden, Doug - Anoka Republican Jim Abeler wades into Senate race. TwinCities.com Pioneer Press, June 17, 2013
- ^ a b c "Abeler, Jim". Legislators Past & Present. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
- ^ Faircloth, Ryan - Edibles, beverages infused with cannabis ingredient THC become legal Friday in Minnesota. Star Tribune, June 30, 2022
- ^ Faircloth, Ryan - New edible cannabis law catches some Minnesota regulators, lawmakers by surprise. Star Tribune, July 1, 2022
- ^ Derosier, Alex - Cannabis edibles containing psychoactive THC now legal in Minnesota TwinCities.com Pioneer Press, June 30, 2022
- ^ Bornhoft, William - Did Minnesota Just Accidentally Legalize THC-Laced Edibles?. MSN.com Patch, July 1, 2022
- ^ Pugmire, Tim and Tom Scheck (June 18, 2013). "State Rep. Abeler running for US Senate". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
- ^ Mole, Beth (January 25, 2019). "Anti-vaccine advocates appointed to Minnesota autism council after measles outbreak". Ars Technica. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ Hyatt, Kim (December 10, 2020). "Republican legislator opened speakeasy days before shutdown". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 29, 2022.