Sabo, Martin Olav, 1938-.

Martin Olav Sabo was born in Crosby, North Dakota in 1938, the son of Norwegian immigrants. He came to Minnesota in 1955 to attend Augsburg College, Minneapolis, where he first became active in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Club. Sabo, of Minneapolis, was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1960, only a year after graduating from Augsburg, and represented the 31st Legislative District and later (after redistricting) Districts 42 and (still later) 57B. During his early years in the Legislature (1965-1973) he apparently also worked as a salesman for the Aetna Life Insurance Company.

Sabo served as Democratic-Farmer-Labor Minority Leader in the House for the 1969 and 1971 sessions, and was Speaker of the House from 1973 to 1978. He also served on the following committees: Taxation, Education, Metropolitan and Urban Affairs, Elections and Reapportionment, and Health and Welfare.

Sabo was elected Fifth District Representative to the United States Congress in 1978. In Congress he served on the House Appropriations, Democratic Steering and Policy, and Budget committees, and he was chair of the House Budget Committee for the 103rd Congress (1993-1994).

Sabo's subcommittee assignments while serving on the House Appropriations Committee included Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Independent Agencies, Transportation, the District of Columbia, Homeland Security, Defense, and others.

Sabo was instrumental in getting funds to Minnesota for many projects, including the Hiawatha light rail line.

Sabo and his wife Sylvia have two daughters, Karin and Julie.