Thomas Breen

Breen was elected as a deputy representative from Hedmark at the 2005 election. He held the position until 2009. During his term he also sat on the Standing Committee on Justice and also deputised for Knut Storberget, who served as minister of justice in Jens Stoltenberg's second government.{{cite web | url = https://www.stortinget.no/no/Representanter-og-komiteer/Representantene/Representant/?perid=THB | title = Breen, Thomas | date = 9 November 2021 | publisher = stortinget.no | access-date = 17 October 2024 | language = nb}}

He was elected as a regular representative from Hedmark at the 2009 election and held the position until 2013. During this time, he sat on the Election Committee, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs between 2009 and 2011 and the Standing Committee on Health and Care Services between 2011 and 2013. He also served as the second vice chair of the latter committee between November 2011 and March 2013.

He was a member of the municipal council for Folldal Municipality between 1999 and 2003. He also served as the deputy mayor of Folldal Municipality between 2003 and 2007 and concurrently a deputy member of the Hedmark County Council.

Breen was the Labour Party's nominee for county mayor in the 2023 local elections. He became county mayor of Innlandet following the election in a coalition consisting of the Labour, Conservative and Green Party, with the Conservatives' Hanne Velure as deputy county mayor.{{cite web | url = https://www.nrk.no/innlandet/ny-fylkesordforer-i-innlandet-1.16608422 | title = Ny fylkesordfører i Innlandet | publisher = NRK Innlandet | date = 24 October 2023 | access-date = 23 November 2023 | language = no}}

During his term, he was notably criticised in August 2024 for the county establishing a health group that would evaluate which students with mental illnesses could be qualified for taxi rides to schools. Breen defended the decision, arguing that the purpose of the group is to find the right tools to help with the issue.{{cite web | url = https://www.nrk.no/innlandet/stadig-flere-unge-trenger-skoledrosje-pa-grunn-av-psykisk-helse---na-skal-ei-nemnd-bestemme-1.16953042 | title = Må sette ned nemnd: Stor økning i elever som ikke kan ta skolebuss | publisher = NRK Innlandet | date = 20 August 2024 | access-date = 17 October 2024 | language = nb}}

Breen and his coalition faced criticism and mass protests in October 2024 when they announced the county council's decision to close down several upper secondary schools and their school places around Innlandet.{{cite web | url = https://www.nrk.no/innlandet/skulesaka-i-innlandet_-kva-ligg-bak-nedleggingsforslaget_-1.17085252 | title = Skulesaka i Innlandet: Kva ligg bak nedleggingsforslaget? | publisher = NRK Innlandet | date = 18 October 2024 | access-date = 22 October 2024 | language = nn}} Justice Minister Emilie Mehl caused controversy when she described Breen as "prostituting himself to the Conservative Party" in order to issue the closure, which both Breen and his deputy condemned and called on Mehl to focus on her duties as minister.{{cite web | url = https://www.nrk.no/innlandet/emilie-mehl-er-opprort-over-foreslatte-skolenedleggelser-i-innlandet-1.17082787 | title = Mehl opprørt over skolenedleggelser i Innlandet: – Helt grusomt | publisher = NRK Innlandet | date = 15 October 2024 | access-date = 17 October 2024 | language = nb}} Mayor of Lom Municipality Kristian Frisvold stated that "this is war" in a municipal council meeting and encouraged people to dig up dirt on Breen and other county politicians. Breen called his comments "undemocratic" and distanced himself from Frisvold's rhetoric.{{cite web | url = https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/vgxWpp/skolesaken-lom-ordfoerer-i-kommunestyre-moete-vi-skal-grave-opp-all-mulig-dritt | title = Lom-ordfører i kommunestyremøte: –⁠ Vi skal grave opp all mulig dritt | publisher = Verdens Gang | date = 21 October 2024 | access-date = 24 October 2024 | language = nb}} Despite all the opposition to the closures, a majority in the Innlandet county council approved the school closures on 23 October.{{cite web | url = https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/QM9pR8/skolestriden-i-innlandet-avgjort-legger-ned-skolene | title = Skolestriden i Innlandet er avgjort: Fylket legger ned skolene | publisher = Verdens Gang | date = 23 October 2024 | access-date = 24 October 2024 | language = nb}} By December, he further suggested that more closures would be necessary in the coming years in order to keep pace with declining population numbers. He further suggested that Mehl should resign and retake her parliamentary duties after she visited one of the affected schools, if she wanted to focus on local issues outside of her ministerial duties.{{cite web | url = https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/25yyMq/skolenedleggelsene-i-innlandet-ny-ordkrig-mellom-mehl-og-breen | title = Ap-Breen: Må starte planlegging av nye skolenedleggelser | publisher = Verdens Gang | date = 6 December 2024 | access-date = 6 December 2024 | language = nb | first = Frank | last = Ertesvåg }}

In June 2025, the county legislature voted 29–28 against providing public funds to the establishment of private-run upper secondary schools in Lom and Flisa. After several members resigned from the former local Labour chapter, Breen dismissed accusations of utilising the party whip to ensure enough support against public funding after a legislative deputy member was dismissed and replaced. The member, Bjørn Olav Aukrust, had supported public funding of the private upper secondary schools and could have tilted the majority in favour of funding had he not been dismissed.{{cite web | url = https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/lwxkk3/skolestriden-lom-ap-legges-ned-lokale-partikjemper-melder-seg-ut | title = Skolestriden: Vil ikke støtte private vgs | publisher = Verdens Gang | date = 18 June 2025 | access-date = 18 June 2025 | language = nb | first = Frank | last = Ertesvåg | first2 = Lars Chr. | last2 = Wegner}}

Breen was implicated in the impartiality scandal that forced the resignation of minister of culture and equality Anette Trettebergstuen in June 2023. He was one of the two colleagues she had appointed to the board of Norsk Tipping, and she claimed to have evaluated her impartiality regarding Breen.{{cite web | url = https://www.nettavisen.no/anette-trettebergstuen/norsk-tipping/arbeiderpartiet/trettebergstuen-ga-styreverv-til-gamle-partivenner/s/5-95-1173377 | title = Trettebergstuen ga styreverv til gamle partivenner | publisher = Nettavisen | date = 21 June 2023 | access-date = 21 June 2023 | language = no}}

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{{s-bef|before=Aud Hove}}

{{s-ttl|title= County Mayor of Innlandet|years=2023–present}}

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{{s-bef|before=Tore Hagebakken}}

{{s-ttl|title=Second Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Care Services|years=2011–2013}}

{{s-aft|after=Håkon Haugli}}

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{{stortinget 2005-2009}}

{{Stortinget 2009-2013}}

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Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:Labour Party (Norway) politicians

Category:Members of the Storting 2005–2009

Category:Members of the Storting 2009–2013

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