Tom Rukavina
| Tom Rukavina | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 5A district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Dominic J. Elioff |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 23, 1950 Virginia, Minnesota |
| Political party | Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Virginia, Minnesota |
| Alma mater | Mesabi Range Community and Technical College University of Minnesota |
| Occupation | legislator |
Thomas "Tom" Rukavina (born August 23, 1950 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, having represented District 5A since 1987.[1] His district, in what is known as the Mesabi Range, lies in St. Louis County, in the northeastern part of the state.
Rukavina graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a Bachelor of Art degree cum laude in political science. He was elected to the House in 1986 at age 37 and has been reelected every two years since, beginning his 13th term in January 2011.[1]
Rukavina is a member of the House Finance Committee and the House Tax Committee, and also serves on the Finance subcommittees for the Capital Investment Finance Division and the Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division, which he chairs.[2]
Rukavina garnered brief national attention from Fox News Channel on March 16, 2007, for a bill he introduced to ban the sale of foreign-made American flags in Minnesota. The bill has since passed into law.[3]
Contents |
[edit] TCF Bank Stadium alcohol legislation controversy
Rukavina was arrested on July 31, 2004, for driving drunk.[4] He was cited for fourth-degree drunken driving. His blood alcohol level was 0.15. Rukavina had opposed lowering the blood alcohol level at which driving is illegal from .10 to .08. In 2004 the state legislature approved lowering the level as of August 2005.
In 2009, Rukavina opposed allowing the University of Minnesota to sell beer and wine in only the premium seats at TCF Bank Stadium. He insisted that the University alter its policy to sell alcohol to all legal drinkers throughout the stadium, including its own students.[5]
[edit] 2010 gubernatorial campaign
On July 23, 2009, Rukavina filed paperwork allowing him to explore running for governor of Minnesota, stating that he would decide whether to make his candidacy official by early September.[6][7] He subsequently decided to run, announcing his decision at a Duluth park on September 7, 2009.[8] On March 30, 2010, Rukavina was endorsed by Congressman Jim Oberstar.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Rukavina, Tom". Reference Library. Minnesota Legislature. 2009. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10574. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
- ^ "Tom Rukavina (DFL) 05A - Minnesota House of Representatives". House.leg.state.mn.us. http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=10574. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/revisor/pages/search_status/status_detail.php?b=House&f=HF0122&ssn=0&y=2007
- ^ "WDIO.com". Stopthemaddness.org. http://stopthemaddness.org/cached1/20050298.html. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ By PAT DOYLE, Star Tribune (2010-05-03). "TCF Stadium bill comes up dry". StarTribune.com. http://www.startribune.com/sports/92732649.html. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ "Iron Ranger Rukavina files for governor's race - KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and Sports". Kttc.com. 2009-07-23. http://www.kttc.com/Global/story.asp?S=10781941. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ "Rukavina files paperwork for governor’s race " Minnesota Independent: News. Politics. Media". Minnesotaindependent.com. 2008-08-25. http://minnesotaindependent.com/40122/rukavina-files-paperwork-for-governors-race. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ Kimball, Joe (September 8, 2009). "State DFL Rep. Rukavina officially joins race for governor". Political Agenda (MinnPost.com). http://www.minnpost.com/politicalagenda/2009/09/08/11375/state_dfl_rep_rukavina_officially_joins_race_for_governor. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
[edit] External links
- Tom Rukavina at Minnesota Legislators Past & Present
- Rep. Rukavina Web Page
- Minnesota Public Radio - Votetracker: Tom Rukavina Voting Record
- Project Vote Smart - Rep. Tom Rukavina Profile
- Follow the Money - Thomas Rukavina Campaign Contributions
- Rep. Rukavina Campaign Web Site
- Rukavina for Governor, 2010 web site
| Minnesota House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dominic J. Elioff |
Minnesota State Representative for District 5A 1987 – |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
