# Michael Paymar *Minnesota politician, former DFL member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and co-author of the Duluth Model curriculum* Michael Paymar (born December 27, 1953) is a former member of the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] from the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]] (DFL). He held the District 64B seat, which takes in part of Saint Paul in Ramsey County. He won his first House election in 1996 and was returned at every biennial election after that. On November 20, 2013, he announced that he would not run in 2014. He also works as a resource specialist with the [[Battered Women's Justice Project]].[^1] Before his legislative service, Paymar sat on the Duluth City Council from 1980 to 1988.[^1] With [[Ellen Pence]], he co-authored *Education Groups for Men Who Batter*, the curriculum associated with the [[Duluth model]].[^2][^3] The record's sources give different publication dates for the book. A claim:link row lists a Springer edition of 1993. The project's Time Table gives 1985, citing the Ellen Pence Wikipedia article, and July 1987 for publication by the Duluth DAIP, citing the Duluth Model's *About Us* page.[^4][^2][^3] The biography cached for this record lists Paymar's offices and committee memberships. It names no bill he sponsored and no vote he cast, so the record does not establish his legislative output on the subjects of the curriculum.[^1] ## Who Paymar finished East High School in Duluth. He then took a bachelor's degree in education and history at the College of St. Scholastica, also in Duluth, and later completed a Master of Public Administration at Hamline University in Saint Paul.[^1] He was a Duluth City Council member from 1980 through 1988 and was its president in 1984. His Wikipedia biography records that he belonged to the Democratic Socialists of America in those years. After relocating to Saint Paul, he was a member of the Saint Paul Charter Commission before winning a legislative seat.[^1] During his House years, he sat on two bodies outside the Legislature: - the Committee on Law and Justice of the [[National Conference of State Legislatures]] - the Public Safety and Justice Task Force of the Council of State Governments.[^1] The project's Time Table names Ellen Pence as his collaborator on the Duluth curriculum.[^2][^3] ## What The Time Table records three dated stages of the curriculum's development: - **1983:** the Duluth Model training materials were formalized, and Pence and Paymar developed the curriculum.[^2] - **1985:** Pence and Paymar published *Education Groups for Men Who Batter*.[^2] - **July 1987:** the Duluth DAIP published the work, and Pence and Paymar codified the curriculum.[^3] A separate claim:link row cites the book as *Education Groups for Men Who Batter: The Duluth Model*, published by Springer in 1993.[^4] Under the project's source ranking, that row outranks the Time Table rows. However, none of the three is a primary record of first publication, and the dates may refer to different editions.[^4][^2][^3] ## When - **December 27, 1953:** Paymar is born.[^1] - **1980–1988:** He serves on the Duluth City Council and is its president in 1984.[^1] Governors in office during that span: - [[Al Quie]], Independent-Republican, took office January 4, 1979. - [[Rudy Perpich]], DFL, took office January 3, 1983.[^5] - **1983, 1985, July 1987:** The curriculum stages listed above take place in Duluth.[^2][^3] - **1993:** The Springer edition is listed.[^4] - **1996:** Paymar wins his first House election.[^1] Governors who served during his House tenure: - [[Arne Carlson]], Independent-Republican, in office since January 7, 1991. - [[Jesse Ventura]], Reform, from January 4, 1999. - [[Tim Pawlenty]], Republican, from January 6, 2003. - [[Mark Dayton]], DFL, from January 3, 2011.[^5] - **November 20, 2013:** Paymar announces that he will not seek reelection in 2014.[^1] ## Where Paymar was educated in Duluth and held city office there, and the Time Table places the curriculum's development in Duluth.[^1][^2][^3] His House district, 64B, lies in Saint Paul in Ramsey County.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who The primary sources in this record do not name Paymar. They document the Legislature's women's-policy body in the years when the Duluth curriculum was formalized.[^6] - **[[Council on the Economic Status of Women]]:** - [[Linda Berglin]] chaired the council from 1976 to 1981 as a representative and from 1981 to 1983 as a senator. - [[Nina Rothchild]] was its director from 1976 to 1983.[^6] - **Legislative Commission on the Economic Status of Women (successor body):** - Rep. Carolyn Rodriguez chaired the commission from 1983 to 1985, with Sen. Marilyn Lantry as vice-chair. - Aviva Breen was its director from 1983 to 2001. - [[Betty McCollum]] was vice-chair from 1993 to 1995 and chair from 1995 to 1997.[^6] ### What **Creation of the council.** The council was created by Laws 1976, chapter 337 (H.F. No. 1940), approved April 19, 1976.[^7] - The act set up an advisory council "to study and report on the economic status of women in Minnesota." - Its members were to be five House members, five senators, and eight citizens appointed by the governor. - It appropriated $95,000 for the period ending June 30, 1978, the date on which the act's operative sections were to expire.[^7] **Conflicting membership count.** The Legislative Reference Library's timeline gives the number of gubernatorial appointees as five. The session law, the higher-ranked source, gives eight.[^8] **Enactment and later changes.** According to the Library's timeline:[^8] - Rep. Stanley A. Enebo introduced the bill, and Governor Wendell Anderson listed it as a 1976 legislative priority. - The 1978 sunset was later removed. - Gubernatorial appointees opposed the council in 1981. In response, the council was reconstituted in 1983 as a commission of eight legislators, with no gubernatorial appointees. - In 2005 the commission was eliminated. Its duties moved to the Legislative Coordinating Commission as the [[Office on the Economic Status of Women]]. **Party control and administrations.** The Library's party-control chart lists the 1975–1976 session with a DFL House, a Liberal Senate, and a DFL governor.[^9] The governors' list places Al Quie in office in 1981 and Tim Pawlenty in office in 2005.[^5] **The 1984 session.** The commission's May 1984 newsletter summarizes action on "Commission-endorsed legislative proposals."[^10] It reports the following enactments:[^10] - **Chapter 651:** requires all political subdivisions to establish equitable compensation relationships, with comparable work value as a primary consideration. Reports were due to the Department of Employee Relations by October 1, 1985 (see [[Comparable worth]]). - **Chapter 654:** funds $250,000 in temporary-housing grants, including one program primarily for persons leaving a shelter for victims of abuse. - **Chapter 654 (appointments):** requires at least one person over 60 on bodies such as the State Task Force on Battered Women. The same newsletter lists two commission proposals with no action that session: the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment and a sex-equity-in-education plan.[^10] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Michael Paymar* (revision 1378393692, retrieved 2026-10-28) — birth date, District 64B, DFL membership, 1996 election, November 20, 2013 announcement, education, Duluth City Council service, NCSL and CSG memberships. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Paymar [^2]: Project Time Table rows TL-0433 and TL-0471, citing Wikipedia, *Ellen Pence* — 1983 formalization of Duluth Model training materials, with Pence and Paymar developing the curriculum; 1985 publication of *Education Groups for Men Who Batter*. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Pence [^3]: Project Time Table row TL-0509, citing Duluth DAIP, *About Us* — July 1987 publication of *Education Groups for Men Who Batter* by the Duluth DAIP; Pence and Paymar codify the curriculum. https://www.theduluthmodel.org/about-us/ [^4]: Project claim:link row S-8032, citing *duluth-model.org* — Pence and Paymar, *Education Groups for Men Who Batter: The Duluth Model* (Springer, 1993). https://duluth-model.org/ [^5]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, *Minnesota Governors* (extract October 29, 2026) — party and date each governor assumed office, including Quie, Perpich, Carlson, Ventura, Pawlenty and Dayton. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/lrl/mngov/gov.aspx [^6]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, *Leadership History: Council on the Economic Status of Women, Legislative Commission on the Economic Status of Women, and Office on the Economic Status of Women* — chairs, vice-chairs and directors, 1976–2010. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/webcontent/lrl/womenstimeline/leadershipOESW.pdf [^7]: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, *Laws of Minnesota 1976, chapter 337* (approved April 19, 1976) — creation, mandate, membership, $95,000 appropriation and June 30, 1978 expiration of the advisory council. https://revisor.mn.gov/laws/1976/0/337 [^8]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, *Minnesota Women's Legislative Timeline: Establishing the Council on the Economic Status of Women* — legislative history, 1983 reconstitution, 2005 elimination and transfer to the Legislative Coordinating Commission. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/womenstimeline/details.aspx?recid=24 [^9]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, *Legislative Party Control Chart, 1901–present* (extract October 29, 2026) — House, Senate and governor control by session, including 1975–1976. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/histleg/caucus_table [^10]: Commission on the Economic Status of Women, *Newsletter #79* (May 1984) — summary of 1984 session action, including chapters 651 and 654 and proposals not acted on. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/docs/2014/other/140947.pdf