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| Affiliation | Republican |
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| <- |
2001-01-10 |
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| Name | Charles A. "Charlie" Berg |
| Address | Box 29
Chokio, Minnesota 56221, United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
October 15, 1927
|
| Died | January 22, 2014
(86 years)
|
| Contributor | The Oncoming Storm |
| Last Modifed | David
Oct 15, 2020 08:27am |
| Tags |
Lutheran -
|
| Info | Charles Allen "Charlie" Berg, Sr.
Senate 1973-76 (District 15, Independent)
Senate 1981-82 (District 15, Republican)
Senate 1983-92 (District 11, Republican [1983-1985], Independent [1985-1986], Democratic [1986-1992])
Senate 1993-2002 (District 13, Democratic [1993-1996], Independent [1996-2000], Republican [2000-2002])
Occupation: Farmer
Married to Carol
A retired farmer from Chokio in western Minnesota, Berg has never
been a slave to political parties. He was elected as an independent
in 1972 and ran as a Republican in the 1980 election. He then ran as
a DFLer in the 1986 election, and then as an independent in 1996. In
2000 he ran as a Republican again.
"I was elected as an independent, a Republican, a Democrat, an independent, and a Republican again, in that order, and my voting record never changed," he said.
His caucus-jumping was not always appreciated by the party left behind.
In 1996, for example, Berg ran and won as an independent, defeating DFL and Republican candidates. But he had caucused with the DFL majority since 1986. By custom, the majority party in the Senate occupies offices in the Capitol. Berg was told to move, but he
resisted.
The day after Christmas in 1996, workers removed all of his legislative furniture and possessions from his Capitol office and moved them to less commodious and prestigious quarters in the State Office Building.
Because of his defection, he was kicked off the powerful Senate Rules
and Administration Committee by Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe, DFL-Erskine. Membership on the committee is determined by seniority, and Berg said he should have a seat regardless of his caucus affiliation. In 1999, Moe reinstated him.
Berg acquired a reputation for speaking his mind, and on occasion it
got him into trouble. In 1993, he asserted that some of his fellow
senators "were bought off" by special interests representing American
Indians when they voted against a bill he cosponsored that would have
allowed video gambling machines in bars.
Colleagues signed an ethics complaint against Berg, alleging he brought the Senate into disrepute. The complaint later was withdrawn.
Asked what he considered his biggest accomplishment, Berg replied, "Probably being able to stay here that long." After thinking about it, he amended his answer. "Probably shaping environmental and agricultural policy."
He said he leaves the Senate "not really bitter, but frustrated and disenchanted with the system."
'A good career'
Berg rode into office in 1972 on the wave of a property taxpayer revolt. He had headed the Minnesota Real Estate Taxpayers Association, which was demanding lower taxes through a system
overhaul.
Sen. Bill Belanger, R-Bloomington, who has served as long as Berg, said he is not surprised that Berg will ride into the sunset.
"He has been everyplace, done everything. He's had a good career,"
Belanger said.
"I didn't like to go head to head with him," Belanger said, referring to committee and floor debates. "Even if he didn't have the best argument, he'd bowl you over."
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