Issues
CLEAN WATER
We all deserve clean water to drink, grow crops, and swim in. We don’t deserve to go bankrupt to do it.
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Our country is one of the only industrialized nations in the world that still struggles to maintain clean and affordable drinking water for all residents. Minnesota is no exception, whether it’s from toxic PFAS or nitrate-contaminated soil, we are all personally feeling the impacts of the water crisis in District 41.
I will fight for clean and affordable water for all of us by:
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Reinvesting in our infrastructure and advocating for state funding
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Supporting local farmers and agronomists in the development of nitrogen management practices
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Ensuring no additional burdens are placed on everyday Minnesotans or farmers
GOOD GOVERNANCE
Remember the days when we weren’t spending hours doom scrolling the news to find out what awful thing happened in our government that day? Whether it’s fraud, government overreach, gridlock, or threats to our democracy, it’s hard to avoid the feeling that we are no longer a “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” (Abraham Lincoln 1863).
We all deserve a government that works for us. One that works for the people, not corporations or special interests.
As your representative, I am committed to bringing our voices to the Capitol to advocate for the things we care about.
FIGHTING FRAUD
Early in my career, I worked for the Department of Commerce in their Fraud Division. I know first-hand the devastating impacts fraud has on our people, economy, and government programs. A dollar in fraud is a dollar too much, and I am furious that bad-actors have been lining their own wallets with tax-payer money. That money belongs to the people, programs, and services they were intended to serve. If elected, one of my top priorities will be combatting fraud in all forms by: - Closing loopholes that make government programs vulnerable to fraud - Increasing transparency and accountability around government programs so Minnesotans know where their tax money is going - Establishing routine audits and compliance checks - Holding bad actors accountable
INCREASING TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TRUST IN OUR GOVERNMENT
Our government is elected by the people and should work for the people. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, we all want the same thing at the end of the day. We want a government that will listen to us. We want an economy that values and works for everyone. We want to feel safe and respected in our communities. We want to be able to afford higher education, housing, health care, and our basic needs. We all want the same things, we just have different ideas on how to get there. As your representative, I am committed to listening to all perspectives and finding a path forward that works for everyone. That’s what democracy is, and that’s what we deserve. I won’t shy away from the hard conversations just because it’s politically convenient for me to do so. I am here to be a voice of the people and create good public policy, not play political games with people’s lives and wellbeing.
BUILDING AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR US
As a lifelong Hastings resident with decades of involvement in the community, a local business owner, and former City Council member, my small business and I have personally felt the hardships of political and economic uncertainty.
With rising prices and growing economic uncertainty, most families are struggling to fill their tanks at the gas pump, let alone make long term investments. Over the last few years, we’ve seen our neighbors be priced out of their own homes, be burdened by healthcare costs, and stress over their budgets when it comes to buying the things we all need, like groceries.
As an individual or a business, it’s hard to make investments in our economy when we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We deserve an economy that works for us, and our elected officials should make it easier for families to afford their basic needs, not harder.
PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY BUDGET
Buying eggs at the grocery store shouldn’t be an investment, and we should all be allowed to go grocery shopping without breaking the bank. We deserve to live in our homes without fear of being priced out because of rising property taxes or wages that refuse to keep up with the cost of living. We deserve to go to the doctor without having to fight insurance companies every step of the way. We deserve an economy that works for us, and protecting the family budget is the first step in doing just that. As your elected official, I will fight to ensure that: - Minimum wage is a liveable wage, and that wages keep up with inflation and the cost of living - Corporations stop ripping us off. Prices are rising while the quality of products and services are falling. No more arbitrary price tags, and no more corporate loopholes that punish working Minnesotans - Health care is affordable and accessible to everyone, regardless of where you live - New and existing homeowners are able to live in their homes without fear of being priced out - whether it be because of a ridiculously high mortgage with skyrocketing interest rates, or rising property taxes - Higher education is affordable and accessible to everyone - Good paying jobs are available to every Minnesotan - Small businesses are able to thrive
BUILDING A VIBRANT AND DIVERSE ECONOMY
As co-owner of Hastings' Spiral Brewery, and lifelong Hastings resident, I understand the important role small businesses play in the prosperity of communities like ours. Not only do small businesses help boost the local economy and provide jobs, it also creates a sense of unity and builds community, something we all benefit from. As your elected official, I will help support small businesses by: - Providing financial relief to small businesses that are struggling to get by - Support new and existing small businesses by removing unnecessary obstacles and mandates - Making corporations pay their fair share - Fighting corporate greed and reinvesting in our workforce
INFRASTRUCTURE
Our communities rely on the upkeep of infrastructure to ensure our safety and maximize our success. But because of government gridlock, our state legislature has failed to pass a bonding bill to invest in our infrastructure for years.
That inaction has led to years of delayed maintenance on critical infrastructure while prices rise and families struggle to find good paying jobs.
I know the importance of using state funding to maintain roads, bridges, sidewalks, and other elements of hard infrastructure in our state.
By improving access to safe transportation for all, including bikers, wheelchair users, and people who frequent public transit, we can create a safer, more accessible state while providing good paying jobs to hard working Minnesotans.
