Steven A Sviggum is a Minnesota politician, a former member of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, and an executive assistant to and communications director for the Republican caucus in the Minnesota Senate.
17 Facts About Steve Sviggum
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Steve Sviggum served as minority leader from April 17,1992 to 1999, and became Speaker after the 1998 elections, when the Republicans took control of the House.
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Steve Sviggum began his speakership under unusual circumstances, as 1998 saw the election of Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura as governor while the Democrats retained control of the Minnesota Senate.
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Steve Sviggum was the leader of the Republicans in a government divided among three political parties.
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In 2003 Steve Sviggum alleged that then-State Representative Rebecca Otto had knowingly distributed false campaign materials.
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On June 26,2007, Governor Tim Pawlenty announced that Steve Sviggum would succeed Scott Brenner as Minnesota Commissioner of Labor and Industry.
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Steve Sviggum resigned from his House seat and took over the position on July 17,2007, serving until December 2010.
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On December 2,2010, in the waning days of the Pawlenty administration, Steve Sviggum was appointed Commissioner of the Minnesota Management and Budget Office, the department responsible for preparing budget proposals for the governor.
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Steve Sviggum served just over a month, leaving office with Pawlenty on January 3,2011.
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Steve Sviggum was to serve a six-year term on the 12-member body, which is charged with overseeing the University of Minnesota system, but resigned one year into his term, after the Board found that his position as chief spokesman for the Senate Republican Caucus constituted an "unmanageable conflict of interest".
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In 2022, Steve Sviggum suggested that the University of Minnesota Morris might be "too diverse".
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Steve Sviggum said that two of his friends' children had not gone to Morris because they "just didn't feel comfortable there".
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On January 16,2012, Steve Sviggum was named communications director and executive assistant for the Republican caucus in the Minnesota Senate.
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Steve Sviggum replaced Michael Brodkorb, who had resigned in the wake of a scandal involving former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch.
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Steve Sviggum was criticized for his intention to remain a regent during his tenure with the Senate.
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Steve Sviggum admitted that taxpayers should not have paid for pamphlets created by the Minnesota Senate Republican communications department and used by 15 Republican Senators for Republican attendees of precinct caucuses.
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Steve Sviggum publicly apologized for using taxpayer's resources to produce campaign materials.