Steve Elkins

Steve Elkins was born on April 17, 1952, in Oakland, California, and has resided in Bloomington, Minnesota for nearly 40 years with his wife Judy and two children, Michelle and Danielle. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party ** and currently serves in the **Minnesota House of Representatives representing District 50B, which encompasses western Bloomington in the southwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Before his state legislative career, Elkins served on the Bloomington City Council from 2001 to 2011, representing District 3, and was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to the Metropolitan Council in 2011, where he served until 2018. He was named a "Legislator of Distinction" by the League of Minnesota Cities in 2019.

Education

Elkins earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, with a background in transportation economics.

Political Experience

Elkins was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018 and has been reelected every two years since, currently serving his fourth term. He initially represented District 49B from 2019 to 2023 before redistricting moved him to District 50B.

Committee Assignments

He serves as Co-Vice Chair of the Commerce Finance and Policy Committee and holds memberships on the Health Finance and Policy, Taxes, Transportation Finance and Policy, and Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy committees. He is also Vice Chair of the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee.

Notable Achievements and Legislation

Elkins has authored significant legislation including the Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act to enhance privacy rights for residents and has worked on updating the state's antitrust laws. He has championed ranked-choice voting and authored legislation to expand its use in state and federal elections. Additionally, he wrote bills addressing plastic bag bans in cities, conversion therapy bans, and campaign finance and ballot access reforms. His work on information technology infrastructure has been instrumental in implementing systems like MNDrive for vehicle registration and drivers' licenses, as well as the Paid Family & Medical Leave program.