CERTs 2009 | Feb. 11 Legislative Forum

Session Audio

Moderator

Kerri Miller, Host of Minnesota Public Radio’s Midmorning Program: Kerri Miller joined MPR in June 2004 as host of Minnesota Public Radio’s Midmorning and Talking Volumes, the joint book club of MPR, the Star Tribune and the Loft Literary Center. She has been a radio and television news reporter since 1981, serving as a political reporter for KARE-11 for several years. She has won numerous awards, including the Society of Professional Journalists National Achievement Award, Minnesota Broadcasters Award, the Associated Press Award and a Gracie award from the Association of Women in Radio and Television.

Panelists

Minnesota State Senator Ellen Anderson, Chair, Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Finance Division: Senator Ellen Anderson was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1992 and serving her 5th term as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. She represents District 66, which includes the cities of St. Paul and Falcon Heights. Senator Anderson chairs the Senate Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Budget Division, and is a member of the Senate committees on K-12 and Early Education Finance; Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications; and Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee. She also is the co-chair of the newly formed Green Jobs Task Force. Some of her signature accomplishments include Minnesota’s minimum wage increase; the landmark 2007 Renewable Energy Standard (RES), said to be the strongest in the nation; the 2005 Community Based Energy Development law; the first law in the nation protecting nursing mothers in the workplace; equity stripping and mortgage foreclosure deferment legislation; and passing extended unemployment benefits during the 2001-2002 recession.

Minnesota State Representative Bill Hilty, Chair, Energy Finance and Policy Division: Representative Bill Hilty is serving his sixth term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. A DFLer from Finlayson, Hilty currently chairs the House Energy Policy and Finance Division. His other committee assignments include Finance; Ways and Means; Government Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections; State Government Finance Division; and Telecommunications Regulation and Infrastructure Division. For the past several years he has been the recognized caucus leader on elections issues, including elections equipment and the integrity of the voting process and the ballot, as well as voter’s rights.

Bill Glahn, Director of Minnesota Office of Energy Security and Deputy Commissioner of Department of Commerce: Bill Glahn is the Director of the Minnesota Office of Energy Security and Deputy Commissioner of the state’s Department of Commerce, an office he was appointed to in August 2008 by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Glahn was the principal and founder of Piedmont Consulting, an energy management consulting firm working on behalf of local governments, large energy users, universities and consumer advocates. Previously, Glahn served as Vice President and Controller of Avant Energy, the management firm for the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency.

Brian Elliott Brian Elliot, District Director for Congressman Keith Ellison: Brian Elliot has served as District Director for Congressman Keith Ellison since the Congressman’s first swearing-in, January 2007. Brian is responsible for the Congressman’s Minnesota operations, including building and maintaining his staff, guiding the development of the schedule and constituent communications, performing outreach to a number of constituencies, and policy development in the areas of energy and environment. Prior to working with Congressman Ellison, Brian was the Minnesota Political Director and Associate National Political Director for Clean Water Action.