Kim Norton: A Day in the Life of a Freshman Legislator
01/16/2007
A Day in the Life of a Freshman LegislatorSubmitted by Kim Norton
Mon, 2007-01-15 16:10.
I’ve been asked repeatedly “What’s it like?” or “What do you do every day?” or “Are you having fun?” since being elected to office.
With just over a week under my belt I thought I’d try to give a brief overview of what a day in the life of a freshman legislator is like....
My first day: I was sworn in to office on Jan. 3 in the presence of my husband and 16-year-old daughter. I was also honored to have about 10 friends and constituents from Rochester behind me in the gallery and in the House Chamber join me for the event. I think, despite the length of the session, that everyone enjoyed the day. It was very moving to sit at “my” desk for the first time in our beautiful House Chambers in the State Capitol as I took the oath of office.
This first full week of session has seemed to go by at a breakneck pace. The days generally start around 8 a.m. with constituent or organization meetings and roll right into session or committee meetings throughout the day. Often scheduled one after another, these hearings are an opportunity to learn about issues and hear personal testimony. Soon we’ll be hearing committee appropriate bills, discussing them, and voting them up or down.
Tuesday was a full-day conference designed by the Humphrey Institute (organized by former Senator Sheila Kiscaden, Rep. Kathy Tingelstad and others) for all legislators (House and Senate/Republican and Democrat) so we can begin our work with a common vision and base of knowledge and with good relationships. The day was filled with quality presentations about what the future holds for Minnesota and how we, as legislators, might ensure that our state is well-positioned for a dynamic future.
Back to a “normal” workday: Positioned between committee meetings (IF there’s a break) are additional meetings or appointments with constituents or with media to tape audio or video pieces. A quick trip up to the Revisor’s office or House Research to check on the progress of the language on a bill is sometimes necessary. In my case, it was a sprint to the “hopper” to get my bill in before Friday’s 12:30 deadline. And what happens when the bill presented isn’t exactly correct, as was the case with my first bill? An “author’s amendment” was noted on the hearing request! I’m hoping it will be heard in the BioScience and Emerging Technology Committee as early as this next week.
One thing several freshman and I noted as we trotted between committee hearings was the lack of time for lunch. None of us had eaten lunch all week, and we discussed carrying “power” bars in our bags in the future. A group of freshman had planned to squeeze in a mile “walk” through the tunnels a couple times per week to counter the hours of sitting in meetings – but where we’ll find the time remains in question!
So when does the day end? So far I’ve gotten back to my residence between 10 and 11 p.m. each night. The early evenings, thus far, have been filled with events such as the MN Chamber dinner or the Environmental Consortium Legislative gathering or the League of Minnesota Cities dinner. I was not the only legislator sitting back in my State Office Building office following those events answering constituent e-mail and sorting through the 6-12” stacks of mail. (It’s delivered twice a day!) There is some comfort in heading out of the building knowing that you are (temporarily, at least) caught up despite the hour!
So, do I like it? Absolutely. What do I do? Meet, learn, and seek good legislation to take our state forward in a positive direction. Am I having fun? Fun might not be the right word, but I’m enjoying the opportunity given my by my constituents and hope to serve them well this session and long into the future.
Stay in touch!