I’m Liz Olson, and I’m running to represent District 7B in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
My Vision
When I ran to represent the people of 7B two years ago, I promised to build relationships at the Capitol and in our community in order to make people’s lives better. Now, as I run again, I am proud to say I have done this. During my first term at the legislature, I worked with our Duluth legislative delegation and City Officials to pass critical infrastructure projects for community. I’ve worked with colleagues from across the aisle on the tax committee to pass legislation that allows more kids to access free and low-cost programs through the Duluth Heritage Sports Arena. And I’ve worked with parents, teachers, and school leaders to fight off cuts to our successful pre-k programs.
I am deeply proud of the work we’ve been able to do together. But our work is unfinished. There is still more to do to ensure that everyone in our state can to thrive. That’s why I’m asking for your support as I run for re-election. I want to pass more laws that make our lives better and our city stronger. I want to build community. And I want to do this with you. Because if I’ve learned anything over the past two years, it’s that I cannot do this work alone. I hope you’ll join me.
As I look to the future, I remain committed to the work of making Duluth a city where we all can thrive. As your representative I will continue to build to a city that works for everyone.
Living Wage Jobs with Benefits
Almost a quarter of the people in Duluth live in poverty. Too often, our neighbors, friends, and family are living paycheck to paycheck, facing foreclosure, or experiencing homelessness. People are working full-time and still can’t support their families. Over half of the workforce in Duluth doesn’t have access to a single paid day off. This poverty hurts our entire community, not only those struggling daily to make ends meet. I believe that we must build an economy that works for everyone, with living wage jobs that allow families to support themselves and live with dignity, and benefits like paid family leave and paid sick and safe time for all workers.
Well-Funded Public Education
I am grateful to be raising my daughter in a neighborhood with great public schools. Strong schools are not only necessary for providing education to students, but they are also part of building strong communities. I am committed to building a bright future for Minnesota by ensuring high quality pre-K programs, strong local schools, and supporting our kids all the way to high school graduation. We also need to make Minnesota’s public colleges and universities more affordable so more students have access to these schools and young people don’t graduate drowning in debt.
Supporting and protecting seniors
I hear many stories of people struggling to care for their loved ones as they age. As people live longer than ever, we need to make sure seniors have choices about where they live, that caregivers are getting support, and that aging family members are safe and well cared for by staff who earn good wages. As a member of the house Aging and Long-Term Care committee, I will continue to work hard to stop elder abuse, to increase access to affordable housing for seniors, and to ensure that seniors can age with dignity whether that be in their home or another place of their choosing.
Healthcare that works for all of us
Since my earliest days working and organizing in Duluth, I have worked to make sure everyone in our city has access to healthcare. Now, as a legislator, I regularly hear from people who rely on MinnesotaCare, one of our state’s public healthcare programs, to take care of themselves and their families. I know how important this program is, and not only will I work to protect it, I will fight to strengthen it through what’s called the “MinnesotaCare buy-in,” an option that would allow even more people to access the high-quality, affordable healthcare that MinnesotaCare provides.
Accomplishments
I’m proud of what I accomplished at the legislature over the last 2 years. The entire Duluth delegation, along with many of you raising your voices and organizing, we had some real successes for our city. Some of those victories include:
Strong infrastructure: We worked hard to bring critical infrastructure projects to Duluth. With the help of many people in Duluth and at the Capitol we were able to work across the aisle to secure real investments in Duluth’s future. During my first session I worked to fund the Duluth Steam Plant project, UMD science buildings, St. Louis river clean up and more. I was also proud of provisions in the tax bill that will enable Lincoln Park to benefit from Duluth tax tourism dollars. This year, additional funding includes:
- $1.9 million for the Lake Superior Zoo.
- $4 million for updates at Glensheen.
- $6.9 million for the steam plant, $4 million for various critical building fixes at UMD.
- $60 million for affordable housing and $30 million for regional mental health crisis centers, which will help address our community’s needs in each of these areas.
A voice for seniors: I was proud to stand with AARP and many others to lead the fight against elder abuse at the Capitol. I authored a bill to fight for immediate and urgent action to stop this crisis in our state. We also have to look long-term. As our population ages, I am committed to being a voice for seniors in Duluth and across Minnesota, passing legislation that will keep them safe, give them the care they need, and increase access to affordable housing for seniors.
Fighting the Opioid Epidemic: I was active in St. Paul this session in the fight to combat the opioid epidemic. I’m a strong supporter of the Opioid Stewardship Program, legislation that contains several common-sense strategies to prevent addiction, provide treatment for those who need it, and ensure people in recovery have the support they need. I fought hard for this program to be funded by a “penny-a-pill” fee — asking the pharmaceutical companies – who have made such massive profits off of these drugs while showing no accountability for the lives lost – the very least. I was deeply disappointed this legislation stalled this year, but I will keep fighting for solutions to this crisis.
Leadership at the Capitol: Earlier this session, House colleagues and I launched the Minnesota Values Project (MVP). This was aimed at approaching our state’s politics and government in a new way that recognizes our key shared values. Deep down, I believe Minnesotans care deeply about one another and want to see each other succeed, and actions of the Legislature should reflect that.
Strong schools: With your support, I stood up for strong schools. In addition to opposing proposed cuts that would have meant layoffs, bigger class sizes and less programming, I continued to work for funding increases in education.
This content was originally published at http://www.lizforduluth.com/