Pat Flahaven is retiring

It has been reported before but Doug Grow reminds us that Pat Flahaven is retiring as secretary to the Minnesota Senate.  He has done the job for 36 years and is certainly entitled to retire, but it will indeed mark a transition in the operations of our state. 

I wish him well. 

I first saw Pat Flahaven from the visitors’ gallery of the Minnesota Senate in 1971.  The first few days of that session were good theater and just the kind of thing that would interest a young person interested in public affairs.  Secretary to the Senate is a position which is generally invisible to the general public but very visible when one is in the chamber or the gallery and the young, clean-shaved man who seemed to be an up-and-comer headed for greater and higher things, looked very comfortable in the position.  In 1971, Pat Flahaven had just been chosen for the position, on a 34-33 vote.  He only held it for a few days before the Minnesota Supreme Court on a straight party-line vote removed the DFL majority. 

Two years later, after 114 years of statehood, the GOP finally relinquished control of the Senate, the DFL winning too many seats for even the most partisan of courts to take away and Pat Flahaven moved back to the post he has held since. 

I have not spoken to the man in many years and never knew him well, but have to note that comments made from many from both parties as he approaches this retirement are all favorable. 

And it is going to take two people to replace him.  Especially in this time of economic downturn in both public and private sectors, that is in itself an especially good commentary.