Phil Carruthers
Encyclopedia
Phil Carruthers is a former Minnesota
politician and former member and Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
. He is currently the director of the Civil Division at the Ramsey County
Attorney's Office.
Carruthers came to Minnesota in 1961 with his parents, who were Canadian citizens. He graduated from St. Anthony Village High School
and the University of Minnesota
before attending the University of Minnesota Law School
. He worked for several years as an attorney before seeking public office. He also served on the Metropolitan Council
from 1983–1986. He won election to the House in 1986 from Brooklyn Center, representing District 47B, which included portions of Hennepin County
. He also maintained a private practice and served as prosecutor for the city of Shorewood
during this same time period.
While in the House, Carruthers served as chair of the Metropolitan Affairs Subcommittee on Government Structure, the Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs Subcommittee on Metro Affairs, the Judiciary Subcommittee on Data Privacy, the Rules and Legislative Administration Committee, and the Rules and Legislative Administration Subcommittee on Administration.
In 1993, Carruthers was chosen to be Majority Leader
when Irv Anderson
became Speaker. He served as majority leader during the next two legislative sessions and became chair of the Rules and Legislative Administration Committee. When Anderson stepped down from the House leadership in 1997, he succeeded him as Speaker. He remained in that position until 1999, when the DFL majority was defeated by the Republican Party
, and Steve Sviggum
succeeded him as Speaker. He served one more term in the House before retiring in 2001.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
politician and former member and Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
. He is currently the director of the Civil Division at the Ramsey County
Ramsey County, Minnesota
Ramsey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, founded in 1849. As of 2010, the population was 508,640. Its county seat is St. Paul, which is also Minnesota's state capital. The county is named for Alexander Ramsey , the first governor of the Minnesota Territory...
Attorney's Office.
Carruthers came to Minnesota in 1961 with his parents, who were Canadian citizens. He graduated from St. Anthony Village High School
St. Anthony Village High School
St. Anthony Village High School is a public high school located in St. Anthony, Minnesota.-School Overview:St. Anthony Village High School is the only high school serving ISD #282, and it has over 500 students. It attracts a large number of open-enrollment students from other communities. ...
and the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
before attending the University of Minnesota Law School
University of Minnesota Law School
The University of Minnesota Law School, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, is a professional school of the University of Minnesota. The school offers a Juris Doctor , Masters of Law for Foreign Lawyers, and joint degrees with J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.P.A, J.D./M.A., J.D./M.S., J.D./Ph.D.,...
. He worked for several years as an attorney before seeking public office. He also served on the Metropolitan Council
Metropolitan Council
The Metropolitan Council or Met Council is the regional governmental agency and metropolitan planning organization in Minnesota serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area. The Met Council is granted regional authority powers in state statutes by the Minnesota Legislature. These powers...
from 1983–1986. He won election to the House in 1986 from Brooklyn Center, representing District 47B, which included portions of Hennepin County
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
. He also maintained a private practice and served as prosecutor for the city of Shorewood
Shorewood, Minnesota
Shorewood is a settlement on Lake Minnetonka in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 7,307 at the 2010 census. The city was incorporated in 1956. Its area was originally part of the larger Excelsior Township as were the nearby cities of Excelsior, Tonka Bay and Deephaven...
during this same time period.
While in the House, Carruthers served as chair of the Metropolitan Affairs Subcommittee on Government Structure, the Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs Subcommittee on Metro Affairs, the Judiciary Subcommittee on Data Privacy, the Rules and Legislative Administration Committee, and the Rules and Legislative Administration Subcommittee on Administration.
In 1993, Carruthers was chosen to be Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
when Irv Anderson
Irv Anderson
Irvin Neil "Irv" Anderson was a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1965–1983, and again from 1991–2007....
became Speaker. He served as majority leader during the next two legislative sessions and became chair of the Rules and Legislative Administration Committee. When Anderson stepped down from the House leadership in 1997, he succeeded him as Speaker. He remained in that position until 1999, when the DFL majority was defeated by the Republican Party
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
, and Steve Sviggum
Steve Sviggum
Steven A. "Steve" Sviggum is a Minnesota politician, a member of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, and a former Speaker and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A Republican, he represented District 28B in the southeastern part of the state...
succeeded him as Speaker. He served one more term in the House before retiring in 2001.