Pat Pariseau
Encyclopedia
Patricia "Pat" Pariseau (born August 10, 1936) is a Minnesota
politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate
who represented District 36, which includes portions of Dakota
, Goodhue
, Scott
and Washington
counties in the southern Twin Cities
metropolitan area. A Republican
, she was first elected to the Senate in a 1988 special election held after the resignation of Senator Darril Wegscheid. She was re-elected in 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2006. Prior to the 1992 legislative redistricting
, she represented the old District 37. On February 22, 2010, she announced that she would not seek an eighth term.
Pariseau was a member of the Senate's Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Judiciary Committee. She also served on the Environment and Natural Resources Subcommittee for Public Lands and Waters, and on the Finance subcommittees for the Economic Development and Housing Budget Division, the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division, and the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division-Natural Resources. Her special legislative concerns included taxes, health issues, agriculture, business and jobs, environment and sporting issues, airport planning, natural resources, and corrections.
She was an assistant minority leader
from 1991 to 1994.
Pariseau is a retired registered nurse
. She graduated from Ravenswood Hospital School of Nursing in Chicago, Illinois. She and her late husband, Ken, farmed near Farmington
, and parented six children. Before running for the Senate, she served on the Farmington School Board and also worked as an aide to U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz
in his Saint Paul
office.
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 former member of the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
who represented District 36, which includes portions of Dakota
Dakota County, Minnesota
Dakota County is the third most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county is bordered by the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers on the north, and the state of Wisconsin on the east. Dakota County comprises the southeast portion of seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul, the thirteenth...
, Goodhue
Goodhue County, Minnesota
Goodhue County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 46,183. Its county seat is Red Wing. Nearly all of Prairie Island Indian Community is within the county.-History:...
, Scott
Scott County, Minnesota
Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was organized in 1853 and named in honor of General Winfield Scott. As of 2010, the population was 129,928. Its county seat is Shakopee...
and Washington
Washington County, Minnesota
Washington County is a county established in 1849 in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 238,136. Its county seat is Stillwater.-History:...
counties in the southern Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
metropolitan area. A Republican
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
, she was first elected to the Senate in a 1988 special election held after the resignation of Senator Darril Wegscheid. She was re-elected in 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2006. Prior to the 1992 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 37. On February 22, 2010, she announced that she would not seek an eighth term.
Pariseau was a member of the Senate's Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Judiciary Committee. She also served on the Environment and Natural Resources Subcommittee for Public Lands and Waters, and on the Finance subcommittees for the Economic Development and Housing Budget Division, the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division, and the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division-Natural Resources. Her special legislative concerns included taxes, health issues, agriculture, business and jobs, environment and sporting issues, airport planning, natural resources, and corrections.
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...
from 1991 to 1994.
Pariseau is a retired registered nurse
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
. She graduated from Ravenswood Hospital School of Nursing in Chicago, Illinois. She and her late husband, Ken, farmed near Farmington
Farmington, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,365 people, 4,169 households, and 3,255 families residing in the city. The population density was 986.0 people per square mile . There were 4,233 housing units at an average density of 337.5 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 95.62%...
, and parented six children. Before running for the Senate, she served on the Farmington School Board and also worked as an aide to U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz
Rudy Boschwitz
Rudolph Ely "Rudy" Boschwitz is a former Independent-Republican United States Senator from Minnesota. He served in the Senate from December 1978 to January 1991, in the 96th, 97th, 98th, 99th, 100th, and 101st congresses. He was then defeated by Paul Wellstone.-Life and career:Boschwitz was born...
in his 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...
office.