Legislative Trivia Captivating.

• Author: Gordon, Dianna
• Position: Families in legislatures

State legislatures abound with stories. And we've gathered up a few of the fascinating facets and facts about the humans that populate these institutions.

Our state legislatures are filled with fascinating folk and a lot of interesting connections. In an informal survey of members of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries, we found a wealth of facts and figures that may be known by few outside the Capitol.

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

Many times, lawmaking runs in the family. Could it be genetic predisposition? Maybe.

Alaska's Representative Lisa Murkowski is the daughter of U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski. And in a case of the younger generation picking up the reins of power, current Representatives Richard Foster, Beth Kerttula, John Coghill Jr., Eric Croft and Gretchen Guess all had fathers who served in either the Alaska Senate or House.

Representative Bruce Ennis and David Ennis of Delaware claim to be distant cousins, and both are related to the former U.S. senator from Delaware, J. Caleb Boggs. Senator James Vaughn also is related to Boggs.

The new majority whip in the Delaware House, Clifford Lee, succeeded his dad in the General Assembly. And that's just part of the family tradition-his grandfather was a member of the House before that.

Idaho sports a family duo by marriage: Representative Debbie Fields is the daughter-in-law of Representative Frances Fields.

And Illinois Representative Paul Miller watched as his brother, David Miller, was sworn in this January to his first term in the Illinois House.

There's a long tradition of family policymakers in Iowa. When Senator Lyle Zieman retired last year, his son, Mark Zieman, won the seat. And it was only a few years back when Senator JoAnn Douglas chaired the Senate Ways and Means Committee while her brother, Representative Dwight Dinkla, headed the HouseWays and Means. Years back, Jim Lind, who resigned from the Senate in 1997, won the open Senate seat when his father, Tom, died. Jim's mother, Tom's widow, came to work as her son's secretary for the remainder of the term.

The Maine House contains two brothers for the first time since 1950. There usually is a degree of sibling rivalry in any family, but the brothers Muse carry it across the aisle. Kevin from Fryeburg, Maine, just joined his brother, Christopher from South Portland, in the House. However, they sit on opposite sides of the chamber when it comes to politics--Kevin, the freshman, is a Republican; Christopher, a Democrat. And there are certain ideological differences that show up from time to time, such as the brother who supports stricter gun control vs. the one who tends to think it an infringement on individual rights..

Still keeping things in the family, Maine Representative Paul Tessier serves with his daughter, newly elected Representative Lisa Tessier Marrache.

Current Speaker Mike Saxl served in the Legislature with his...