CONNIE RUTH ANNOUNCES RUN FOR RE-ELECTION!

State Representative Connie Ruth (R-Owatonna) has announced her intention to seek re-election to the Minnesota House of Representatives. With her eye on a fourth term as the representative for District 26A in southeastern Minnesota, Ruth is planning an intensive campaign push that will be in full swing by the end of the 2006 legislative session . 
 

“I am looking forward to a vigorous campaign and the chance to continue serving my community in the Minnesota House of Representatives,” Ruth said. “If re-elected, I will remain dedicated to the best interests of my constituents and to the principles of responsible state government. I will continue to focus on getting the job done in St. Paul and getting results that benefit both my constituents and the state as a whole.” (Read more)
 

During her first three terms, Ruth has established a reputation as a bipartisan advocate for education, statewide transportation, jobs and economic growth, and health care reform. She has also been a champion for small business owners throughout the state. Ruth has been especially successful at balancing what’s best for Minnesota as a whole with her role as a representative for both Steele and Waseca Counties. 
 

Ruth believes deeply in bipartisan cooperation within the legislature, as evidenced by her participation in the I-90 Group, which sets aside party differences to benefit southern Minnesota, the Rural Caucus and Early Childhood bipartisan groups, and the numerous pieces of bipartisan legislation she has co-sponsored.  
 

“I have learned over the past six years that it takes teamwork to get results,” Ruth said. “If doing what is best for Minnesota is truly a legislator’s motivation, then there are rarely differences that can’t be overcome.” 
 

Also high on the Ruth agenda are equitable funding statewide for education, continued job and economic growth in Minnesota.  
 

“While these issues might seem separate at first, they all actually interlock,” she said “Excellence in education means we have young people well-equipped to enter the workforce, and possibly become entrepreneurs and small business owners of their own, which in turn stimulates the state’s economy even more and leads to continued growth.” 
 

Minnesota has established itself as a national leader in renewable energy research, which powers additional economic growth within the state. 
 

“Renewable energy sources, such as ethanol, bring billions of dollars into Minnesota each year,” Ruth said. “As more consumers become concerned about decreasing our dependence on foreign oil and implementing more environmentally friendly energy sources, economic growth related to renewable energy will continue to increase.” 
 

Transportation has always been a major issue for Ruth, as she has served on both the Transportation and Transportation Finance Committees in the Minnesota House. Equity in funding between metro and out state Minnesota has long been an issue for her, as has the completion of Highway 14 through Waseca and up to Owatonna. She has introduced legislation to provide the necessary funding for these needs, and is currently seeing these measures through during the 2006 legislative session.  
 

Additionally, Ruth is sensitive to the need that exists to improve the current health care system, as rising costs cause hardships on those already struggling to make ends meet. 
 

“I support real solutions for health care, such as a system that’s driven by consumers. We need more options, flexibility and competition, not more bureaucracy.” 
 

Ruth is also well aware that the government shutdown of 2005 could be a point of contention on the 2006 campaign trail. She remembers all too well the night the DFL-led Senate adjourned the session without coming to an agreement on the state budget, the action that ultimately led to the shutdown. That’s why legislative reform will also be a front-and-center issue during the 2006 Ruth campaign.  
 

“When 9,000 state employees are put out of work, even temporarily, because of partisan squabbling or because of someone’s attempt at gaining political leverage, it is simply unacceptable,” Ruth said. “We have an enormous responsibility to those we represent, and a duty to show all due respect to both our elected office in general, and our districts specifically, by ensuring that the business of the state is done.” 
 

Ruth is a major proponent of legislative reform to ensure that a similar shutdown doesn’t happen again, an issue that will most likely remain front and center until a permanent solution can be found.  
 

In the meantime, Ruth is forging ahead, and staying focused on getting the results necessary to ensure Minnesota’s quality of life.  
 

“This state we call home consistently ranks at, or near, the top nationally in so many categories, from the health of its residents to home ownership to job opportunities. The list goes on. We’re doing a good job here, folks. And we need to make sure that the good job keeps getting done.”