Minnesota Senator Kubly Talks to Koinonia Assembly

Interested members of Koinonia met in the campus dining hall with the Senator from Minnesota Gary Kubly to discuss "Conflict in Politics."

The Lutheran minister-turned-politician has spent the last ten years in the Minnesota State Capitol as Senator and Representative. When asked if there were changes in his understanding of the political arena, he said that he was far less skeptical now than when he first started.

"I wanted to make a difference and at the state level, as opposed to the much larger Washington political body, you have a group of folks who really want the best for their state. We just don't always agree on how to make it happen," he said.

Senator Kubly went on to say that he felt conflict within government was not only inevitable, but actually desirable, "because that means we are in discussion about the issues. Then, we can hear all sides, especially the ones we are not in agreement with."

"There is more tension, even at the state level, these days than when I first started in office," the Senator stated. "The war, budgets, home security are all on everyone's mind; it reflects from Washington on down." 

The well-spoken Senator spent several days at Koinonia visiting his son Matt Kubly, who is a newly appointed Service Partner for the community.

“We all supported Dad in his decision to go to Congress. I have licked some envelopes and campaigned along the way for him,” grinned Matt. Responding to the question of what it means having a State Congressman for a father, he added: “We are mostly farmers and small communities in our part of the state, and our lifestyle hasn’t changed all that much as a family. Dad understands the needs of his constituents and they keep electing him to office.”