Peter Fischer (politician)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Peter Fischer (born June 21, 1958) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2013. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Fischer represents District 44A in the central
Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...
metropolitan area, which includes the cities of Maplewood, Little Canada, and North St. Paul, and parts of Ramsey County.


Early life and education

Fischer was raised in Maplewood, Minnesota. He attended Lakewood Community College, graduating with an A.A., and later the
University of St. Thomas St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to: *Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia *Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina *St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick *St. ...
, graduating with a B.A. in
business administration Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...
. Fischer served in the Maplewood government on the Parks Commission and the Human Relations Commission. He also works in the finance division of Face to Face, a nonprofit organization serving housing insecure youth in St. Paul.


Minnesota House of Representatives

Fischer was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
and has been reelected every two years since. He first ran in an open seat created after legislative redistricting. Fischer chairs the Human Services Policy Committee and also sits on the Human Services Finance, Health Finance and Policy, and the Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committees. He chaired the Water Division from 2019 to 2020 and the Behavioral Health Division from 2021 to 2022.


Environment and natural resources

Fischer authored legislation to ban the wolf hunt in Minnesota. The measure was included in an amendment to a 2019 omnibus environment bill after contentious debate and bipartisan votes for and against. The provision was not taken up by the Republican controlled Senate and did not become law. Fischer authored legislation to limit "body-grip" style hunting traps because they inadvertently kill hunting dogs and other pets. He introduced bills that would ban the sale and use of lead fishing equipment in order to protect native swans, eagles and other wildlife.


Water quality issues

Fischer wrote legislation that created a Legislative Water Commission, and served as its co-chair until it was discontinued in 2019. As chair of the Water Division, he carried legislation to protect groundwater, including monitoring private wells. He has supported a ban on trichloroethylene after state regulators found a manufacturer in White Bear Lake was illegally polluting for more than a decade. He wrote a bill that would create a state program to prevent over-salting of sidewalks, roads, and parking lots, and supported efforts to address farm fertilizer nitrate's affect on water quality. Fischer has stated his openness to imposing greater regulations on frac sand mining. He has supported calls to address water contamination by microplastics and lead.


Other political positions

Fischer has carried "right-to-repair" legislation that would expand the ability of independent third-party businesses to repair electronics and other products. His bill would require public access to the parts, tools and manuals of a number of consumer products. He wrote legislation that would study a redesign of Minnesota's state flag, which was criticized for its design and depiction of Native Americans. He co-chaired a joint legislative commission on housing affordability.


Electoral history


Personal life

Fischer is married to his wife, Kristi. They have two daughters and a son. They reside in Maplewood, Minnesota.


References


External links


Rep. Peter Fischer
''official Minnesota House of Representatives website''
Rep. Peter Fischer
''official campaign website'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Peter 1958 births Living people Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives People from Maplewood, Minnesota University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) alumni 21st-century American politicians