Steve Elkins

Steve Elkins was born in Oakland, California, and lives in Bloomington, Minnesota. Elkins graduated from Bishop O'Dowd High School in 1970. He earned a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1975. His career experience includes working in information technology in roles such as data architect at Wells Fargo, information architect at Boundary Medical, information solutions architect at Daugherty Business Solutions, and senior enterprise data architect at OptumTechnology. Elkins also served as a member of the Bloomington City Council and as a member of the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities.[1][2][3]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have over 25 years of service to the residents of Bloomington as a City Councilmember, Planning Commissioner, Metropolitan Council representative and, for the past 4 years, as the State Representative for western Bloomington. An economist by education (UC Berkeley) and an IT information architect by vocation, I am a devoted public policy wonk who enjoys researching difficult public policy issues to develop solutions that can gain bipartisan support. Two-thirds of my bills have Republican chef authors in the state Senate. I am respected as a thoughtful legislator who listens to stakeholders on all sides of an issue before putting pen to paper. I'm recognized by my peers as a go-to expert when it comes to public policy related to local government, transportation, health insurance, data privacy and information technology, where I'm having a significant impact in improving the application of information technology in State government.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Protect Women's Reproductive RightsImprove Public Safety and Reduce Gun Violence with common sense measures to keep guns out of the hands of criminalsDefend Minnesota's tradition of free, fair and accurately tablulated elections.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a legislator, I leverage my life experiences in both my public and private sector careers to develop legislation to promote pricing transparency in the healthcare industry to promote competition and reduce prices, reforming private healthcare insurance, enacting zoning reforms to promote housing affordability, establishing safeguards for consumer data privacy, and easing the transition to a clean, multi-modal transportation system to address climate change.

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What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

Healthcare reform, Education Finance, Housing and Transportation

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have worked as a healthcare information technologist for the past decade and feel strongly that we can improve the system with more transparent pricing and evidence-based medicine. I am a transportation economist by education (and by vocation, early in my career). I want to put transportation finance (for both roads and transit) on a solid financial footing by finding new user fees to fund the system in the coming era of shared electric vehicles (which will not generate either gas taxes or motor vehicle sales taxes). We simply must increase the supply of housing by enabling homebuilders to construct the workforce housing needed by a new generation of families. Education should be financed at the state level, not from burdensome local property taxes.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Current MN Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen (a former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives) modeled the values of integrity, hard work and a reasoned approach to government. I look to Ted Kolderie for his example of lifelong innovation in public policy.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The most important books that I have read include "Thinking Fast and Slow", "The Righteous Mind", "The Big Sort", "Bowling Alone", "Our Kids", "The Rise of the Creative Class" and "The Life and Death of Great American Cities"

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Patience, persistence, collaboration and trustworthiness.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Patience, persistence, collaboration and trustworthiness and a willingness to roll up my sleeves and dig into the data to make reasoned, well-researched decisions based upon empirical data.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Listen to your constituents (all of them, not just the loud ones), do your homework and make reasoned votes based upon what the evidence shows will be the best decision for the community as a whole.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to retire knowing that I've contributed to making healthcare more affordable and accessible; that everyone has a safe place to live; that the next generation of children have been educated as well as my own children were; and that our transportation system is being adequately and sustainably funded by user fees paid by travelers in proportion to their benefit from the system.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember hiding under my grade school desk for nuclear attack drills during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first real summer job was as a stock clerk at a helicopter airline in Oakland, California.

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

Thanksgiving -- it's a time for family to gather

What is your favorite book? Why?

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, who won the Nobel Prize in Economics for inventing the field of Behavioral Economics and revealed that real people don't behave in the economically optimal manner described in textbooks -- we have all kinds of cognitive biases that color both our economic and political thinking.

What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?

My wife, Judy (I love her).

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Chopin Fantasy Impromptu

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I've been pretty lucky. Even survived a bout with melanoma.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, I definitely feel that my experience in local and regional government will make me a better legislator.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Reducing the cost of healthcare while improving access. Overcoming the opportunity gap and educating the next, more diverse, generation as well as we educated our own children to create a productive workforce. Housing that workforce. Building a transportation system that better connects workers and jobs.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

A Partnership built on open communication and trust.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Of course! No-one ever accomplishes anything in a governing body without collaborating and forging consensus.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Independent, court-appointed board.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Health Care, Transportation and Local Government.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Paul Thissen

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No