Dear Friends,
It is an honor to serve as your voice in the Minnesota House of Representatives. I was sent to the Capitol to hold government accountable to you, the taxpayer, and we have made some incredible progress thus far! As a grandmother, mother of four, small business owner, parent of a disabled son, breast cancer survivor of 25+ years, and a Blue Star Mom, my success in the legislature has been attributable to these invaluable life experiences.
The 2017-18 Legislative Session was the most successful session we’ve had in recent memory. We delivered historic tax relief to the middle class, as senior citizens on Social Security, working families, Main Street business owners, and college students with loan debt are among the many beneficiaries. We successfully lowered premium rates for those buying health insurance on their own while reforming the system to allow more insurers into the market. And we made the largest investment in roads and bridges in a decade without raising any taxes.
There was good news locally as well, as we approved a plan that will provide public transparency and guardrails for the $850 million 3M settlement with the State of Minnesota, ensuring those funds will only be used to enhance the quality and sustainability of drinking water in the East Metro. I was also proud to secure funding for the City of Stillwater that will preserve and restore the riverbanks along the St. Croix River.
Looking ahead, I will continue to find ways to lower health insurance costs, provide tax relief for families and businesses, preserve your freedoms and liberties, and encourage job growth and employment opportunities.
I respectfully ask for your vote on November 6.
Kathy
Issues
TAXES
More local control
I believe that local units of government are more responsive to people within their community. Revenue generated at local levels should stay at local levels to promote prosperity and investment in our communities.
Reduce tax burden on businesses
Economic growth in Minnesota is stagnated by the burdensome tax code for businesses and working families alike. Minnesota needs to be a more attractive place for businesses and corporations to locate and expand.
Reduce property taxes
I will strive to lower property tax classification rates.
STATE GOVERNMENT
Promote fiscal responsibility
State government needs to find more innovative ways of operating, rather than increasing their budgets.
Reduce fraud and wasteful spending
It doesn’t take much digging to find that we have many wasteful programs, as well as programs that allow for widespread fraud. Recently, the Minnesota House Republican caucus published a map showing that welfare cash benefits are being spent in all 50 states – including locations such as Alaska and Hawaii.
Keep government growth equal with state economic growth
The state needs to re-prioritize and make better use of existing resources. Government spending in Minnesota has far outpaced our sagging economy.
HEALTH CARE
I support the deregulation of health care
Health care mandates in Minnesota drive up the cost of coverage and require coverage for health benefits many enrollees never use. The state should allow individuals to purchase a policy with fewer mandates that are more tailored to their needs and financial situation.
Increased privacy and security
As technology has increased, the state and health care providers need to ensure health data is in a safe and secure environment. In addition, they should be held accountable for leaks in confidentiality of patients’ records.
Keeping health care in the private sector
Our health care system is the most competitive in the world because it was built in a competitive, free-market environment. People from foreign countries come to the United States – very often right here to Minnesota – to have their medical needs met. Having a son with Spina Bifida, who has had over 60 surgeries to correct and enhance his life, I know this would not have been possible within a “socialized medicine” system.
I support lowering your health care costs.
FAMILY ISSUES
Pro-life
I will defend life from conception until natural death. I support banning the use of public funds for abortions and prohibiting any medical procedure or therapy that would deliberately cause or hasten death.
Education
Being deeply concerned about the future of our children, we must make education improvements a priority. I believe competition fuels motivation and innovation. I believe all children deserve the best education possible and all children should be well educated in the core subjects of reading, writing, math, science and history. I believe parents are the best equipped to determine where and how their child is educated. I would support options for parents including public, charter, private, or home school.
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Base environmental rules and regulations on sound science
I, like most Minnesotans, value our state’s abundance of natural resources. We need to do what we can to balance use of these resources while preserving them for future generations. Regulations on issues such as water quality and use, pesticides, wild rice protection, etc. are necessary but must be based on modern science.
Funding our parks
The state park system in our state is second to none. In the past I have supported full-funding for operations, without raising entrance fees as was proposed by the Dayton administration. I also supported a provision that removed a 20+ year old earmark for one park in Minneapolis, ensuring that dollars are distributed evenly to all metro parks. I will continue to support operations of our great state parks while ensuring that DNR is managing them in a fiscally-responsible manner.
Support for pollinators
Many people are concerned over the decline in pollinators (such as bees, butterflies and moths). Without pollinators, our food supply is at risk as they are an integral part of the production of most fruits, vegetables and nuts. There are many drivers for pollinator decline, one being loss of habitat. I have supported, and will continue to support, policies and programs that increase pollinator habitat throughout our state. I will also support continued scientific research that addresses pollinator decline.
This content was originally published at https://kathylohmer.com/