Steve Sviggum was appointed Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) by Governor Tim Pawlenty on July 17, 2007. In this role, Sviggum leads Minnesota's effort to protect the health and safety of workers and employers in all parts of the state. Having first been elected to the House in 1978, he was elected House Republican Leader in 1993. Sviggum was elected Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1998, when Republicans took control of the legislative body for the first time in more than a decade.

 

In his new role as Commissioner, Sviggum is working to reform workers' compensation in Minnesota. After last year's reform bill failed, the Department of Labor and Industry has been busy working with insurers, employers, and employees to conceive new ways to improve Minnesota's workers' compensation system.

 

This upcoming year certainly has a lot of potential to see some vital reforms to the workers' compensation system and he hopes the members of the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce are interested to learn more about the proposed changes.