Agriculture has been Dille's legislative priority
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 02/11/2010 8:03 AM
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DASSEL, Minn. — Steve Dille was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in a year when the DFL took control of the House.
It was the middle of a farm crisis and Republicans were campaigning on the idea that they'd cut spending and cut taxes, he said. The idea didn't go over well in the countryside where people were struggling to pay their bills and needed more government services, Sen. Dille added.
Dille and agriculture commissioner Gene Hugoson were both in that freshman class of 1986.
"There's not many left" from that class, Dille said.
Hugoson served nine years in the House before becoming agriculture commissioner and Dille served in the House until 1992 when he was elected to the state Senate.
The two have been working together since 1986, Hugoson said. Agriculture has been Dille's priority and they have worked together on livestock issues, permitting regulations and farm issues in general. They have also bonded because they have both continued to farm during their career in public service. Dille is known to breed his ewes to begin lambing on the last day of session.
Hugoson said Dille has always been very diplomatic and attuned to all sides of the issues. He understands where people are coming from, even if he doesn't agree with them. He also has the ability to look for compromise when appropriate and necessary.
"Steve has had a very, very great ability of working with both sides of the aisle," Hugoson said. "People have trusted him."
Steve Wenzel, an adjunct professor at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, chaired the House agriculture committee when Dille was elected.
"I came to appreciate and admire his knowledge relative to agriculture and the problems that it faced and his solutions for them," said Wenzel, who was the USDA Rural Development state director from 2001 to 2009.
Dille was knowledgeable about complicated and difficult issues, Wenzel said. He was always easy to talk to and had a friendly demeanor.
Wenzel is disappointed Dille is leaving because he is a strong voice for bipartisan cooperation.
"The extreme partisanship today in Congress and the Legislature is a poison on the body politic," Wenzel said. "It is very important that legislators in both parties and Congress work together for the common ground."
Dille voted for the gas tax increase in 1988 — one of only five Republicans who did — and he supported it again in 2008 and voted to override the governor's veto.
He said he didn't receive any criticism at the Capitol for his vote, but he did from people back home. A more conservative element has taken over control of the Republican Party in his district, he said. He's confident he could win reelection, but he doesn't want to run.
Dille said two newspapers in his district editorialized that he should run for governor. It's nice to have people say that, but he doesn't plan to enter the race.
Besides his focus on agriculture, Dille said he has passed a number of bills to strengthen families. The Republican philosophy is to get by with less government and in order to do that, families must be strong, he said.
He sponsored legislation that gives couples a discount on their marriage license application if they have 12 hours of marriage education. In 2008, 34 percent of couples took the education, he said.
He authored a bill requiring people with underage children go through a parenting class, Parenting Forever, before their divorce. He also authored legislation requiring more financial management education in high school and college.
This year, he wants to pass legislation requiring a two-hour course before couples file for divorce. The online course will outline options available.
After this session, Dille plans to focus on one job: Raising sheep. He's raised sheep for almost 50 years and his family has had sheep since the 1930s. He had cattle and hogs until two years ago, when corn hit $5. His youngest son wants to come back to the farm and Dille said when that happens they'll probably start raising cattle again.