Omar Fateh

Civil Rights

While we have come a long way on civil rights for LGBTQIA+ folks, there is still work to be done to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our residents. Thanks to the advocacy of groups such as the Human Rights Campaign, gay conversion therapy was recently banned by executive order. Let's put this into statute so that it cannot be easily reversed. Learn more

LGBTQIA+ youth and seniors suffer disproportionately from mental illness, chemical dependency, homelessness, and suicide. We need to provide healthcare for all and treat housing as a basic human right. Learn more

Criminal Justice / Public Safety

Tear gas is a dangerous, abortifacient, chemical weapon that is prohibited for use in warfare, yet we have seen it used against peaceful protestors, which can lead to needless death. We need to ban tear gas statewide. Learn more

Not all problems rise to the level of needing armed officers to show up. We need to consider the consequences of adding guns into situations of conflict, the fear that that causes, and the potential to make matters worse. It's time to end broken windows policing. Learn more

We have seen countless situations in which those experiencing a mental health emergency have the police show up only to make matters worse. There needs to be a system in place to get people emergency help that doesn't involve police, meaning crisis counselers, mental health experts, and medics are sent in first. Learn more

During the unrest following the murder of George Floyd, many South Minneapolis residents were shot with rubber bullets, some for simply being outside on their own porch. Rubber bullets can lead to death and permanent, life-altering injury. We should treat rubber bullets as live ammunition and use neither against peaceful protestors for exercising their first amendment rights. Learn more

When you have a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail. We are sending in militarized police to deal with everyday problems that could be addressed with alternative responder systems. Learn more

When responding to homelessness, the police don't have the ability to get folks into shelter or permanent housing; they can only arrest or disperse. If we want to live in a society without homelessness, we need to free up our housing stock and send in public workers to connect folks with available resources. Learn more

Drug Policy

We must offer clemency for minor drug possession charges, especially to those who are willing to seek treatment. Learn more

Every Minnesotan that wants treatment for addiction should receive it. All public employees should be equipped the life saving drug Narcan/Naloxone, which reverses the effects of an heroine/opioid overdose. It's time to end the counter-productive war on drugs and treat addiction as a public health issue rather than a criminal issue. Learn more

Education

What this means is that, as senators, we are obligated to ensure all of our public schools in Minnesota are fully-funded and meet the high educational standards we have set for our state. I believe in the importance of early childhood education, and I recognize that in order to close the opportunity and achievement gaps in the 21st century, post-secondary education must be free for all Minnesotans. Learn more

We must fully fund our special education programs and English language learner programs. Learn more

A uniform system of public schools is constitutionally mandated in the state of MN. At the same time, MN is home to staggering racial disparities in academic success. Learn more

It has also been shown that early childhood education and preschool can help mitigate these gaps, which is why we need free, universal Pre-K. It must also be understood that conditions at home play a huge role in early childhood development; for example, housing insecurity at an early age will have lifelong traumatic impacts on a person. We cannot simply educate our way out of the problem, we have to alleviate hardships on families. Learn more

In 2022, we are working with a budget surplus. Now is the time to fully fund public schools. Learn more

In order to make educational opportunities truly accessible to everybody, we must make 2 and 4 year public college tuition free. Learn more

Not everybody wants to go to a traditional four-year institution. We must also provide free trade/vocational school and create paid apprenticeship programs for high paying careers. Learn more

We can help close the opportunity gap by investing in wrap-around services, youth training, and universal broadband. Learn more

In addition to early childhood education, we need free universal childcare and afterschool programs to help socialize kids and allow parents to take opportunities to make ends meet. Learn more

We will improve standards for reproductive education in our schools to include contraception, gender/LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, and a component on consent and healthy relationships. Require all curriculum to be medically, not just technically accurate. Learn more

Environment / Energy

I will vote to protect Wild Rice sulfate standards and fight against projects that negatively impact tribal sovereignty. Learn more

It's time to move on from Polymet as well as other all other proposed copper-nickel sulfide mines which will contaminate our precious freshwater stores. Learn more

I stand with activists in the fight to stop the construction of new pipelines and hold fossil fuel companies like Enbridge accountable for their existing pipelines. Learn more

We must invest in infrastructure statewide for electric vehicles and phase out fossil fuel powered vehicles for the state, county, and municipal fleets. Learn more

We must implement a carbon fee and dividend system, which puts a price on carbon emissions and returns the revenue directly to us, the people of Minnesota. Learn more

Renewable energy is Minnesota's second largest source of energy, trailing coal-fired power plants. We will expand our clean energy portfolio past the current standard of 25% renewable by 2025 and aim to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030. Learn more

Guns

We must oppose efforts to combat gun violence through the erosion of 4th amendment rights. In a country with more guns than people, we cannot stop and frisk our way out of this problem. It must be addressed at the source. Learn more

No other industry has escaped regulation as much as the gun industry has. The only way to address the epidemic of guns on our streets is at the source. We need to ban the manufacture and sale of guns whose sole purpose is to inflict violence against human beings including military-style semi-automatics such as the AR-15 as well as semi-automatic handguns. Learn more

In order to drive a car legally in the state of MN, new drivers must go through a lengthy process to assess their knowledge and competency. They must also frequently renew their credentials. It's time to enact similar requirements for gun ownership including universal background checks. Learn more

Healthcare

We will preserve state funding for healthcare clinics, which provide vital services to women and families, and end the closure of clinics. Learn more

The MHP will cover "dental care, prescription drugs, optometry, mental health services, chemical dependency treatment, medical equipment and supplies would all be covered, as well as home care services, and nursing home care." Learn more

I support single payer healthcare, including dental, vision, and long term care. John Marty has written a bill called the Minnesota Health Plan, which I would support as a senator. Learn more

In order to achieve a truly equal society, any healthcare plan must totally cover reproductive healthcare for all genders. It must also provide transgender healthcare. Learn more

Every Minnesotan will have coverage. We will eliminate out of pocket expenses such as copays or deductibles. Healthcare premiums will be replaced by new taxes, so that the cost to each Minnesotan is based on their ability to pay. For middle class and poor Minnesotans, their overall costs will go down. Learn more

Housing

We need to repeal the statewide preemption on local rent control so that counties and municipalities can implement further protections for renters. We also need to open the door to research statewide limits to yearly rent increases. Learn more

Once upon a time there was red-lining to keep our population racially and economically segregated. Now there is something called "exclusionary zoning" which prevents would-be homeowners from moving into certain areas because they can't afford to build mansions. We need to abolish exclusionary zoning. Learn more

We need eviction reform in Minnesota, including requiring landlords to give significant notice to renters before filing an eviction lawsuit, giving judges the discretion to stay an eviction due to extenuating circumstances such as a sudden loss of work, guaranteeing counsel to renters, and protecting renters from having to pay a landlords legal fees and court fees if they lose an eviction suit. Learn more

Currently, landlords have outsized power in disputes with renters because a bad mark in your rental history can prevent you from finding housing in the future. We need rental history reform so that one bad experience with a landlord won't ruin your life. Learn more

Right now, the waiting list for income-based public housing is prohibatively long. In order to achieve true universality, we need to dramatically increase the number of income-based public housing units by building as a state enterprise. As senator, I support bonding legislation and state funding for mixed income and affordable housing. Learn more

We need to establish a state fund to keep people in their homes in extenuating circumstances such as loss of employment or medical illness. Learn more

No Minnesotan should suffer from housing insecurity or homelessness. Learn more

Single family homes can often be converted into duplex, triplex, and fourplex units, but in some areas, it is illegal to do so due to zoning restrictions. We need to legalize fourplexes statewide to make room for more folks to have a home. Learn more

Because they own the shelter we need to survive, landlords inherently have a lot of power over renters. We need to take steps to balance this dynamic for a more fair society. Often landlords require renters to prove that they make three or even four times the monthly rent. The reality is that many renters spend half or more of their income on housing. We need more reasonable requirements. Learn more

Immigration

For the safety of our roads and our vulnerable populations, we need driver's licenses and state-issued IDs for all, including undocumented immigrants. Learn more

We need accessible advocacy centers for folks navigating the immigration process. Hennepin County has voted to make legal representation a right for immigrants facing deportation. Let's make this a state-wide policy. Learn more

Infrastructure / Transportation

The freedom of movement is very important to an open and free society. Personal automobiles will always be less sustainable and accessible than public transit. Therefore, we must expand our system of public transportation statewide and make it free. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

New parents should be with their baby. We need generous parental leave, starting at 12 weeks. Learn more

I support the right to strike and oppose the replacement of striking workers. Learn more

Corporate and goverment whistleblowers are often heroes who shed light in the darkest corners of our society. We need to enhance whistleblower protections. Learn more

We need to expand protections for victims of abuse/harrassment in the workplace. Learn more

I am fighting to stop anti-worker policies like the tipped worker penalty, which allows employers to pay less than the minimum wage if their employees also get tips. Learn more

As of January 1, 2022, the minimum wage in the state of MN is $10.33 per hour for large employers. At 40 hours per week, that adds up to around $20,000 per year. In many parts of the state, this is not enough to afford a one bedroom apartment, let alone to raise a family or deal with an emergency. We need a $15 minimum wage statewide, set to increase regularly with the rising cost of living. Learn more

I support the unionization of workers who are considered "unskilled," such as Amazon/big tech employees, uber drivers, etc. I also support a freelancers union. Learn more

Many students require gainful employment to make ends meet while studying in college. As a result, some are unable to take unpaid internships. Internships help students and young professionals gain the experience they need to find employment in their field. By banning unpaid internships, we will allow all students to compete on a level playing field and thrive early in their career. Learn more

Student workers' deserve to make a livable wage. We need to fight for a $15 minimum wage on campus. Learn more

We must protect against discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, creed, etc. Learn more

N 2020, more Minnesotans work for tech giants such as Uber, Amazon, etc. than ever before. Some of these employers get away with underpaying their workers by using schemes which pay workers a flat fee for a service as opposed to a salary or an hourly wage. One of the most common forms of wage theft occurs when employers misclassify workers as independent contractors. We must end this practice. Learn more

We must set clear standards for employer contracting practices. Learn more

We must fight for state-wide earned sick/safe leave. Learn more

I support prevailing wage laws and union-backed contracting requirements for public projects. Learn more

I stand with unions. As Senator, I support collective bargaining rights and pledge to fight any so-called "right to work" legislation. Learn more