Sviggum is new head of Labor and Industry

Longtime legislator and former House Speaker Steve Sviggum has been appointed commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.

The move, which takes effect July 17, puts an exclamation point on a legislative career of nearly 30 years and elevates Sviggum to the cabinet of his friend, protégé and now boss, Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

The longest-serving speaker in modern state history, Sviggum, 56, held power first as minority leader for six years, then as speaker for eight, becoming a force in state politics second only to the governor.

In announcing the appointment, Pawlenty said, "Steve is known for his ability to work with and listen to people on all sides of an issue."

DFLers have taken a different, dimmer view of the man whose rock-ribbed support of Pawlenty's no-tax pledge eroded what they considered Minnesota's quality of life.

Sviggum said on Tuesday that he knew not everyone would be pleased with his appointment.

"You know, friends come and go," the Kenyon lawmaker said, "but when you're speaker, enemies just accumulate."

Sviggum said he was excited about his new post and ready to make the transition to the executive branch.

"Now I'm going to have to enforce the laws I spent 29 years passing," he said, chuckling.

Elected to the Legislature in 1978 as a 27-year-old conservative fresh from his Kenyon farm, Sviggum spent much of his legislative career in the minority of a DFL-controlled House.

By 1992, he had risen to minority leader and became legendary for his relentless recruitment of candidates and efforts to campaign on their behalf.

With limited influence against a strong DFL majority, Sviggum prided himself on his ability to guarantee then-Gov. Arne Carlson that his caucus would uphold gubernatorial vetoes, strengthening the Republican governor's hand.

This year, he advised new House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, to do the same. Seifert did, and the result was an unexpected power boost for Pawlenty during the 2007 legislative session.

Reaching the top

Years of toiling for Republican candidates paid off for Sviggum in 1998 when the GOP swept to power in the House, with Sviggum at the top. They faced off against one of the most flamboyant and pugnacious political figures the state has ever produced: celebrity wrestler turned independent governor, Jesse Ventura.

At his right hand, Sviggum put one of his most trusted confidants at the Legislature: Rep. Tim Pawlenty of Eagan, a sharp, sometimes edgy conservative with a flair for goading Ventura and DFLers.

Sviggum and Pawlenty forged a lasting friendship, marked by good-natured teasing from Pawlenty, who often could not resist poking fun at farm boy Sviggum's complete lack of knowledge about pop culture.

But the two made a formidable political pair, with Sviggum giving Pawlenty a sizable role in end-of-session negotiations, even as Pawlenty planned his own gubernatorial race against then-Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe, DFL-Erskine.

In a news release issued Tuesday morning, Pawlenty said he had named Sviggum to the post because "his philosophy has always revolved around balance and I know he'll bring that to [the department]."

Finding his voice

Through his time at the Legislature, Sviggum remained a firm proponent of fiscal and social conservative values, earning him criticism from the left. That continued on Tuesday, with DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez saying that Sviggum had "established a long record of working against the best interests of Minnesota's working families."

After losing the House majority to DFLers in 2006, Sviggum stepped down from leadership this year. But freed from moderating the debate from the speaker's podium, he appeared to discover his own voice, speaking out forcefully against DFLers' proposals and even breaking with many in his own caucus to endorse the passage of medical marijuana laws.

As commissioner, Sviggum will oversee the state's workers' compensation system, monitor compliance with labor laws and regulate construction codes and licensing activities.

Patricia Lopez • 651-222-1288