Gary Dahms

Gary H. Dahms (born January 14, 1947) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represents District 16, which includes all or portions of Brown, Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood, Renville, and Yellow Medicine counties in the southwestern part of the state.[1][2]

Gary Dahms
Member of the Minnesota Senate
from the 16th district
21st (2011–2013)
Assumed office
January 4, 2011
Preceded byDennis Frederickson
Personal details
Born (1947-01-14) January 14, 1947
Clements, Minnesota
Political partyRepublican Party of Minnesota
Spouse(s)Barb
Children2
ResidenceRedwood Falls, Minnesota
Alma materUniversity of Minnesota
Occupationcar dealer, insurance agent, legislator

Early life, education, and career

Dahms graduated from Redwood Falls High School in 1965, then went on to the University of Minnesota, earning a B.S. degree in agricultural business administration.[1][3]

Dahms is the former owner of Riverside Motors and American Family Insurance Agency in Redwood Falls. He most recently served as a Redwood County Commissioner, and was also a board member of the Redwood County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Redwood County Agricultural Society, the Redwood Area Development Corporation, the Redwood County Economic Development Association, the Southwest Minnesota Regional Development Commission, the Minnesota Valley Rail Authority, and the Redwood–Renville Health Services Board.[1][4]

Minnesota Senate

Dahms was first elected in 2010, succeeding retiring longtime Senator Dennis Frederickson of New Ulm. He was reelected in 2012 and 2016.[5]

In April 2015 Dahms voted against the Sunday liquor sales bill, which would have repealed the long-standing ban on Sunday liquor sales in Minnesota.[6] His opposition to breweries and distilleries is well-documented. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dahms (the Chair of the Commerce Committee) was implicated by a number of his colleagues as one of the main roadblocks to a bill that would have allowed Minnesota craft breweries to sell package sizes other than 750ml and 64oz to their patrons. This would have given a revenue stream to small businesses hurt by the pandemic's economic effects.

As of May 15, 2020, no action has been taken to make the change. Many breweries are at risk of losing yet another revenue stream because the company that produces the 750mL growlers (large cans that can be quickly and somewhat easily sealed by a relatively small hand-operated machine) is shifting its production fully to 32oz in order to meet demands from breweries in the 49 states where vessel sizes are not so strictly limited. Without the ability to sell 12 or 16 oz cans directly, many breweries will be unable to safely sell beer directly to their consumers, leaving them without a revenue stream they have grown to rely on (taproom sales).[7]

References
  1. "Legislator Record - Dahms, Gary H". Minnesota Legislators Past & Present. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
  2. "Senator-elect Matt Schmit (DFL) District 21". Minnesota Senate. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-05. Retrieved 2010-12-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Dahms for Senate Bio". Dahmsforsenate.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-08. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
  5. "Dahms wins in SD 16". Marshall Independent. November 7, 2012.
  6. "Dahms votes against popular Sunday liquor sales bill". Abby Simmons. April 16, 2015.
  7. https://startribune.com/castle-danger-bids-farewell-to-growlers/561556052/
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