Tom Hackbarth
Encyclopedia
Thomas M. "Tom" Hackbarth (born December 28, 1951) is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
representing District 48A, which includes portions of Anoka
and Sherburne
counties in the northern part of the Twin Cities
metropolitan area. A Republican
, he is also a retired salesman in the automotive parts industry.
Hackbarth was first elected in 1994 and served one term. He ran again in 1998, was elected, and has been re-elected every two years since then. Prior to the 2002 legislative redistricting
, he represented the old District 50A. He is a member of the House Environment Policy and Oversight Committee and the Finance Committee. He also serves on the Environment Policy and Oversight Subcommittee for the Game, Fish and Forestry Division, and on the Finance subcommittees for the Energy Finance and Policy Division and the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division, on which he is the ranking minority party member. He chaired the Environment and Natural Resources Committee from 2003-2006.
Hackbarth was slated to chair the House Enironment, Energy and Natural Resources Committee for the legislative session beginning in 2011. The House Republican Party caucus reneged on the chairmanship after an incident on Tuesday, November 16, 2010. On that date, Hackbarth was questioned and briefly detained by police who found him with a loaded gun, for which he had a permit to carry, acting suspiciously in a Planned Parenthood parking lot in St. Paul, Minnesota. Hackbarth stated he was looking for a girlfriend whom he had recently met through an online dating site.
Hackbarth is a key proponent of building a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings
. On October 5, 2009, he announced a renewal of the effort to build a Vikings stadium without increasing taxes on Minnesota citizens. The plan proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing the use of revenue from the addition of slot machines at existing Twin Cities area horse racing
facilities for Vikings stadium funding.
Hackbarth graduated from Anoka High School
in Anoka
, and then attended North Hennepin Community College
in Brooklyn Park
. He has been a firefighter
for the Oak Grove
Volunteer Fire Department since 1983.
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...
representing District 48A, which includes portions of Anoka
Anoka County, Minnesota
Anoka County is the fourth-most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county is bordered by the counties of Isanti on the north, Chisago and Washington on the east, Hennepin and Ramsey on the south, Sherburne on the west, and the Mississippi River on the southwest.As of 2010, Anoka...
and Sherburne
Sherburne County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,417 people, 21,581 households, and 16,746 families residing in the county. The population density was 148 people per square mile . There were 22,827 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile...
counties in the northern part of the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
metropolitan area. 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 also a retired salesman in the automotive parts industry.
Hackbarth was first elected in 1994 and served one term. He ran again in 1998, was elected, and has been re-elected every two years since then. Prior to the 2002 legislative redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
, he represented the old District 50A. He is a member of the House Environment Policy and Oversight Committee and the Finance Committee. He also serves on the Environment Policy and Oversight Subcommittee for the Game, Fish and Forestry Division, and on the Finance subcommittees for the Energy Finance and Policy Division and the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division, on which he is the ranking minority party member. He chaired the Environment and Natural Resources Committee from 2003-2006.
Hackbarth was slated to chair the House Enironment, Energy and Natural Resources Committee for the legislative session beginning in 2011. The House Republican Party caucus reneged on the chairmanship after an incident on Tuesday, November 16, 2010. On that date, Hackbarth was questioned and briefly detained by police who found him with a loaded gun, for which he had a permit to carry, acting suspiciously in a Planned Parenthood parking lot in St. Paul, Minnesota. Hackbarth stated he was looking for a girlfriend whom he had recently met through an online dating site.
Hackbarth is a key proponent of building a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. On October 5, 2009, he announced a renewal of the effort to build a Vikings stadium without increasing taxes on Minnesota citizens. The plan proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing the use of revenue from the addition of slot machines at existing Twin Cities area horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
facilities for Vikings stadium funding.
Hackbarth graduated from Anoka High School
Anoka High School
Anoka High School is a four year public high school located in Anoka, Minnesota on 3939 7th Avenue N.-School overview:Anoka High School is part of Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 and is one of five regular high schools in the district...
in Anoka
Anoka, Minnesota
At the 2000 census, there were 18,076 people, 7,262 households and 4,408 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,709.0 per square mile . There were 7,398 housing units at an average density of 1,108.7 per square mile...
, and then attended North Hennepin Community College
North Hennepin Community College
North Hennepin Community College is a two-year college located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, primarily serving the communities of the northwestern portion of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. Established in 1966 as North Hennepin State Junior College with 414 students , the college...
in Brooklyn Park
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
According to the 2010 census, there were 75,781 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 52% White, 24% African American, 1% Native American, 15% Asian, 42 residents identifying themselves as Pacific Islander, 4% from other races, and 4% from two or more races...
. He has been a firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
for the Oak Grove
Oak Grove, Minnesota
Oak Grove is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. It is north of Minneapolis. The population was 8,031 at the 2010 census. The city was formerly Oak Grove Township before it was incorporated on December 20, 1993.-History:...
Volunteer Fire Department since 1983.