Jane Norskog joins senate race

Among those on the ballot for the State Senate, 20th District, is Wyoming native Jane Norskog, who said she’s always been politically active behind the scenes since the days of Jimmy Carter, and was a Young Democrat in high school and in college.

In addition to helping with several elections, Norskog also was chosen as a federal grand jurist, and over 18 months heard 300 cases and helped decide whether there was enough evidence in each to go to trial. During that time, she said, she got some fire because she gained an understanding that it is “all part of something bigger.” She further noted having knowledge of politics is a great thing, because then people can know about the issues and explain why they agree or disagree.

The biggest issues facing Wyoming, Norskog said, is the economy. With oil, coal and natural gas prices going down, there is a huge workforce that needs jobs. Wyoming cannot afford to lose its population, Norskog stated, and what is needed is education, retraining and transforming to sustainable energy future and diverse industry. She further added there is need to find opportunities for people to work.

“I see Wyoming as a large full lake that has a dam lock on the spillway. If we don’t retrain, reeducate and support this large garden (or out of work force) with irrigation or funding streams of support we all lose.”

Human services are being cut back also, she stated, which is also a key concern. Hospitals, mental health, family services, law enforcement and domestic violence facilities are all being scaled back, which could have a huge ripple effect on Wyoming. Norskog, a victim advocate with HOPE Agency, stated in her line of work she has seen more domestic violence, homelessness and shakeups in the Big Horn Basin in recent months.

Norskog supports a living wage and a raise in minimum wage to $15 an hour, as well as affordable housing, as there are a lot of single income families with children in this area that have to make hard choices about how to make ends meet. She also is not opposed to gun ownership, but noted responsibility and accountability should always come first.

With a long family history of farming, Norskog said she understands the importance of having roots in the community, and the importance of agriculture in the county. “I am here to listen to the people of Wyoming,” Norskog stated. “State Senate is a large job interview. If elected the people in the 20th District need to know their opinion matters and they have a responsible voice they can speak to.”