{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jim Metzen | image = James Metzen.jpg | caption = Metzen in 2012 | order = | office = President of the Minnesota Senate | term_start = January 7, 2003 | term_end = January 4, 2011 | preceded = Don Samuelson | succeeded = Michelle Fischbach | state_senate2 = Minnesota | district2 = 52nd | prior_term2 = 39th (1987–2013) | term_start2 = January 6, 1987 | term_end2 = July 11, 2016 | preceded2 = Conrado Vega | succeeded2 = Matt Klein | state_house3 = Minnesota | district3 = 39B | prior_term3 = 52A (1975–1983) | term_start3 = January 7, 1975 | term_end3 = January 5, 1987 | preceded3 = Ray Pavlak | succeeded3 = Bob Milbert | party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party | birth_date = {{Birth date|1943|10|26}} | birth_place = South St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2016|7|11|1943|10|26}} | death_place = South St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | alma_mater = University of Minnesota | occupation = retired banker, retired businessman, legislator }}
'''James P. Metzen''' (October 26, 1943 – July 11, 2016) was an American politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 52, which included portions of Dakota County in the southeastern Twin Cities metropolitan area.<ref name="lpp">{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.aspx?ID=10426 | title=Metzen, James P. | work=Legislators Past & Present | publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library | accessdate=September 22, 2015}}</ref>
==Early career== Metzen started in the banking business at Southview Bank, working his way up the chain of command until he sold his interest in the bank in 1992. He is a former Vice President of Community Affairs at Key Community Bank, which has branches in Inver Grove Heights and South St. Paul. Metzen was integral in the bank's initial startup.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio_personal.php?mem_id=1037&ls=86&file_to_display=/senators/39Metzen/bio/main_bio.htm\ | title=Biography Background | publisher=Minnesota Senate | accessdate=July 20, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210327/http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio_personal.php?mem_id=1037&ls=86&file_to_display=%2Fsenators%2F39Metzen%2Fbio%2Fmain_bio.htm%5C | archive-date=March 3, 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref> His father, Butch, was a union organizer and one-time Dakota County Commissioner.
==Minnesota Legislature== Prior to his election to the Senate, Metzen served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1975 to 1986, representing the old District 52A before the 1982 legislative redistricting and District 39B thereafter. He was also a member of the South St. Paul City Council from 1967 to 1974.<ref name="lpp" />
Metzen was first elected to the Senate in 1986 after serving 12 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He was President of the Minnesota Senate from 2003 to 2011. He was chair of the Senate Business, Industry and Jobs Committee from 2007 to 2011, chair of the Senate Telecommunications, Energy and Utilities Committee from 2001 to 2003, chair of the Senate Governmental Operations and Veterans Committee from 1995 to 2001, chair of the Senate Governmental Operations and Reform Committee from 1993 to 1995, and chair of the Senate Economic Development and Housing Committee from 1991 to 1993. He has also chaired multiple subcommittees. Lastly, he chaired the Senate Commerce Committee while also serving as a member of the Senate Rules and Administration, Capital Investment, and State Department and Veterans Division Committees.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1037 | title=Senator James P. Metzen (DFL) District 52 | publisher=Minnesota Senate | accessdate=September 22, 2015 | archive-date=September 23, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923060522/http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1037 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Personal life== Metzen resided in South St. Paul with his wife, Sandie. His brother, David, is a former University of Minnesota hockey standout, and a former regent of the University of Minnesota. David's wife, Leslie, is a former district court judge in Dakota County. Metzen has two children Jeff and John. He also has two grandchildren, Nicolas and Allyson.
On the morning of May 22, 2007, Metzen was arrested for driving under the influence just hours after the 2007 legislative session came to an end. The arrest occurred less than a mile away from his home. During a field sobriety test, he blew a 0.15, which is nearly twice the Minnesota legal limit of 0.08. He wrote a letter of apology for the incident to Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller and his peers. On June 14, 2007, he was sentenced to 20 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $377 fine for the arrest.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mprnews.org/story/2007/06/14/metzensentence | title=MN Senate president gets fine, community service in DWI arrest | agency=Associated Press | date=June 14, 2007 | accessdate=February 24, 2013 | author=Bakst, Brian}}</ref>
In September 2015, Metzen was diagnosed with a recurrence of lung cancer. He began oral chemotherapy at his home shortly thereafter.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lillienews.com/articles/2015/09/23/sen-jim-metzen-battles-cancer-again-political-future-remains-uncertain | title=Sen. Jim Metzen battles cancer again, political future remains uncertain | publisher=Lillie Suburban Newspapers | date=September 23, 2015 | accessdate=September 23, 2015 | author=Hinrichs, Erin}}</ref> On July 11, 2016, Metzen died of cancer.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.twincities.com/2016/07/12/longtime-south-st-paul-sen-jim-metzen-72-dies/ | title=Longtime South St. Paul Sen. Jim Metzen dies at 72 | work=Pioneer Press | date=July 12, 2016 | accessdate=July 15, 2016 | first1=Rachel E. | last1=Stassen-Berger | last2=Ferraro | first2=Nick}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{MN-legdb|10426}} *[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/legislator_view.php?id=50 Minnesota Public Radio – Votetracker: James P. Metzen Voting Record] *[http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/3911/james-metzen Vote Smart – Senator James Metzen Profile] *[http://www.followthemoney.org/entity-details?eid=6428438 ''Follow the Money'' – James Metzen Campaign Contributions]
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Don Samuelson}} {{s-ttl|title=President of the Minnesota Senate|years=2003–2011}} {{s-aft|after=Michelle Fischbach}} |- {{s-par|us-mn-sen}} {{s-bef|before=Conrado Vega}} {{s-ttl|title=Senator from the 52nd district<br />{{small|39th (1987–2013)}}|years=1987–2016}} {{s-aft|after=TBD}} |- {{s-par|us-mn-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Ray Pavlak}} {{s-ttl|title=Member from the 39B district<br />{{small|52A (1975–1983)}}|years=1975–1987}} {{s-aft|after=Bob Milbert}} {{s-end}}
{{MNPresidents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metzen, Jim}} Category:Presidents of the Minnesota Senate Category:Democratic Party Minnesota state senators Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:Minnesota city council members Category:1943 births Category:2016 deaths Category:People from South St. Paul, Minnesota Category:University of Minnesota alumni Category:Businesspeople from Minnesota Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Minnesota Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature