John has been my state senator since my husband and I purchased our home in 1991. As the parent of two children who spent their K-12 years in Mounds View Public Schools, public school funding was – and continues to be – an issue near and dear to my heart. My oldest daughter has Down syndrome, so health care and support services for people with disabilities are also very important to our family. I took regular treks to the state capitol to talk to state legislators about these two issues and my other public policy concerns. Those trips included visits to Sen. Marty’s office where I was welcomed as a constituent and invited to share my concerns.
I’ve always found Sen. Marty to be a respectful and careful listener. He asks thoughtful questions and explains the result he thinks I can expect based on the current pulse, mood and events at the capitol. If Sen. Marty is in a position on a Senate committee to advance a bill, he is willing to act to do that. If he says he will do something, I know I can count on him to follow through on that action.
Sen. Marty is relentless and creative in looking at big problems and solutions to address complex issues. I am not surprised to read an article or opinion piece in the StarTribune or hear a story on MPR about a proposal from Sen. Marty that takes a new approach or perspective to develop effective public policies.
I appreciate that Sen. Marty does not take any money from PACs, lobbyists or wealthy donors. That’s a rarity for elected officials.