Roger Crawford (politician)
Encyclopedia
Roger W. Crawford is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
who represents District 8B, which includes portions of Isanti
, Kanabec and Pine
counties in the east central part of the state. A Republican
, he is a real estate appraiser and small business owner. He is also a former educator and school principal, teaching in Milaca
and Pine City
.
Crawford was first elected to the House in 2010. He currently serves on the Commerce and Regulatory Reform, the Education Reform, and the Taxes committees, and on the Taxes Subcommittee for the Property and Local Tax Division.
Crawford graduated from St. Cloud State University
in St. Cloud
, receiving his B.A.
in Mass Communications and his B.S.
in Elementary Education. He served in the United States Navy
as a journalist on the U.S.S. Oriskany from 1973-1977.
Active in his community, Crawford was a Kanabec County Commissioner for two years, and also worked with the Kanabec County Assessor's Office. He served as mayor of Mora
from 2002–2006, and was a member of the Mora City Council, the Mora Public Utility Commission, and the Mora Housing and Redevelopment Authority. He is a member of the American Legion
Honor Guard.
"I believed it wasn't right to receive a paycheck if others were not able to work through no fault of their own," he wrote. "I haven't now changed my mind and chosen to take the pay. I have always said I was deferring pay during the shutdown but thought I should receive the pay after it ended."
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 a member 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...
who represents District 8B, which includes portions of Isanti
Isanti County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2010, there were 37,816 people, 14,331 households, and 8,415 families residing in the county. The population density was 71 people per square mile . There were 12,062 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
, Kanabec and Pine
Pine County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,530 people, 9,939 households, and 6,917 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 15,353 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
counties in the east central part of the state. A Republican
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:...
, he is a real estate appraiser and small business owner. He is also a former educator and school principal, teaching in Milaca
Milaca, Minnesota
Milaca is a city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,946 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Mille Lacs County and is situated on the Rum River.-Geography:...
and Pine City
Pine City, Minnesota
Pine City is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,123 at the 2010 census. Pine City is the county seat of, and the largest city in, Pine County...
.
Crawford was first elected to the House in 2010. He currently serves on the Commerce and Regulatory Reform, the Education Reform, and the Taxes committees, and on the Taxes Subcommittee for the Property and Local Tax Division.
Crawford graduated from St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University is a four-year public university founded in 1869 on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. The university is the largest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system which is the largest single provider of higher...
in St. Cloud
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
, receiving his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Mass Communications and his B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Elementary Education. He served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a journalist on the U.S.S. Oriskany from 1973-1977.
Active in his community, Crawford was a Kanabec County Commissioner for two years, and also worked with the Kanabec County Assessor's Office. He served as mayor of Mora
Mora, Minnesota
Mora is a city in and the county seat of Kanabec County in the central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located at the junction of Minnesota State Highways 23 and 65. The population was 3,571 at the 2010 census.-History:...
from 2002–2006, and was a member of the Mora City Council, the Mora Public Utility Commission, and the Mora Housing and Redevelopment Authority. He is a member of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
Honor Guard.
Controversy
Crawford was one of seven legislators featured in an August 2011 story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune for taking pay during Minnesota's government shutdown that summer. The paper and other media outlets reported in June that Crawford was one of seventeen Republican House members who would not take their salary in the event of a state shutdown. Crawford said in August that his words had been misinterpreted."I believed it wasn't right to receive a paycheck if others were not able to work through no fault of their own," he wrote. "I haven't now changed my mind and chosen to take the pay. I have always said I was deferring pay during the shutdown but thought I should receive the pay after it ended."