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Committee lays over bill to name St. Peter honorary state capital; backers cite tourism and local history
Summary
Representative Swartz’s bill to designate St. Peter the honorary state capital received testimony from city officials and historians describing the 1850s contest over Minnesota’s capital; the committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion.
House File 21‑64, introduced by Representative Swartz on March 18, would designate the city of St. Peter as the honorary state capital of Minnesota. Proponents said the designation would recognize historical events and could help tourism and local history education.
Ed Lee, executive director of the St. Peter Tourism Bureau and Chamber of Commerce, told the committee the effort is aimed at attracting visitors and using the city’s history as an economic development and tourism tool. He described an 1850s episode in which a legislator named Joe Rolette allegedly withheld a bill that would have made St. Peter the capital, a story frequently recounted in local histories.
Representative Olson and other speakers gave historical context about territorial deliberations and the Rolette incident; Olson recounted how Rolette reportedly hid from sergeants‑at‑arms and delayed the bill so it could not be made same and similar between the chambers before adjournment. Dustin Scharstrom, a St. Peter city council member and social studies teacher, testified remotely that the designation would not rewrite history but would highlight St. Peter’s role and suggested placing signage in local parks to educate students.
The committee laid House File 21‑64 over for possible inclusion; no further action or appropriation was recorded in the hearing transcript.
