CHEYENNE, Wyo. — In this edition of “Meet the Candidates,” Jen Solis shares with Cap City News how she envisions governing Wyoming if elected to the state Legislature. Solis is one of three people running for House District 41.
The following are responses that Solis shared with Cap City News. To view the Q&As of other candidates who have also submitted answers to us, click here.
What are your top three legislative priorities for Laramie County, and how do you plan to advocate for them in the Wyoming House of Representatives?
Laramie County voters want representation to fully support our public schools, expand access to Medicaid, and focus on economic development issues like our growing affordable housing crisis.
With a long career in nonprofits, having secured millions of dollars as a grant writer, I am well equipped to advocate for the needs of those I represent and to frame solutions with logical reasoning and relevant data.
Choosing a life in Wyoming means I value working hard, even when conditions are difficult. Our current political climate is challenging. Wyomingites grow more concerned about the future daily as lawmakers bring out-of-state culture war issues and ignore our traditions. I intend to utilize my pragmatic problem-solving skills in the State House and work tirelessly for legislation that addresses our neighbors’ needs.
How do you plan to support and improve the education system in Wyoming, particularly in terms of funding and workforce development?
The Legislature has a constitutional duty to fully fund a fair and equitable education for every Wyoming student. In recent years, the Legislature has failed in this duty. One of the most egregious examples of this last session was multiple Laramie County legislators voting against funding the construction of new schools and the major maintenance and repair needs of others.
The Arp Elementary community doesn’t have time for these politics. The Legislature’s neglect led to years of unsafe conditions and, ultimately, the condemnation of Arp’s building. Arp students must travel to the old Eastridge Building in the district I seek to serve. Not only do these students lose the opportunity to learn in a neighborhood school, but they also learn in a building as problematic as the one they left. The building has sewer line issues, an HVAC system that does not cool or heat adequately, undrinkable water, and electrical issues that forced an evacuation last winter. So when legislators elected to serve the families of Arp students voted against funding safe and healthy schools, many were rightly outraged. Our young people deserve leaders fighting for safe and healthy learning environments.
There is more than just a moral imperative to fund safe and healthy schools; there is also an economic one. These students will one day join the workforce, and we want them to do so on the foundation of a solid public education. Whether they seek post-secondary education or vocational training, we want our young people to graduate with the ability to develop the skills and talents that lead to career paths that can support a family and grow local economies.
What measures will you support to improve healthcare access and affordability for residents of Laramie County?
The expansion of Medicaid is long overdue — any reservations our lawmakers once had have been repeatedly disproven in other Western states with similar concerns. The people of Wyoming already pay for the program with our federal taxes; Wyomingites then pay again with higher costs for services and insurance premiums.
The economic impact continues. Small business owners have repeatedly testified that workforce stability is impossible if workers cannot access affordable healthcare. Absenteeism and retention hold our business community back and stifle growth.
Wyoming also needs to oppose out-of-state culture war issues that seek to dictate what medical care our citizens can access. These laws violate our state’s constitution and routinely cause medical professionals to leave the state and practice in states that respect medical freedom. We should seek solutions to expand medical services in Wyoming instead of laws creating vast healthcare deserts.
What strategies do you propose for diversifying Wyoming’s economy and reducing dependence on traditional industries such as mining and energy?
Economic innovation requires a state government that provides tools and resources for a strong workforce and healthy, livable communities. Business owners need workers with reasonable access to quality education, healthcare, and housing for all income levels.
Economic diversification must also be part of our strategy as market factors continue to reduce the need for products from our legacy industries. Wyoming can and should always be a leader in energy production. While the future may change what energy production looks like, Wyoming should keep the needs of our energy workforce in mind, ensuring any transition comes with sufficient opportunity for workers to acquire the skills to meet demand and continue contributing to the Wyoming communities they helped build.
Wyoming is a great place to start and grow a business, and I am thankful every day for the opportunity I’ve had to do so. Our Wyoming values of working hard and playing fair make business challenges worthwhile. With the right tools and resources to ensure a stable, healthy, and reliable workforce, I am confident Wyoming can meet the challenges of a changing economic landscape.
How do you plan to stay connected with your constituents and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
Connecting with my neighbors is the biggest reward of running for office. I ran for this seat in 2022 as a write-in candidate for the primary. Before that, I would not have seen myself as a public figure but chatting with the good folks of House District 41 and beyond helped me realize the opportunity serving in this capacity could be.
As a write-in candidate in the primary, I was finally certified to appear on the General Election ballot at the end of August, which gave me just a few weeks of campaigning. Despite the short timeframe and relative lack of name recognition and political acumen, I was delighted that just being myself and talking to as many people as possible resulted in earning 42% of the vote.
I will continue this approach as the next Representative for House District 41. I welcome civil conversations and discourse from all points of view and value the thoughts of everyone I encounter. House District 41 is a great place to call home, and I want my neighbors to feel well-represented. As Representative, I will work hard to bring the values I’ve learned from the Wyoming Democrats and Republicans who’ve mentored me, rooted for me, and shown me how Wyoming is big and brave enough for everyone to pursue their happiness freely.
Is there anything else you’d like voters to know about you?
Wyoming has been my home for 28 years. I arrived via the Greyhound bus the same month I turned 18 and graduated high school in Bangor, Maine. I knew very little about Wyoming, but instantly found a place where I could pursue life on my own terms. The experience of moving to Wyoming changed me at the core. I am grateful for all of the people along the way, of all political persuasions, who’ve demonstrated Wyoming values and helped me understand Wyoming traditions.
Like many folks, I am deeply troubled by those who move to Wyoming with an erroneous idea of what our state actually is and then demand it change to meet that expectation. This is especially true of lawmakers who’d dictate how we can live our lives, what medical care we can receive and even what books we can read. Wyoming is big enough for everyone to freely pursue their happiness, Wyoming Republicans and Democrats alike want to keep it that way and want elected officials who’ll leave the culture wars to the other states and get back to the pragmatic governance that has always made Wyoming such a rewarding place to make a life.
