Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

Biography:

Yvonne Prettner Solon's political life began in 1988 with her election to the Duluth City Council where she served three four-year terms. She was the Council's Vice President four times, and was elected as the Council President in 1992 and again in 1996. She served as Deputy Mayor from 1992 to 2000. She chaired the Council Planning and Business Development committee and was a member of the Inter-Governmental Relations committee and the Parks, Library and Authorities Committee. In 2002, she ran for the State Senate seat which was vacated by her late husband Senator Sam Solon and was re-elected thereafter.

In the Senate, Senator Prettner Solon quickly became a leading health care policy advocate and has championed legislation to curb the costs of prescription drugs and health care programs in Minnesota. She has been the chief senate author of the Children's Health Security Act which would provide universal coverage for all Minnesota children. During the 2007 legislative session, she was the chief author of the Next Generation Energy Act, which established nation-setting greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals for Minnesota. During the 2008 legislative session she passed several important energy initiatives, including the Sustainable Buildings 2030 proposal which requires new state-bonded buildings to be carbon neutral, through energy efficiency and conservation, by the year 2030.

Senator Prettner Solon is a clinical psychologist and attended the University of Minnesota - Duluth and earned a B.A. degree in Psychology and Social Development in 1979 and a Masters degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1981.

She has two children and a grandchild and enjoys spending time with them as well as reading, traveling, snorkeling, walking, and golfing.