Lanning to chair State Government Finance Committee in MN House
GOP Speaker-designate Kurt Zellers announced to the caucus today that he's picked GOP Rep. Morrie Lanning to chair the State Government Finance Committee in the Minnesota House.
"The Exec Board has met and, with their recommendation along with the recommendations of other members of the caucus, I am pleased to appoint Rep. Morrie Lanning to chair the State Government Finance Committee," Zellers wrote in an e-mail to caucus members.
Zellers picked Lanning for the post after Mark Buesgens abruptly resigned the post late last week. One factor in that decision was that a few members were unhappy that Buesgens was selected for the post.
Lanning, of Moorhead, was first elected in 2002. He was the GOP lead on the House Property and Sales Tax Division in 2009 and 2010.
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Republicans take control of both the House and the Senate in January.
Update: Here's the release from the House GOP:
Speaker-Designate Kurt Zellers announces that State Representative Morrie Lanning (9A - Moorhead) has been named Chair of the State Government Finance Committee in the Minnesota House of Representative.
Mr. Lanning was first elected to the House in 2002. Most recently, he served as the lead Republican on the Property and Local Sales Tax Division.
Prior to winning a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, Mr. Lanning served on the Moorhead City Council from 1974-1979. He was Moorhead's mayor from 1980-2001.
Representative Lanning graduated from Moorhead High School; he went on to Concordia College in Moorhead, where he earned a BA degree in Psychology, History, and Political Science. He later attended North Dakota State University, where he earned an MA degree in Guidance and Counseling.