Joel Sheltrown - Political Career

Political Career

Following the traditions of his politically active family from an early age, Joel Sheltrown served as an Ogemaw Township Trustee from 1978–1988 and as the Ogemaw Township Supervisor from 2000-2004. He has also served as the vice-president of the Ogemaw County chapter of the Michigan Townships Association.

Joel Sheltrown was elected from the 103rd House District to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2004, and subsequently re-elected in 2006 and 2008. Over the three elections, Sheltrown has performed 15 points above the Democratic Party base in the 103rd House District. He is the only Democratic legislative candidate in Michigan history to win a majority of votes in Missaukee County, the second most Republican county in the state.

As a member of the Democratic majority in the Michigan House of Representatives, Joel Sheltrown was appointed to chair the House Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources Committee in 2007 and re-appointed in 2009. Sheltrown has focused the committee's attention on economic development by increasing funding for promotion of Michigan's tourism industry through the award winning Pure Michigan campaign and by supporting broader recreational opportunity and access. Joel Sheltrown was the primary sponsor of a new state law allowing All-terrain vehicles to access county roads. He organized a hunters' coalition that won broader inclusion of crossbows in the archery deer hunting season.

Joel Sheltrown is a centrist Democrat. He takes traditionally conservative stands on constitutional issues such as the right to life, the Second Amendment, personal feedoms and parental rights. Joel Sheltrown is a life member of the National Rifle Association. He is a supporter of the labor movement, public education and a progressive tax structure. He has been an advocate of a hybrid economic model pursuing both an active state role in job creation and job security and a passive role through the elimination of many regulations that hinder business growth. Sheltrown favors the elimination of the Michigan Business Tax and Michigan's personal property tax and their replacement with either a state Value Added Tax or a progressive consumption tax.

In 2007, Joel Sheltrown led the successful effort to build a wide body aircraft hangar at the Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport furthering development of the aviation industry in northern Michigan. He has also focused on alternative energy development including wind energy, biodiesel, ethanol production including wood cellulose based ethanol and cleaner coal technology. Joel Sheltrown is currently working on legislation to increase career technical education in Michigan to train workers for these emerging fields and legislation to provide for residential green energy production and efficiency municipal loans.