Currently holds the office of Minnesota State Senate - District 7 until January 6, 2025.
Candidate for Minnesota State Senate - District 7 in 2022 Minnesota General Election.
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Get StartedI believe that every life has value. I refuse to assign more or less value to any life. As a society, we must rise to the challenge of protecting the next generation, from conception to natural death. We can enhance the dignity of human life if we stop engaging in debates about choice, but instead, point to solid scientific evidence that demonstrates that life begins at conception. Learn more
One of the primary functions of our state is to provide for the public safety of its citizens. No society can survive without the rule of law, and I support the men and women who risk their lives to protect the lives of myself and my family. Immigration is now among the larger public safety issues of our time. I support secure borders. Learn more
Every person in Minnesota that wants to work should be able to find a good job. Unfortunately, far left environmental groups have impeded the growth of good mining jobs in the Northland for years. We need to pave the way for these high paying mining jobs and the associated jobs that come with them. We also need more programs within our high schools, such as the Career Academies, that prepare kids that don’t want to go to college with the skills they need to go right to work. A top priority for any legislator should be to remove barriers that prevents our citizens from getting a good job. Learn more
I believe we must re-examine our educational system to better equip our students for life in the 21st century. Currently, we are attempting to educate 100% of our students to attend a four-year college, when less than 75% will attend some sort of post-secondary institution. We need to prepare our students for the life they will actually lead. This must include a renewed focus on the industrial arts and work readiness programs for some students and college readiness for other students. Learn more
I believe that responsible citizens must be good stewards of the Earth. While climate-change theories evolve, I am convinced that it is in our best interests to pursue a policy of energy independence. I do not support politically motivated schemes that pick winners and losers within the energy sector while passing the costs on to homeowners and businesses. Minnesota energy providers must be allowed to provide the least expensive energy possible while maintaining our proven record of protecting the environment. Learn more
Our mining industry is under assault from every direction. These assaults come from foreign nations dumping unlawfully subsidized steel on our shores, the cost of electricity that has skyrocketed in recent years due to renewable energy mandates, a burdensome tax system, and unchecked environmental regulations/lawsuits that overburden our mining industry. It is time for lawmakers in Minnesota to fight the special interests that aim to destroy our way of life so the mines of the future can open and current mines can remain competitive on the global market. Learn more
I concur with the 2008 Supreme Court Ruling in Heller v D.C. where the right to keep and bear arms was defined as an individual right. Our right to firearms is a fundamental right that is guaranteed by the Constitution. Nothing is more fundamental than an individual’s right to life, the right to protect that life and to defend his or her family. I will fight to prevent “red flag laws” and any other legislation aimed at weakening our second amendment rights. Learn more
Three years ago, very few people would have imagined that we would live in a country where government and big business would try to force individuals to comply with a medical test or receive an experimental injection as a condition of employment, education, or travel. It is unconscionable that, in order to protect their livelihood and enjoy basic freedoms, people are expected to lay down their constitutional rights. We MUST stand up and protect the medical freedom of all Minnesotans. Our society is built on individual liberty, and we can not give up freedom at any cost. Learn more
Minnesota must maintain a world-class transportation infrastructure to remain competitive in business and to keep our citizens safe. Greater Minnesota has experienced a loss in transportation funds due to huge metro projects that serve a tiny fraction of the population. We need to focus on repairing, expanding and improving our transportation infrastructure without politically motivated projects that drain funds from where they would be most useful. Learn more
Due to recent increases in taxes, our state budget has grown by historic amounts. Based on historical analysis, state spending has increased faster than the rate of inflation over the past 50 years. Had state spending increased at the rate of inflation, our budget would be around $9.5 billion. It is currently more than $50 billion. Corrected for both inflation and population growth, the budget of Minnesota has swollen 600% since 1960. We need to put the brakes on this out-of-control spending and allow decisions about spending to be made at the local level. It’s easier for our citizens to influence spending done by their county board than by the legislature, and we need to return this power to the local level. Learn more
Families in Minnesota should be able to keep as much of their hard-earned income as possible. Minnesota taxpayers are among the highest taxed in the nation. Individuals pay income taxes at every level, from 5.35% for lower income earners, 7.05-7.85% for middle income earners, and 9.85% for higher income earners. In addition, there is a statewide sales tax of 6.875% on most goods and services we purchase. For businesses, there is a flat corporate income tax of 9.8%. These are just a few of the taxes we pay and do not include property taxes, gas taxes, vehicle registration fees, capital gains taxes, and countless other taxes and fees. We are taxed at a much higher rate than our neighboring states and we need to lower our rates in order to relieve the tax burden on our citizens and make us more competitive on the global marketplace. Learn more
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