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WOODBURY, Minn. - Let it be known that while Mary Giuliani Stephens respects experience, she isn't a fan of precedent, tradition or time-honored solutions if they're not getting the job done now.

Describing Minnesota as a "good state" that's been "resting on its laurels," Giuliani Stephens-the mayor of Woodbury and a Republican candidate for governor-said there is a need to bring the state into the 21st century.

"I keep saying we can't be looking at tomorrow's challenges and continue to apply yesterday's solutions," Giuliani Stephens said during a phone interview. "Part of being mayor is that you have to get things done. ... Minnesotans are looking for somebody who can come in and understand what the role of government is, what Minnesotans value, and come in with new ideas and some bold leadership to get things done in the state."

Whether it's the issue of education, transportation, the economy or infrastructure, Giuliani Stephens iterated at multiple points in the interview she is opposed to what she considers backward, outdated answers as responses to new and evolving problems.

"Minnesota is kind of at a crossroads and they're looking for a different kind of governor, for a new voice. I bring that with my experience as a mayor and my background," said Giuliani Stephens, who characterized herself as a political outsider. "I tell people, 'I don't live a political life, I live a Minnesota life that happens to includes politics.'"

Growing up the daughter of a physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Giuliani Stephens, 62, graduated from Mayo High ÍáÍáÂþ»­ in 1973, whereupon she pursued first a bachelor's degree in political science at the University of Michigan (1977), then a juris degree at the William Mitchell College of Law (1981) before embarking on a 25-year career in law-primarily as a lawyer specializing in construction litigation.

In 2007, Giuliani Stephens was elected as a member of the Woodbury City Council and in 2011 she was elected mayor of Woodbury. She is currently finishing her last year in her second term in that office. She has been married to her husband, Greg, for 33 years, is a mother to two children, Jane and David, as well as grandmother to two grandchildren.

The opioid epidemic

The number of Minnesotans who succumbed to drug overdoses rose from 129 to 637 between 2000 and 2016, according to a report filed this September by the Minnesota Department of Health. In 2016 alone, 395 deaths and more than 2,000 hospitalizations were directly tied to opiate abuse-though these statistics do not capture other indirect social impacts.

Criticizing Gov. Mark Dayton's response to the opioid epidemic-specifically the Dayton administration's proposed "penny a pill" legislation that would have required pharmaceutical companies to pay a tax to fund opioid abuse prevention and treatment-Giuliani Stephens said recent actions by state lawmakers have been largely myopic and narrow in scope.

"Something that narrow, against a single stakeholder in the picture-it's missing the point, the whole broader picture," Giuliani Stephens said.

The issue of opioid addiction, how it affects individuals and the larger communities, is a complex one, she said, and there are no easy answers.

"It's going to take all the stakeholders involved to address it," said Giuliani Stephens, speaking at length in terms of the individual, the local, state and national communities, as well as law enforcement, the medical professions and pharmaceutical companies. "Just targeting pharmaceuticals isn't going to solve any of it."

Awareness and personal responsibility stand as cornerstones of a more proactive response, said Giuliani Stephens, who praised the President Donald Trump administration, school officials and members of the medical communities, for acknowledging the issue of opioid addiction for what it is: a widespread, deadly and destructive epidemic plaguing the United States.

Economics of Crow Wing County

Crow Wing County has experienced episodes of economic challenges as a result of shifting job markets and the loss of community cornerstones through the decades-for example, the departure of iron ore companies from the Cuyuna Range area during the '60s, or the closure of paper mills in Brainerd, with the Wausau mill closing as recently as 2013.

Pointing to the issue of job growth, Giuliani Stephens noted the state of Minnesota is lagging behind the majority of states in this regard-a position corroborated by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, which reported the state ranked 35th in the nation in January, less than half the total growth for the nation, 0.7 percent compared to 1.5 percent nationally. The same study noted Minnesota also ranks low in terms of unemployment at 3.3 percent, versus 4.1 percent nationally.

Giuliani Stephens identified tax reform as a means going forward to strengthen the state's business vitality going forward-a pitch to attract businesses to Minnesota and spur economic growth, but also to position Minnesotan companies to hold their own internationally.

"One is looking at some meaningful tax relief. We have some of the highest tax burdens in the country-which not only prevents job growth here, but our companies, they compete globally now so we have to make sure they're competitive globally," she said. "As governor, I would look at getting us out of the top 10 in all of our major tax categories."

Another side of the issue is spending, Giuliani Stephens said, which she noted is outstripping economic growth. Spending is a matter of evaluating the kinds of investments and returns a government entity is making, she added.

"Base our funding on effectiveness," Giuliani Stephens said. "This is what we do at Woodbury-measure the performance and see what's working, put money behind it, and if it's not you've got to get rid of it."

In addition, Giuliani Stephens identified partnerships between post-secondary education-such as Central Lakes College, but also trade schools and apprenticeships-and businesses in the private sector as a means to meet labor shortages in Crow Wing County and greater Minnesota.

For a community or county to be successful, Giuliani Stephens noted, it needs to attract and retain businesses by ensuring the area is safe and well-policed, a solid system of infrastructure, as well as the job opportunities and housing available to meet that influx.

Meeting the needs of a changing workforce

Currently, Minnesota is riding a 17-year low for unemployment in the state. However, there are some shifts on the horizon, which include industry automation, as well as changes in the workforce from a manufacturing/retail-heavy model to one in which health care and service-based jobs pose as the healthiest areas of growth.

Reflecting national trends, many new jobs are going to require some form of post-secondary certification or degree, which may leave many Crow Wing County residents in the lurch going forward into the 2020s.

Maintaining a strong bedrock of education is important for meeting these changing needs, Giuliani Stephens emphasized-which means promoting the profession of teaching, as well as maintaining the high standards Minnesota adheres to this regard with its curriculum and facilities.

Beyond that, it's a matter of playing to people's strengths, as well as areas of need-the trades and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields-even if they're not necessarily the most attractive or socially prized job positions.

"We have to look at our education system and make sure that we're providing economically relevant education for the 21st century," Giuliani Stephens said, noting a two-year certification in machining often leads to a job paying better than the national average and meets a shortage in the industry. "Particularly with respect to two-years colleges and, when you're talking about college prep, is to bring shop back into our junior high and high schools."

In terms of new jobs, as much as 80 percent of new positions going forward will require some form of STEM training, Giuliani Stephens said. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Commerce, STEM jobs increased by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018, while non-STEM positions increased by 9.7 percent in the same time frame.

Giuliani also pointed to areas of need in other sectors-specifically promoting agricultural science and agricultural business-as a means to tap into the state's potential.

Addressing post-secondary education

At Central Lakes College-an institution that educates about 5,500-about 50 percent of the student population falls below the poverty line, 50 percent are first-generation students and 65 percent are in a precarious housing and food situation, according to Hara Charlier, president of CLC.

Demographics such as students of color, first-generation students and students in difficult financial situations are more likely to drop out or fail to complete their degrees, Charlier added.

Giuliani Stephens said rolling back regulations-whether on businesses or housing-would make living necessities and housing more affordable for students and alleviate these kinds of pressures. She said taking a look at the state's financing policies for housing and making changes is also a possible way to address the situation.

With higher paying jobs and lower expenditures, students will have more disposable income for housing, food, transportation and other facets of daily life.

"We want to see a thriving economy and we want to see jobs increase and wages increase," she said. "We want to see that market work."

Student loan debt-which surpassed credit card debt in 2010 as the largest form of personal debt in the United States, currently at $1.4 trillion-poses a significant obstacle for students going forward, Giuliani Stephens said, and it's only worse because roughly half of students who enroll in college do not go on to attain a marketable degree during their university track.

Nationally, according to a report by the National ÍáÍáÂþ»­ Clearinghouse, a nonprofit research center, 31 percent of college students drop out and are no longer enrolled within six years, while 63 percent complete their degrees in a four-year track. Nearly half of community college students-47 percent-do not complete their degrees. The same report stated six years after enrollment,12 percent of students were no longer enrolled without completing their degrees.

Much of this comes down to pigeonholing people in fields they aren't suited for or that don't fit their personal interests and talents, she added. To address this, it requires a "realignment" of how education is structured and where students are directed to go once they pursue a post-secondary education-which may mean more shop classes and practical applications in middle and high schools, Giuliani Stephens said, or a stronger emphasis on trade schools and apprenticeships.

"There are so many jobs in the trades, so many good paying jobs in the trades," Giuliani Stephens said. "If you realigned (primary and secondary education), you wouldn't having be having those decisions to go to a four-year college, when you have a better career path for your student."

In turn, fast-tracking students into viable job positions can also be facilitated by creating partnerships between private businesses and public institutions of education, she added.

"We have to do more. Our economic health depends on a skilled workforce-in manufacturing, in trades, in health care, really every job sector," Giuliani Stephens said. "So we've really got to ramp up those partnerships."

Mass transit in greater Minnesota

In Minnesota, 86 of 87 counties have some form of mass-transit system. There have been initiatives, such as in 2011 by the Dayton administration and this spring by the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, to improve, connect and expand mass transit in the greater Minnesota area, between rural areas or from the metro area to the rest of the state. Taking aim at various forms of mass transit currently funded by the state-particularly light rail-Giuliani Stephens said its another example of outdated answers for new and developing concerns for Minnesota.

"If you look at the major disruptors in transportation and what's coming-if you look at autonomous vehicles, shared mobility services, drone applications, electric vehicles-these are going to influence how we look view mobility investments in both greater Minnesota and the metro area."

In addition to that, in terms of current infrastructure funding, Giuliani Stephens said the current approach by the is unbalanced-heavily favoring "preservation" policies, versus expanding or developing updated roads, bridges, sewer lines, electrical amenities and things of that nature.

Housing

During a forum on unemployment in Crow Wing County hosted in February, Brainerd City Council member Sue Hilgart pointed to a serious lack of available housing that poses as a significant hurdle for businesses to overcome in drawing workers into the Brainerd lakes area.

"It's so much more complicated than just having the businesses," she said at the time. "There's no available housing in Brainerd-like single vacancy rate for residential properties. The housing stock on the market is very, very small."

By rolling back unnecessary regulations and building stipulations on the property costs, building cost and project financing, builders will be incentivized to construct housing tailored for a wide range of incomes and needs, Giuliani Stephens said. Construction will be cheaper for builders, she noted, which means in turn the housing will be cheaper for prospective renters or homeowners.

"They're not going to build and take a loss. If every new regulation and rule adds on to the cost of housing, it makes the price of the home high," Giuliani Stephens said-adding the issue is interconnected with wages and job growth, which makes housing an easier proposition for everyone involved.

Health care

"It has to be more affordable than it is, more accessible, there has to be accountability and it has to be portable," Giuliani Stephens said, in summary of her outlook on health care.

Current initiatives at the state and national level-namely ObamaCare, which "set Minnesota back," and the health care exchange MNsure, which is a "computer system that just doesn't work"-aren't in keeping with those values, Giuliani Stephens said.

Giuliani Stephens said her goal, should she be elected, is to return Minnesota to being a frontrunner among states in health care in affordability and quality.

"When we redesign health care, it starts with the individuals bearing responsibility for their own well-being," Giuliani Stephens said. "They should be the primary decision-makers in their own care-so choosing their provider or changing their provider. Our health care delivery and finance system has to support that relationship."

Two other points of emphasis, she added, is to create an environment of competition between health care providers, as well as to promote innovation within the industry that increase quality, access and more affordable costs.

With this in mind, Giuliani Stephens said she is in favor of price transparency legislation for insurance providers. Other issues going forward deserving attention are time limits alloted for doctor-patient appointments, identifying mental health risks for children, as well as the ongoing and increasingly pressing needs of the aging population (where, in Crow Wing County, 1 in 5 residents are older than 65).

"We have to make sure the systems we have in place are effective and efficient," she said. "We have to make sure that the people needing, get it, get the health care."