Representative Jenifer Loon (R) (42B)

Interview with Prairie Home Living (PHL)

 

 

PHL When did you first become interested in serving as an elected public official?  Did you have any particular role models?

I have been fascinated by, and a student of, the legislative process, since my high school days.  My uncle served in the South Dakota State legislature and I was a page for the South Dakota House of Representatives during my senior year in high school.  It was the ‘light bulb’ moment that sparked my interest in public service.

I’ve had the good fortune to have tremendous opportunities in the legislative arena and great mentors.  You learning something from each person you work for, whether it be how to analyze an issue, or how to be able to recall someone’s name when you are constantly meeting new people.  While working in Washington, DC the Member of Congress I served the longest was Congresswoman Jan Meyers.  Now retired, she represented the Third District of Kansas for several years, and became the first woman to Chair the House Small Business Committee.  Congresswoman Meyers knew her district, and always voted in a manner that she felt was true to the interests of her district, the nation, and her conscience, in that order. In addition to being a good public servant, Jan is a warm, wonderful person with a great sense of humor.  I thoroughly enjoyed working for her.

PHL How would you describe your first year as a legislator?

It has been a rather action packed year.  The session pace moved very quickly, particularly from the first deadline at the end of March for committees to act upon bills, through the end of session.  I wasn’t sure how busy I would be after session through the summer months, but I’ve had a steady stream of meetings and activities in Eden Prairie.  Once school started again this fall and people were back in their “post-Labor Day” routines, my schedule really filled up.  Many people ask how I like my new position.  The most succinct description would be that it is the most challenging, and most enjoyable work I have ever done.  Like any new job, there is a bit of a learning curve and the need to get to know and develop a rapport with your new colleagues.  However, despite the difficult decisions we are facing due to the recession and poor economy, I am enjoying my public service as a State Representative.

PHL How have you juggled being a full time Mom and wife with your new legislative role?

 

Fortunately, my family has been incredibly supportive.  Without their help, I wouldn’t be able to tackle this new responsibility.  In 20 years of marriage and the 16 of those that we’ve had children, I’ve worked full-time outside the home for all but about 7 of those years when our girls were very young.  From the kids’ standpoint, my legislative role hasn’t been too much different than having Mom back in the “workforce” with the exception of the last month of session when I was working late almost every night, and often through the weekend on conference committees.  Missing some of our daughters’ school and extra- curricular events due to the legislative schedule has been hard, but a reality that I knew would come with the job.   I think like most parents, I struggle with finding the right balance between my work and home life.

PHL You voted yes on ending the nuclear plant construction prohibition.  The Energy Committee, and the House, voted last spring to keep the moratorium.  The Senate voted to repeal it.  Minnesota’s two nuclear plants have above ground storage with little possibility of permanent underground storage on the horizon, such as Yucca Mountain.  Some legislators believe the push to drop the moratorium is a strategy to get the state off the hook for renewables and conservation.  Can you tell us why you think more nuclear plants are a necessary energy option when there is no way to safely store nuclear waste and the cost is so prohibitive?

I believe it is important to explore all options for developing reliable, cleaner sources of energy, and nuclear power is one of those options.  Our current Energy Secretary, Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel-prize winning scientist, is a strong proponent of nuclear power, and has stated that it must be part of our energy plan.  He believes that the storage issue, while a difficult problem, is solvable.

Minnesota has been a leader in the development of bio-fuels, wind energy and other renewable energy sources.  I am a strong advocate for continuing our commitment to this critical research and encouraging conservation to curb our growing energy demands. However, eliminating nuclear power from our research and plans ignores the fact that approximately 20 percent of Minnesota’s energy currently comes from nuclear power, and that per kilowatt hour, it is cheaper and cleaner (no greenhouse gas emissions) than other sources, like coal.

Policymakers must engage in a dialogue about the present and future status of nuclear power, at both the State and Federal levels.  In my opinion, the moratorium serves to suppress these important discussions.  In addition, research dollars are not invested in areas where there is little growth potential for new technologies.  We can’t afford to stifle innovation when it comes to developing reliable and less polluting energy sources.

PHL You voted yes on the School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements that would require schools to develop specific prevention policies focused on stopping harassment, bullying, or violence based on a variety of perceived or actual characteristics.  House members strongly supported this bill with the exception of two Democrats and a large number of Republicans.

The bill specifies the target of this policy to be all forms of harassment based on actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, physical characteristics, and association with anyone with one or more of these characteristics.

PHL Tell us why you felt it was important to support this bill?

I believe school should be a safe and nurturing environment for all students.  As a society, I think we’ve become less civil toward one another.  Differences of opinion, beliefs and values can and will exist between people, but it is possible to disagree with or even dislike someone without harassing or threatening them.  Schools should take a strong stance against the bullying or harassment of any student, for any reason.  While I am reticent to impose new mandates on local school boards, bullying continues to be a problem that needs to be addressed.

PHL You have stated that you are against a 6,000ft runway extension at Flying Cloud Airport and any change in the law that would require further expansions of runways at the reliever.  What can be done on the legislative level to ensure that the public is part of the process, that elected officials are responsive to their constituents and are part of the process and that MAC is held accountable for their commitments to Eden Prairie in the Final Agreement?

On any given issue, it is important for members of the public who feel strongly on the issue to have the opportunity to share their opinion with their elected officials.  Concerns have been raised regarding the possibility of Flying Cloud Airport being “reclassified” to allow for further extension of the runways.  As noted in the resolution (No. 2009-22) adopted by the Eden Prairie City Council on March 17, 2009 MAC is prohibited by Minnesota statute from using revenue from any source to expand or upgrade the facilities of an existing metropolitan airport from minor use (defined as airport with runway(s) no longer than 5,000 ft.) to intermediate without approval in state law.

Legislative action to change the law follows a process that provides for input, participation and observation by the public.  While not every bill introduced receives a hearing, in order for a bill to receive consideration by the full House or Senate, it must be heard and recommended to pass by a Committee during a public hearing.  Citizens are invited to offer public testimony as part of that process.  Legislative proceedings are open to the public, broadcast unedited via the internet and often carried live on public television stations.  The public is afforded many opportunities to express their views on proposed legislation and is provided full access to observe the process.

I am in regular contact with representatives from MAC, and have spoken with members of the Metropolitan Council to inquire about any planned actions to seek changes to the reliever airport classification standards or definitions.  They have given me no indication that they are seeking or plan to seek reclassification of Flying Cloud Airport.  I think all local and state officials representing Eden Prairie are keenly aware of the need to enforce MAC’s commitments made to our community.

PHL You voted against the bill to legalize medical marijuana, which allows for the medical use of marijuana.  The bill was supposed to provide regulation of the medical use of marijuana by setting limits for allowable amounts of marijuana and requiring qualifying patients and caregivers to possess registry identification cards, which are issued by the Commissioner of Health.  It also authorized registered organizations to grow and supply marijuana to patients and caregivers.  The bill passed in the House and in the Senate.  It was later vetoed by the Governor.  What were your concerns with this bill?  The use of marijuana for medical purposes might reduce the use of prescribed medications, essentially narcotic drugs.  Do you think that’s a bad thing?

While I don’t serve on any Committees that took testimony on the bill prior to its consideration by the full House, I did consult with health care professionals and some of my colleagues with expertise in the health care arena on the need for this bill.  There was not a strong or consistent opinion among them that this legislation was medically necessary.  In addition, I felt some valid concerns were raised by law enforcement authorities regarding the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.

PHL As a legislator how do you balance the concerns of your own constituents, the pressure from your own political party and the expectations of lobbyists?

My duty and priority is to represent the concerns and views of my constituents.  It’s important for any elected official to stay “in tune” with their district and vote accordingly.  There can be many opinions and points of view that come to bear on an elected official when considering an issue, particularly on something that’s highly controversial.  The key is to keep the most important consideration at the forefront of your decision, and that is your constituents.

PHL This year the legislature faced a historic budget deficit, as did most states.  In retrospect, what could have happened that didn’t in the legislative budgeting process?

While our problems in Minnesota aren’t unique, as revenues are down across the nation due to the poor economy, I do think there are some things we can do to improve the budgeting process.  Revenues are estimated by the State’s economist a few times a year, and the forecast the legislature uses is done in February.  Adjusting projected revenues downward, and not planning to spend all that comes in would be prudent, in my opinion, particularly when the economy has been performing poorly, and there are no budget reserves.

Zero-based budgeting, in which all programs must be closely examined and justified, in lieu of automatic inflationary increases, is another good idea whose time is long overdue.  Some programs may have outlived their usefulness, and others may no longer be able to function effectively under their current structure with fewer funds and need to be revised.  Finally, I think the debate over tax increases should have occurred earlier in the session.  The determination of whether or not the votes existed to override the long-promised veto by the Governor should have been made long before the last few hours of session.  Legislative leaders failed to allow for time to craft a budget without tax increases in the event the veto was sustained—which it was.

PHL You are a member of the Crime Victims/Criminal Records Division Committee, the Environment Policy and Oversight Committee, the K-12 Education Policy and Oversight Committee and the Taxes Committee.  What kind of legislative bills related to these issues would you like to author?

I’m working on a few things related to safeguards for children in the foster and child protective services system, tax and regulatory reforms aimed at helping small businesses, and measures to help boost student achievement and encourage our best and brightest to go into teaching, in addition to some other initiatives that I will be introducing when we resume in February.

PHL Sen. Gillibrand (D) the Junior Senator from New York, was quoted as saying, “women in leadership can have a transformational impact on our communities and on the public policies that have the deepest impact on our families’ lives.”  Do you agree and why?

Women have long been leaders in their communities-- identifying needs, creating solutions and organizing others to come together and get things done.  These same qualities translate very well into the public policy arena.  Every leader brings a different set of skills and strengths to the task at hand.  Without stereotyping women, as everyone possesses unique talents, I think many really are adept at communicating the concerns of families, caregivers, wage earners and business leaders and translating that understanding into action.