Candidate for Minnesota House of Representatives - District 13B in 2020 Minnesota General Election.
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Get StartedWe need to provide insurance to farmers who want to use innovative techniques to continue producing the crops we rely on while being sure that they won’t suffer losses should their experiments not succeed. For those farmers seeking to go one step further and attempt to develop next generation farms (hydroponic/aquaponic farm systems) we should ensure that low interest financing options are available, as well as insurance to ensure that our farmers are not going bankrupt. Learn more
How can our teachers focus on our students when they are busy worrying about how they can afford to stay alive? In the countries with the best education systems in the world one thing is consistent; teachers are paid very well. We need our teachers to be paid in a way that ensures that they are not having to worry about being financially stable. We want teacher pay to be competitive so that the best and brightest can view teaching as a legitimate career option. Learn more
We also need to question the idea of spending so many long hours, even solid weeks on standardized testing as a state. It is important to get a benchmark for student success, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of quality education. "Teaching to the test" will never be better than a teacher with the freedom to engage students and cultivate creative learning. Standardized tests are only a benchmark, lets not forget that. Learn more
We need to have a real discussion about encouraging school districts to adopt schedules that work better with the students and the way they learn. We also need to expand our before and after school programs in a way that is accessible to struggling families so that poor students can get the same access to education that wealthier students have. We have one of the best K-12 systems in the U.S. but we can still do better. Learn more
Every other industrialized nation in the world offers some form of universal healthcare, and I believe it is well past time we do the same here in Minnesota. State Senator John Marty has put together a Minnesota Health Plan that would not only cover every Minnesotan but would also be substantially cheaper than the system we currently have. Here are some of the things included in the Minnesota Health plan: Dental, Vision, and long term care Funding directed to rural communities Reduce administrative costs Invests in preventative care Patients choose their provider. Learn more
It is my view that public housing programs should focus their efforts on establishing housing cooperatives rather than government owned housing or privately owned subsidized housing because a housing cooperative gives all of the tenants a personal stake in their building. While much of this happens at the federal level there is still much the state can do along these lines. Learn more
The real estate industry is one of the largest lobbying groups in our country and it’s no surprise considering our tax code. Our system today actively encourages rapid inflation of housing costs at the expense of young families in our community. This is why I support a tax on empty homes being held by investors, developers, and banks to put downward pressure on the housing market without putting a cost on traditional homeowners. Learn more
Irregular rainfall will put a strain on our drainage systems, roadways, bridges, and dams. If we want to keep our roadways safe and our water clean then we will need to invest in making our infrastructure more robust. The good news is, this will create hundreds of high quality jobs throughout the state while keeping us all safer as our climate continues to change. Learn more
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