Mary Murphy (politician)
Encyclopedia
Mary Catherine Murphy is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
representing District 6B, which includes portions of Carlton
and St. Louis
counties in the northeastern part of the state. A Democrat
, she is also a retired history and social studies teacher at Duluth Central High School in Duluth
(1964–1997). She is active in historical preservation and works as a grounds manager.
Murphy was first elected in 1976, and has been re-elected every two years since then. Prior to the 1982 legislative redistricting
, she represented the old District 14B, and prior to the 2002 redistricting, she represented the old District 8A. She is currently the DFL Lead on the Redistricting Committee, and also serves on the State Government Finance Committee, and on the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Subcommittee for the Legacy Funding Division. She was chair of the Ethics Committee during the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 bienniums.
Murphy previously chaired the House Labor-Management Relations Subcommittee for Negotiation, General Labor and Legislation from 1979–1982, the Commerce and Economic Development Subcommittee for Commerce and Job Creation during the 1983-1984 biennium, the Labor-Management Relations Subcommittee for the Unemployment Insurance and Workers Compensation Division during the 1987-1988 biennium, the Economic Development Subcommittee for the Rural Resource Development Division during the 1989-1990 biennium, the Energy Committee during the 1991-1992 biennium, the Judiciary Subcommittee for the Judiciary Finance Division from 1993–1998, and the Finance Subcommittee for the Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division during the 2007-2008 biennium. She was an assistant minority leader
during the 2001-2002 biennium.
Murphy graduated from Hermantown High School in Hermantown
, then went on to the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, graduating with a B.A.
in history in 1961. She later attended graduate school at Indiana University
, at Macalester College
in Saint Paul
, at American University
in Washington D.C., at the University of Wisconsin
in Superior
, and at the University of Minnesota
in Duluth. She is a former member of the Minnesota delegation to the Great Lakes Commission
and, more recently, served on the Minnesota Statehood Sesquicentennial Commission from 2006-2008.
Murphy's key legislative concerns include labor and union advocacy, women’s economic issues, education, consumer protection, health care, criminal justice, jobs, and capitol projects.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
representing District 6B, which includes portions of Carlton
Carlton County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,671 people, 12,064 households, and 8,408 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 13,721 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
and St. Louis
St. Louis County, Minnesota
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 200,226. Its county seat is Duluth. It is the largest county by total area in Minnesota, and the second largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River; in land area alone, after Aroostook...
counties in the northeastern part of the state. A Democrat
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
, she is also a retired history and social studies teacher at Duluth Central High School in Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
(1964–1997). She is active in historical preservation and works as a grounds manager.
Murphy was first elected in 1976, and has been re-elected every two years since then. Prior to the 1982 legislative redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
, she represented the old District 14B, and prior to the 2002 redistricting, she represented the old District 8A. She is currently the DFL Lead on the Redistricting Committee, and also serves on the State Government Finance Committee, and on the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Subcommittee for the Legacy Funding Division. She was chair of the Ethics Committee during the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 bienniums.
Murphy previously chaired the House Labor-Management Relations Subcommittee for Negotiation, General Labor and Legislation from 1979–1982, the Commerce and Economic Development Subcommittee for Commerce and Job Creation during the 1983-1984 biennium, the Labor-Management Relations Subcommittee for the Unemployment Insurance and Workers Compensation Division during the 1987-1988 biennium, the Economic Development Subcommittee for the Rural Resource Development Division during the 1989-1990 biennium, the Energy Committee during the 1991-1992 biennium, the Judiciary Subcommittee for the Judiciary Finance Division from 1993–1998, and the Finance Subcommittee for the Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division during the 2007-2008 biennium. She was an assistant minority leader
Minority leader
In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...
during the 2001-2002 biennium.
Murphy graduated from Hermantown High School in Hermantown
Hermantown, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,448 people, 2,726 households, and 2,077 families residing in the city. The population density was 216.9 people per square mile . There were 2,822 housing units at an average density of 82.2 per square mile...
, then went on to the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, graduating with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in history in 1961. She later attended graduate school at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, at Macalester College
Macalester College
Macalester College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian college. Its first class entered September 15, 1885. The college is located on a campus in a historic residential neighborhood...
in Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, at American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington D.C., at the University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Superior
The University of Wisconsin–Superior is a public university located in Superior, Wisconsin. UW–Superior grants bachelor's, master's, and specialist's degrees...
in Superior
Superior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
, and at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota Duluth
The University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of...
in Duluth. She is a former member of the Minnesota delegation to the Great Lakes Commission
Great Lakes Commission
The Great Lakes Commission is a United States interstate agency established in 1955 through the Great Lakes Compact, in order to "promote the orderly, integrated and comprehensive development, use and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin," which includes the Saint Lawrence...
and, more recently, served on the Minnesota Statehood Sesquicentennial Commission from 2006-2008.
Murphy's key legislative concerns include labor and union advocacy, women’s economic issues, education, consumer protection, health care, criminal justice, jobs, and capitol projects.