A pair of area legislators have been rewarded for their years of service at the Capitol with respective chairman appointments, and that should be good news for southwest Minnesota.
Doug Magnus, elected District 22 Senator earlier this month after serving as District 22A Representative in the House for eight years, clearly has the respect of Republican party leaders already. On Wednesday, it was announced that Magnus was chosen to serve as assistant majority leader and Agriculture Committee chairman.
Magnus' friend and fellow southwest Minnesota Republican, District 22B Rep. Rod Hamilton, received his own appointment Wednesday, as he was chosen to be House Agriculture Committee chairman. Hamilton and Magnus have both been members of this committee in recent years.
Magnus, of course, brings a great deal of experience in agriculture to his new position, as he traveled internationally for years as chair of the United Soybean Board before his election to the Minnesota House in 2002. He is the rare combination of farmer-legislator, and represents a constituency that needs to have its voice heard at the state level.
Hamilton, it has been stated before in this space, has always been adept at listening to his constituents, and is well aware that agriculture is a key component of this region's -- and this state's -- economic picture. We're confident he and Magnus can both work effectively in leading Minnesota toward growth in this sector.
