PRIORITIES
Fund Education for all Students
Great public schools help everyone in the community. They boost the economy and improve our democracy. As a father I know that a quality education can give our children a lifelong foundation to build on. That’s why we need to end the policies that have caused schools in our area to face multi-million dollar deficits and rely on special levies to fund critical services.
But education isn’t a one-size-fits all game. That’s why I support increasing access to trade schools, internship programs, and magnet schools. These programs help give students and families choices that best fit their dreams, situations, and careers. Each of our students are unique. We need to give agency, direction and support to all our children.
Develop the Economy from the Bottom Up and the Middle Out
I have a vision of a vibrant economy that supports working families by building towards affordable child-care, a smart and accessible public transportation network, excellent educational opportunities, and wages that allow families to pay the bills AND save for the future. In the legislature, I will continue to seek ways to bolster our economic policies so that all Minnesotans have the ability to thrive.
Protect our Environment and Combat Climate Change
Some of Minnesota’s most cherished treasures are our clean air and beautiful lakes. We value our natural resources and know we need to preserve and protect them. Protecting our environment helps all Minnesotans. Cleaner air helps combat rising childhood asthma. Water pollution ruins the fishing and game-hunting populations that both residents and visitors enjoy. Now is the time to invest in renewable energy, create high quality jobs and secure Minnesota’s energy independence!
We are already feeling the effects of climate change, with higher-than-normal temperatures, more extreme storms with intense flooding, and changes to our unique ecosystems. Not only is this a detriment to the habitats we cherish so much, it also accelerates the deterioration of our infrastructure and forces us to complete early and costly repairs. We need to step up and enact bold solutions to address the climate crisis before us so the cost of inaction doesn’t fall on the shoulders of future Minnesotans.
Improve Access to Medical, Mental Health, and Addiction Care
Healthcare isn’t just a problem for our workers and their families, but also for our economy. In the US (and especially Minnesota), we are proud that we have the best health care system in the world. The best research, constant innovation, and the most skilled doctors and nurses anywhere. But, given that, we still struggle with access to that system. It works for many, but we still leave too many people mired in insurance bureaucracy and with a lack of affordability. At the federal level there has been a long history of alterations to the laws that have clouded transparency and created a sense of wonder about the true costs. I will work with anyone in the Legislature willing to help lower costs, lower drug prices, improve care expand MinnesotaCare to small business and individuals.
And, availability of and access to a full range of women’s reproductive choices and family planning resources are crucial to the economic and emotional health of Minnesota families. Private medical decisions should remain private, not controlled by legislators.
Common Sense Solutions for Public Safety
Hunting and sports shooting are a big part of Minnesota’s culture, but gun violence doesn’t need to be. We need to do something to address this issue.
This issue is divisive and used by partisans on both sides of the aisle for political gain. However, I believe there are solutions we can all support. We can start by enforcing the laws already on the books. But we need to do even more. We need to invest in public health research so we know what works to keep communities and gun-owners safe. We need to close the loopholes in the existing regulations that allow guns to fall into the hands of criminals. We also need to address the suicide epidemic and help those in need.
This issue doesn’t need to divide us. We all want safety for our schools, communities, and gun-owners. The worst thing we can do is do nothing.
Support Senior Independence
Seniors deserve to have financial security and access to affordable housing and healthcare. I will fight for lower prescription drug prices and will advocate to increase the number of home health aides to help seniors live in their homes longer.
Seniors also deserve to be able to get where they want to go when they want to go there. I will advocate for improved public transit services to make it easier to get around.
We also need to improve end of life care. Too often the medical community attempts to solve medical problems over improving quality of life. We need more and easier access to hospice and palliative care services, and to provide them in the comfort and familiarity of our homes when possible.
Protect Democracy
Our right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. I’m not afraid to stand up to election deniers and I’ll protect our ability to conveniently vote by mail and at early in-person locations in Dakota County. I’ll also work to get dark money out of our politics and make it easier to register to vote. Democracy works best when we all participate, and I believe our voting laws should encourage that.
