Martin Sabo

The Making of the Modern Legislature Lori Sturdevant Minnesota Historical Society Press (August 2025) Description US Congressman Martin Sabo’s early work in Minnesota state government set the mold for how state legislatures across the country have operated since, and continues to wield influence today.  Best known as US Representative of Minnesota’s Fifth District, Martin Sabo also made significant contributions to American political life while serving in the Minnesota state Legislature.  Minnesota has long been acknowledged as the state that works. Its government has been celebrated, if occasionally contested, and has been emulated by other states for decades. But today’s modern, professional state legislature was not inevitable. In the late 1960s–early 1970s Minnesota took a giant step toward a state government that fairly represents all the state’s regions and populations, one that operates in public view. It was a government that shouldered increased responsibility for the education and well-being of its citizens. And it served as an operational model for legislatures around the country. At the center of those changes was a modest young man from tiny Alkabo, North Dakota, Martin Olav Sabo. Sabo demonstrated an understanding of representative democracy and a quality of leadership that made him a highly effective catalyst for positive change. He spent his entire adult life in public service, but it was during his years as DFL minority leader and as speaker of the Minnesota House that he did his most transformative and lasting work. Enhancing Sabo’s rich legacy, this volume focuses attention on his early career and the systemic, enduring contributions to governance he initiated. Author Information Lori Sturdevant reported on state and local politics during a forty-three-year career at the Minnesota Star Tribune. The author or editor of thirteen books, she is a three-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award. She lives in St. Paul. Paperback 240 pages 24 black and white illustrations 6 x 9 inches ISBN: 978-1-68134-325-9