Climate Change: I made a career change 13 years ago to focus on this issue. I care about many things, but climate change is now making virtually every other issue worse. Yet it is also an incredible opportunity to create family-sustaining jobs, reduce pollution and improve public health, and address inequalities caused by the fossil fuel economy.
Housing affordability: Fundamental to success in society is having a safe, healthy, and affordable place to live.
Health care affordability: Our health care system is broken. We spend $6K more per year per person in the US on healthcare than in other developed countries, and get worse outcomes. It is time to move to single-payer universal healthcare, and we can take steps to do so in Minnesota.
Invest in people because, quoting the late Sen. Wellstone, “we all do better when we all do better.” Strong public education and higher education, as well as affordable childcare, are key investments that have positive and sustained economic impacts.
Clean energy is a huge economic development and jobs opportunity. And, the absurd war in Iran proves the point that, according to Moody's, getting off fossil fuels will remove from our economy a major cause of every period of inflation since WWII.
To create a more just and inclusive society for all, racial equity and inclusion must be a lens through which we view all government action. I’m especially interested in legislation focused on closing the education achievement gap, including early childhood education; supporting first time home-buyers, to help close the housing wealth gap; creating universal health care with health equity; and preventing gun violence.
Yes, and I have been and will continue to be a co-author of this bill. We should explicitly protect rights and protect against discrimination in the most powerful way possible.
- Transition away from fossil fuels (more investments in transit, EV infrastructure, energy efficiency, industrial decarbonization) to improve air quality and dramatically reduce the 3000+ premature MN deaths per year caused by air pollution.
- Ban sulfide mining in the Boundary Waters and its watershed.
- Encourage regenerative agriculture practices to reduce nitrogen runoff and improve soil health.
- Fully fund lead line replacement.
- Defend Amara’s Law (banning PFAS, passed in 2023).
The number of guns in our society, combined with insufficient common-sense regulations, is dangerous – and is literally killing people, as we know all too well in Minnesota. In 2023, we passed automatic background checks on all gun sales, and red flag laws to help keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. I will work with our community leaders, as there’s much more to do — like banning military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines and creating safe gun storage laws.
I’m a co-author on a bill that would amend Minnesota law chartering corporations to specifically forbid the use of corporate dollars for electoral purposes. This could help bypass the disastrous Citizens United ruling that opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate election spending. I’d also like to enhance our MN Political Campaign Refund program to make it easier to use, and to increase the influence of small dollar contributions to MN state candidates.
1. Stop Fraud and hold fraudsters, and officials who enabled them, accountable. Without accountability, nothing else matters. Our Minnesota Executive Branch is led by competent professionals who know exactly what they are doing. The Fraud was Not a mistake.
2. Equality. Minnesota public institutions must treat all Minnesotans - and all religions - equally. This protects everyone's freedom. No student in a public school should be compelled to participate in any religious observances, period.
3. Judicial Reform. I will take the lead on the League of Women Voters' Position on the Judiciary, including Judicial Retention Elections. Until then, I will flip my ballot and Write-In "None of the Above" as a Protest Vote against the status quo.
Minnesota must crack down on Fraud and enforce the law on an equal basis, without partiality or prejudice.
As was demonstrated by Hennepin County shutting down an aid program for businesses affected by Operation Metro Surge, the most profitable business opportunities in Minnesota are now Fraud, Fraud, and Fraud.
I also encourage everyone to join me in tipping generously for good service. This directly helps families because parents take home more money. Media should ask politicians how they tip.
The DFL focus on race and ethnicity has failed; government policies must treat everyone equally even with differences among demographic groups.
Disruptive students must be removed from classrooms so that the students who want to learn, can learn. Schools must not be intimidated by statistics into letting disruptive behavior prevent other students from learning.
Community leaders of demographic groups must lead; if they refuse or fail to do so, they are not leaders and deserve no special respect.
Yes. I will work in the Legislature to ensure that the proposed MN ERA protects XX females from XY males in female spaces, institutions, and sports.
No preferential treatment for any religion or demographic category in any public institution or policy.
If Minnesotans want biological males to have unrestricted access to female spaces, etc., let the people knowingly vote on this question.
I support a single-issue vote on protecting the unborn [Doe v. Gomez (1995)]; let the people decide.
I support ending the moratorium on nuclear power.
I think Minnesota has enacted enough legislation to protect communities and keep people safe; the problem is the lack of political willingness to enforce current laws equally.
Minnesota has established offices re Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives, but serious investigations, without partiality or prejudice, are necessary to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and families have closure.
I would raise the current $750 floor for campaign finance reporting and index it to an already updated figure, such as the Federal Election Commission maximum campaign donation, so that underdog candidates can freely and meaningfully engaged in the political process without having to deal with the campaign finance reporting system.
Exact dollar figures would be determined by the Legislature, of course, but the principle of following an existing limit would help candidates and voters.
