Affordability & Cost of LIving

Everyone has seen the cost of EVERYTHING going up for several years. Food costs more, rent keeps going up, healthcare is barely affordable, gas is off the charts, and buying a house is impossible for many of us. Meanwhile, pay is barely rising, Social Security payments aren’t keeping up for seniors, and the money that COULD be stabilizing our economy is instead going into a war overseas. We need real solutions that help working families in Minnesota.

 

Housing

EVERYONE deserves a safe place to live. However, housing is becoming unaffordable for many Minnesotans. Rent is rising faster than incomes, home ownership costs are soaring, and local property tax increases continue to strain our tight budgets. We do not have enough housing available, and many Minnesotans cannot afford the options that we have. Meanwhile, the federal government invests $38 Billion LESS than what Minnesotans pay in federal taxes.

 

Minnesota needs to increase availability of affordable rental housing, and we need to create economic incentives for our construction industry to build lower-cost homes. We need more housing at every price level for people starting out, people retiring, and every point in between. EVERYONE should be able to afford a home: single parents, senior citizens, veterans, and families of all sizes. 

 

As your representative, I will prioritize affordable housing and building affordable family homes, built by Minnesota workers. I will push our federal representatives to invest in Minnesota instead of expecting our taxes to fund projects in other states and wars in other parts of the world. 

 

Economy & Jobs

Jobs

Working Minnesotans deserve better. I support union labor that provides training and apprenticeships and prepares quality employees. 

 

Business

Small businesses are the backbone of local economies. Supporting small businesses keeps money local. When we spend $10 at a local business, that $10 continues to be used in the community many times, through payroll, support for other local businesses, donations to local nonprofits, and community & school taxes. 

 

I support policies that encourage small businesses to open, thrive, and stay in rural areas. Part of this includes reassessing any new program after 6, 12, and 24 months to ensure that the costs match predictions and that it does not unduly burden small employers. 

 

Worker Protection

Too many people have to choose between family and work, or between medical care and jobs. Minnesota’s Paid Family & Medical Leave enables workers to take time with new family members or to get medical care before things get worse. It provides a benefit to employees at a small cost to employers–much less than the cost of disability insurance. Like many other programs, PFML is a small cost that protects jobs and offers a low-cost benefit with minimal employer cost. 

 

Education

Funding Public Schools

Our children deserve quality education. Quality schools prepare students for whatever comes next. Our schools teach students to try new things, think critically, learn, lead, collaborate, and succeed. I will prioritize funding for schools in Greater Minnesota to ensure that our children have access to high-quality education without increasing the burden on local property owners. I will support full funding for any state requirements or mandates for schools, and I will oppose any bill that defunds public education.

 

I support creating a minimum funding level for rural schools to ensure that our smallest districts can maintain a teacher for every grade, even when enrollment fluctuates. Rural schools need stability, and state education spending bills need to pass earlier in the legislative session so schools can effectively prepare budgets. 

 

I will push for updates to our “compensatory aid” system that funds lower-income schools. Districts have been heavily impacted by fewer families completing Educational Benefits applications, and we need to adjust the formulas so funding is not unfairly taken away from our lower-income schools. 

 

Empowering Educators

Great education starts with great teachers. However, it is difficult for many rural schools to keep good teachers. I will advocate for competitive salaries and healthcare for educators so our teachers and school employees can focus on what they do best: preparing students for life! 

 

​School Safety

We all recognize that violence in schools is a problem. However, school violence often becomes politicized through conversations about respect, guns, law enforcement, mental health, discipline, and building security. Continuing to do nothing, while blaming school violence on politics, is the worst thing we can do. Conversations and solutions require non-partisan solutions that consider all aspects of safety for our students and school employees. I support policies that protect students and school staff, and I hope to work with others who support real solutions, regardless of political party.

 

Investing in Minnesota's Future

Students have many potential paths after graduation: trades, military, continued education, and more. Many students are preparing for careers that do not yet exist. Minnesota's public schools provide students with real-world skills they will need in any future life path: resilience, kindness, teamwork, literacy, communication, leadership, problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and a passion for lifelong learning. Investing in our public schools benefits EVERYONE: students, families, future employers, and communities.

 

​Healthcare

Affordable Healthcare for ALL Minnesotans

Many Minnesotans are facing health insurance increases of hundreds of dollars per month. Instead of protecting healthcare, the federal government is eliminating healthcare for 11.8 million people. We must act NOW to protect rural healthcare in our state! 

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Rural Healthcare Availability

Healthcare companies keep closing the affordable small town clinics and hospitals that we rely on. This will only get worse in 2027 when the federal government’s $50 BILLION cut to rural Medicaid funding takes effect. This year the Minnesota legislature approved funding to save Hennepin County Medical Center, but did not fund anything to keep rural hospitals open. Minnesota's government and business leaders MUST work together to solve the rural healthcare crisis. 

 

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Agriculture and Rural Communities

Family Farms

Minnesota is one of the largest agricultural producers in the nation. However, as input costs increase and markets are lost, we are losing family ​farms in our state. As the federal government plays games with people’s livelihoods, our state government MUST advocate for agriculture markets. We need both short-term and long-term plans to protect Minnesota's legacy of family farms. 

 

I support right-to-repair so farmers can afford to keep equipment working. I support 3-year grants to assist new farmers, and similar grants to support current farmers making changes to crops, markets, or farming methods. I support stewardship policies that enable farm families to conserve land, water, and resources to maintain productive, sustainable farms for future generations. 

 

Agriculture Education

Agricultural education is critical for students of all ages! I support educational opportunities both in our schools and in our communities.

 

Rural Communities

Local Government Aid funding is critical for rural communities. LGA is less than 1% of the state budget, but provides up to 50% of the budgets for small communities in District 23B. Funding formulas consider the age and income levels of local residents, and provide support so young families and retirees can afford to stay in rural areas. While my opponents seek to cut local government aid, I will push to expand this critical need for our communities.