Paul Thissen

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Paul Thissen serves in the Minnesota House of Representatives representing south Minneapolis and Richfield. He was first elected in 2002, and re-elected in 2004 and 2006. He Chairs the Health and Human Services Committee.

[edit] Family, Education and Professional Career

Thissen was born in Bloomington, Minnesota, in 1966. His parents, Frank and Barb Thissen, were both lifelong educators. Frank, who grew up on a farm in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota that the family still owns, worked for the St. Paul School District as a teacher, counselor and administrator. Barb worked for many years as a special education teacher for the Richfield, Minnesota schools.

After graduating from the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, he attended Harvard University and graduated with high honors in 1989. He earned his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1992.

He clerked for the Honorable James B. Loken of the United State Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and then went to work at the Minneapolis law firm of Briggs and Morgan. He specialized in general litigation and appellate work. He also worked for the Minnesota State Public Defenders Office. Thissen served as Chair of the firm's Pro Bono Committee. During his tenure, the firm more than doubled the hours of free legal services it provided to low-income individuals and non-profits. Thissen also founded Access for Persons with Disabilities, a group of lawyers dedicated to providing legal services to persons with disabilities.

He resigned as a Briggs and Morgan partner in 2002 when he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives. He continues to work at the firm when the legislature is not in session.

In 2006, Thissen was named one of "Forty Under 40" top business professionals in the Twin Cities by the Twin Cities Business Journal.

Paul is married to Karen Wilson. The couple has three children.'

[edit] Public Service and Legislative Record

In 2002, Thissen was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in his first run for public office. He was reelected in 2004 and 2006.

During his first two terms, Thissen served as a member of the minority party. Nonetheless, Thissen developed a reputation as someone who could work across party lines. He was a key player in passing significant legislation including major changes to Minnesota's eminent domain laws to protect the rights of individual property owners, the merger of the insolvent Minneapolis Teachers Retirement Fund into the statewide teachers pension fund, a nation-leading law to curb abusive tax-preparer practices and an overhaul of state campaign law.

During the 2006 election, Thissen served as Finance Co-Chair of the House DFL Caucus and succeeded raising more dollars than the Republic opposition. The DFL picked up nineteen seats and a strong new majority. Politics in Minnesota named Thissen was named one of the big "winners" of the 2006 election in its November 9, 2006 edition.

In 2007, Thissen was appointed Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. He also sits on the Health Finance Committee, the Biosciences Committee, the Telecommunications Division, the Finance Committee, the Rules Committee and the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement. Thissen also served as Speaker pro tempore of the Minnesota House.

Thissen was Chief Author of HF 1, the Children's Health Security Act. The proposal, which would provide health coverage to all Minnesota children in families who make under $60,000, passed off the floor of the Minnesota House. Speech on Childrens Health

Thissen serves on the Health Care Access Commission and also serves on Governor Tim Pawlenty's Health Transformation Taskforce. Both groups are working throughout the summer and fall of 2007 to develop plans to reduce health care costs and provide universal coverage in Minnesota by 2011.