Leading Lawmakers This year’s leadership award winners exemplify integrity and bipartisanship. EDWARD SMITH was “pleased to have two highly qualified public housing, not into it.” legislative leaders to confer the award on this Codey called it “a tremendous honor to eaders come in a lot of different pack- year. Both were recognized because of their be regarded in the same esteemed tradition ages. strengths in working in a bipartisan fashion as William Bulger,” referring to the former This year’s recipients of the Excel- The committee was impressed with their president of the Massachusetts Senate who lence in State Legislative Leadership spirit of cooperation.” was the first recipient of the award. “I have LAward—the nation’s top legislative honor— always believed government should be a tool are certainly a demonstration of that. RICHARD CODEY of compassion to serve those without a voice. Richard Codey, president of the New Jer- This is part of the core beliefs instilled in me sey Senate, is a former governor who has Codey, 61, is currently New Jersey’s lon- by my parents, making this award all the more than survived that state’s often bruis- gest serving legislator. He was elected to the more humbling. I thank the National Con- ing politics, including plenty of clashes with Assembly in 1973 at 26, the youngest person ference of State Legislatures and the State those in his own party. at that time ever elected to the Legislature. Legislative Leaders Foundation for this rec- Steve Sviggum, former speaker of the Min- His stint as governor came unexpect- ognition.” nesota House of Representatives and now the edly after former Governor Jim McGreevey Codey grew up in a large Irish family and commissioner of the Minnesota Department resigned amid a sex scandal in 2004. New his father was a funeral director. He worked Labor and Industry, spent 29 years in the Jersey does not have a lieutenant governor, in that profession and then later became Legislature, much of it in the minority. and the Senate president assumes the gover- president of an insurance brokerage that he But each—Codey, a Democrat, and Svig- nor’s post in the event of resignation or inca- recently sold. gum, a Republican—get praise from both pacitation. His legislative passion has been directed sides of the aisle for their ability to craft “Dick Codey has gone through just toward improving services for the mentally bipartisan deals and for their integrity. about every leadership position you can go ill, encouraging stem-cell research, improv- The award is presented annually by NCSL through, and then for 14 months was Senate ing school security and raising the state’s and the State Legislative Leaders Founda- president and concurrently acting governor,” minimum wage. He famously exposed lax tion to honor leaders whose careers embody says Alan Rosenthal, a professor of public employee hiring standards at state psychiat- the highest principles of leadership and have policy and political science at the Eagleton ric hospitals several years ago by assuming shown a commitment to protecting and Institute of Politics at Rutgers University the name of a deceased convicted criminal strengthening the institution of the state legis- and a member of the selection committee. and then getting hired at a psychiatric hospi- lature. Last year’s recipient was Joe Hackney, “In terms of having to do an assortment of tal. The sting led to strict background checks speaker of the North Carolina House of Repre- dances, Codey has done them all and done and improved training standards. sentatives and incoming president of NCSL. them nimbly.” Codey enjoys strong support in mental William T. Pound, executive director of Codey demonstrated his wit after he took health community. His stint “as governor con- NCSL, says the two “demonstrate a deep loy- over as governor. In an April 2005 address stitutes a legacy of unwavering commitment alty to the legislative institution and exem- at Princeton University, he shared his favor- to … society’s most vulnerable citizens— plify the varieties of legislative leadership ite joke about why he preferred to stay at his individuals with mental illness,” wrote Robert that we have in this country.” home in West Orange instead of moving into N. Davison, executive director of the Mental Foundation President Stephen G. Lakis the governor’s mansion: “The governor’s Health Association of Essex County Inc., in a echoed the sentiment, saying the committee mansion, Drumthwacket, is just down the letter supporting his nomination. road from here, you know. Where I was born Codey was elected to the Senate in 1981, Edward Smith is the managing editor of State Legislatures. and raised in Orange, we tried to get out of became assistant minority leader in 1992, 10 State LEGISlatuRES July/AUGUST 2008 RICHARD JAMEs “DiCk” CODEY Post: New Jersey Senate President Age: 61 First elected: 1973 Party: Democrat Family: Wife Mary Jo, two children STEVE SVIGGUM Post: Commissioner, Minnesota Depart- ment of Labor and Industry since 2007, adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey Insti- tute of Public Affairs, former Minnesota Speaker of the House Richard Codey Age: 57 First elected: 1978 and minority leader in 1998. When the Sen- Party: Republican ate split 20-20 in 2002, he spent two years Family: Wife Debbie, three children as co-Senate president before taking over as Senate president when the Democrats regained control in 2004. He was re-elected ing to get Ventura in their side, and Repub- Senate president this year. licans in the House were trying to get him In a nominating letter, Senate Minority on their side. Ventura was so difficult to deal Leader Thomas H. Kean Jr., a Republican, with because he was not into governing. That said that as governor, Codey “handled the was a trying period, that sort of tripartite dual responsibilities with fairness and integ- Steve Sviggum government.” rity, understanding instinctively the need for Moe calls him “extremely deserving of constancy and stability at the helm during a ity Democrats in the House and Senate,” says the award. He was a very worthy adversary. time of great crisis.” Rosenthal. “He was a man of his word and a Even though I didn’t always agree, you have Rosenthal says that another key to Codey’s very decent man who cared about the House to take a step back and admire him. Despite leadership has been his efforts, with Assem- and the Legislature.” all our nose-to-noses and toes-to-toes, I con- bly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr., to propel the Sviggum was first elected in 1978 at 27 sider him a friend. “ Legislature as “a co-equal or even a leading and served 29 years in the House. As minor- Such praise from a longtime political rival, role in the policymaking process.” ity leader, he helped the Republicans take Sviggum says, demonstrates his commitment “Traditionally the New Jersey Legislature the majority in 1998, and served as speaker to bringing people together. “No one gets has been a handmaiden of the governor,” of the House from 1999 until 2007. In June everything the way they like it in life. It’s Rosenthal says, “but since Governor John of that year, he was nominated by Governor probably true in governing even more so. Corzine was elected and the Democrats have Tim Pawlenty to his post at the Department You have to be able to cooperate with people had majorities in both houses, the Legislature of Labor and Industry. and bring them together.” has insisted on doing it its own way. “I’m very, very, very honored and hum- Sviggum also was praised by Pawlenty, “Codey has a lot to recommend him as a bled by this distinguished award,” Sviggum who served with him in the House. Sviggum, leader throughout a long career.” says. “It makes you smile both internally he says, has had “a lifelong commitment and externally, but you wonder about these to public service and a fair and balanced STEVE SVIGGUM good things people wrote about you to get approach” in the Legislature. this award. They must have pumped me up to Sviggum’s legislative agenda included While Cody may have a folksy man- be a little better than I am. I guess I’d call it reducing state income and property taxes, ner, Sviggum, 56, is a genuine rural guy, a enhanced reality.” reforming education and holding down state farmer and former high school math teacher While leading the House, Sviggum needed spending. and basketball referee who is known to pre- to work with Senate President Roger Moe, a Even the St. Paul Pioneer Press, which fer sweaters to suits. He also was known as Democrat, and Governor Jesse Ventura, who noted it often had disagreed with his conser- a skilled legislative tactician and a tireless won his seat as an independent. vative stances, had this to say in an editorial campaigner. “When you have someone like Ventura in when he left the Legislature: Sviggum is a “Sviggum was a Republican leader, but he the mix it makes it very difficult,” Rosenthal man “of character and decency who tried to really saw the need for dealing with minor- says. “The Democrats in the Senate were try- avoid the worst sins of partisan politics.” July/AUGUST 2008 State LEGISlatuRES 11.