I’m a Minnesota gal through and through.
My childhood was spent running through the cornfields and pine trees of Ramsey, canoeing the Rum River, and celebrating festivities in the Halloween Capital of the World. After graduating from Anoka High School (Go, Tornadoes!), I moved to Central Minnesota for college and, ultimately, to raise a family.
My husband, Emil Towner, and I live on a hobby farm. Our children are 24, 21, 20 and 9. One is a college grad, two are mid-way through their degrees, and one is making the most of elementary school. Our other kids (2 goats, a mule, a pony and 2 dogs) keep us busy too. Currently, my husband and I are professors, after I changed careers from serving as managing director of content and editorial for a technology company in January 2018.
Inspired to Work
Although I have fond memories of growing up Minnesotan, I also have distinct childhood memories of growing up on welfare and the stigma that came from ‘grocery shopping’ at the food shelf or being teased for wearing homemade clothes. I was hungry in junior and senior high because my free lunch tickets were a different color than everyone else’s, and I couldn’t bring myself to explain why—so I chose not to eat. As an adult, that is hard to imagine.
I was committed to working hard to make my life better. Babysitting at an early age enabled me to buy a bike. With that bike, I could work more by biking to clean people’s houses. When I was old enough to be hired, I biked to my job at the video store until I could save to buy a car.
Humbling Resilience
I understand what it’s like to struggle in today’s economy. In 2005, I went from being the primary breadwinner in our family to having no job when the company I devoted a decade of my professional life to began a series of lay offs that whittled its employee base from more than 1,000 to a few hundred in eight years.
Drawing on the American entrepreneurial spirit, we started a family-run business and felt the pride (and stress) of creating jobs and balancing cash flows. The business surpassed our expectations the first two years, and then the recession hit and business dried up nearly overnight.
Like so many entrepreneurs across the country and in Central Minnesota, we faced the agonizing decision of closing the business. But we closed the doors with honor by serving our customers ethically until the end and paying business debts over the next five years through Chapter 13 bankruptcy agreements that allowed us to protect our home and family.
We were humbled by depleted savings and non-existent credit, but we tightened our budget, cobbled together a variety of jobs and survived the recession.
Empowering through Education
Through all of life’s challenges, I have been strengthened and re-invented through the power of education that started in my earliest days of school.
If you’re like me, you can still remember the names of teachers who changed your life. For me, those teachers were Mr. Larry Golyer and Ms. Hall of Sandburg Middle School as well as Mr. David Walters and Ms. Liz Lytle at Anoka Senior High, to name a few.
I am grateful to them for going out of their way to expect more from me, to connect me to interests that what would lead me to my career, and to encourage me to challenge the status quo. If it weren’t for them – as well as the resources presented to me for college – I am not sure where I would have ended up.
As an adult, I’m still passionate about education. For nearly 25 years, I have taught a variety of writing courses at Saint Cloud Technical and Community College and Saint Cloud State University as an adjunct faculty member.
I’ve had the opportunity to teach traditional college students, veterans, and immigrants as well as those who’ve lost their jobs, have had to retrain and go on the market again with new skills. I’ve seen those students grow through networking, business communication, interviewing and job application lessons. And I’ve helped students become more engaged citizens through civic writing courses where they discovered how to give voice to issues and engage with non-profit organizations in their communities.
In addition, through my marketing and communications roles at local colleges and universities, I’ve celebrated student and faculty success stories, invaluable partnerships with local business and the various opportunities that higher education offers. I’ve also helped secure funding for student scholarships, much-needed equipment and program development.
Serving Former Co-Workers
Civic engagement isn’t just a course I’ve taught; it’s a principle I’ve lived.
For eight years, I co-chaired a litigation committee that represented 1,000 former employees in a lawsuit against former directors and officers of a “right-sized” company that crumbled. While a handful of key players earned millions in a conversion to a 100% employee-owned company, employees lost the bulk of their retirement accounts and their jobs. Our case never made it to trial, but we put up a good fight, disheartened by how much former directors and officers spent on legal fees than was needed to recoup all former employee retirement accounts.
Giving Back
The litigation committee is one of several organizations I’ve devoted time to over the years. I spent three years as president of Kennedy Community School PTA, three years on the Local Education and Activities Foundation (LEAF), two years on the Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Committee, four years on the Brian Klinefelter Memorial Foundation and eight years on the Central Minnesota Advertising Federation.
These experiences fuel my commitment to the people of District 13B and the State of Minnesota. I’m dedicated to ensuring access to an exceptional education for everyone, fighting for increased wages and opportunities for skilled work, and fostering healthy communities.
And, I promise to model Civility in Action.
Why I’m Running
I believe families should thrive and not simply survive. Paycheck to paycheck is no way to go through life. Minnesota families need a livable wage for skilled work, access to affordable healthcare, and the financial security to ensure an abundance of healthy food on the table and a stable roof overhead.
I believe education elevates everyone. Foundational learning and career education help protect families from the ravages of recession and more subtle economic ebbs and flows. Education inspires us to celebrate shared experiences. Education prepares us to make informed choices. Education empowers us to give voice to the pressing issues of our time. Education strengthens every thread in the rich, diverse fabric of our community.
I believe Minnesota Nice is a real deal and has never been more important than it is today. Nobody benefits from name-calling, partisan politics, or an “us versus them” mentality. As the great Paul Wellstone once said, “We all do better when we all do better.”
I believe there’s a better way. I’d welcome the opportunity to model that way and ask for your vote.
Vote Heidi for the State House for MN 13B.
Issues
Healthcare for All
Imagine being able to go to the doctor without financial worry. No co-pays. No high-cost deductibles. No having to choose between your healthcare and paying your monthly bills. No having to shop around for the least expensive cost for the same service. A single-payer healthcare system ensures all Minnesotans get the care they need when they need it. Plus, it ensures individuals and families will no longer have to gamble on their health with the complicated plans currently available or low-cost/high-deductible plans. A single-payer system is the prescription for success in Minnesota, and an opportunity for our state to demonstrate real leadership in healthcare.
Clean Water
The Land of 10,000 Lakes cannot afford a water crisis, whether we’re talking about the lakes and rivers we are so fond of or access to clean drinking water through city services and rural wells. Crystal clear education and regulation to curtail effects of runoff in our waters is a must. We also need to ensure out-state communities have access to resources that allow them to upgrade aging and potentially dangerous water infrastructure. Restoring Local Government Aid (LGA) to 2002 levels — at the very least — is a start; committing to keep LGA on pace with inflation is also important, especially for communities that do not have the residential or commercial tax base to support safe, clean drinking water and wastewater. Moreover, we can entertain a comprehensive constitutional amendment that designates a sufficient and sustainable stream of funds for water, roads and other infrastructure maintenance and upgrades.
Defending Women’s Reproductive Health Rights
As women’s healthcare continues to be under attack at the Minnesota Legislature each session, I’m committed to defending women’s reproductive health care rights. Iowa’s recent vote to eliminate women’s healthcare choices is a wake-up call to remain steadfast in protecting our rights.
Restoring PreK-12 School Funding
Unfortunately, the conversation has shifted in recent years to school safety and shifted from talking about teachers, technology and textbooks to bulletproof glass and arming educators. The focus should not be on whether or not our kids survive the school day but that they thrive during the school day.
Across Minnesota, state aid has not kept pace with the rising cost of ensuring excellent educations for every Minnesota student. A recent study from the North Star Policy Institute demonstrates how real funding for each Minnesota student dropped by $2,000 from 2003 to 2012. Recent investments championed by Governor Dayton have increased funding by more than $1,000 per student, but that still leaves Minnesota schools forced to do more with roughly $1,000 less, per student, than they had 15 years ago.
The government is responsible for ensuring access to an exceptional education for all Minnesota students. These kids are our future and need a consistent, reliable source of funding.
Gun Safety
As the Second Amendment promises, I believe individuals have the right to bear arms; in fact, I have a gun range in my basement. I come from a family that marks the year not by the changing seasons but rather by the various hunting and fishing openers. I also know many women who are permitted and pack pistols in their purses for protection. These are perfectly reasonable examples of individual rights under the Second Amendment. What is unreasonable is the notion that an individual has the right to own a military-grade weapon or weapon accessory that gives the power to mow down a crowd of innocent people in a manner of seconds. I support mandatory background checks for all private and personal sales or transfers; banning assault-style rifles, high-capacity magazines and accessories that convert semi-automatic to fully-automatic weapons; and a waiting period.
High-speed Access to the Internet
Outside of the Metro Area, only 44% of households have access to fast, reliable Internet service. This lack of service stifles education, economic opportunity, healthcare and quality of life. While rural communities have access to grants through the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Program, these funds are limited to laying fiber optic cable and discouraging innovative solutions by smaller companies to provide more affordable, efficient access to the Internet through wireless services. To achieve Minnesota’s 2026 broadband goals — and empower all Minnesotans with the access to information and resources that the Internet provides — we must allow these grants to support less expensive, more efficient and effective broadband development.
Union Membership and Right to Work
I am a union member (IFO) and have led teams of union members (AFSCME and MAPE). In both roles, I have come to appreciate the defined scope of work, safe working conditions, clearly outlined compensation, and benefits packages that surpass those available in non-union organizations. This framework does not magically happen. Instead, it is the result of many negotiators advocating on behalf of its membership for workers’ rights and better working conditions. This advocacy comes with a price tag, and you get what you pay for. If you want the many benefits of belonging to a union, pay union dues.
Recreational Marijuana Use
At this time, I am neither for nor against legalizing recreational marijuana use. What I am for is embracing the opportunity to watch and learn from the seven states that have recently legalized marijuana for recreational use. In some cases, we’ve already heard about the economic boost and entrepreneurial spirit in these states, but there will be more to the story. A move of this nature requires fully understanding the potential impact on the health and well being of our communities. Luckily, Minnesota has several pilot programs to monitor.
This content was originally published at https://heidimn13b.com/