John Marty

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John Marty
Moms Demand Action - Senator Marty (cropped).jpg
Marty in 2022
Member of the Minnesota Senate
Assumed office
January 6, 1987

Marty is best known to Minnesota residents as an advocate on environmental issues, health-care reform, and government ethics and campaign-finance reform. He is the author of the Minnesota Health Plan, a comprehensive single-payer healthcare plan. [10] In 2016, he wrote a book, Healing Healthcare, that makes the case for a universal healthcare system. [11] Marty does not accept soft money contributions or contributions from lobbyists, and sharply limits the contributions he will accept from any one person. [12] Among Marty's ethics legislation was the Minnesota law banning lobbyists from giving gifts to public officials. [12] Marty opposes public funding of stadiums and professional sports teams and was outspoken in his criticism of proposals for new stadiums for the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. [13] He also supports medical marijuana, and appeared in the movie Super High Me .

Over the years, Marty has pushed for legislation that was initially dismissed as being politically impossible due to opposition of powerful interest groups, eventually building support and passing legislation several years later. He has authored a wide range of laws, including renewable energy legislation that created community solar and multiplied the use of solar power in Minnesota. He also authored the ban on mercury in consumer products, creation of public benefit corporations as an alternative form of business enterprise, authorization for nurses to dispense oral contraceptives in family planning clinics, significant restrictions on special interest money in politics, and numerous DWI and public safety laws.

Marty’s legislative ideas have frequently made Minnesota the first state to adopt such ideas, with other states following suit, such as his law banning smoking in hospitals and health care facilities, and a ban on the pesticide Triclosan and a prohibition on using several toxic flame retardants.

On LGBTQ rights, Marty was pushing for equality in early 1990s amid of strong public support for DOMA. Marty introduced marriage equality legislation in 2008 and publicly said that despite the position's unpopularity, he thought it could pass within five years, which turned out to be true.

Family and personal life

John Marty is married to Connie Marty (née Jaarsma). They live in Roseville, Minnesota, and have two children. He is Lutheran. [5]

Electoral history

Notes

  1. "MN State Senate". www.senate.mn. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "DFL endorses House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher for governor". Archived from the original on January 12, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  3. "About us". Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved on 2009-01-31.
  4. "Senator John Marty – Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved on 2009-01-31.
  5. 1 2 "Minnesota Legislators Past & Present – Marty, John J." Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved on 2009-01-31.
  6. 1 2 "Election Reporting: State Senate District 54". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
  7. "Press". Minnesotans for Marty exploratory campaign. Archived from the original on December 25, 2008. Retrieved on 2009-01-31.
  8. "Election Reporting". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2010-02-04.
  9. "Marty picks running mate: state Sen. Patricia Torres Ray". MinnPost. March 31, 2010. Archived from the original on July 14, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  10. "The Co-authors". Campaign for the Minnesota Health Plan. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved on 2009-01-31.
  11. Marty, John J. (October 5, 2016). Healing Health Care: The Case for a Commonsense Universal Health System. Speedwell Press/Birch Grove. ISBN   978-1945148019.
  12. 1 2 "Sen. John Marty for Governor". Minnesotans for Marty exploratory campaign. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  13. "Twins' Stadium Opponents Were Tired of the Fight; Supporters Weren't". Minnesota Public Radio. May 22, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-01-07.
  14. "Index - Election Results". electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  15. "Results for State Senator District 66". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  16. "Results for State Senator District 66". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  17. "Results for All State Senate Races, 2012". Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  18. "Election Reporting: State Senate District 54". Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved on 2010-11-05.
  19. "Election Reporting: State Senate District 54". Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 30, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
  20. "Election Reporting: State Senate District 54". Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Minnesota
1994
Succeeded by