InTheArenaOnline

Education

Pre-K through college

All Minnesotans deserve the right to quality public education at all levels—early Ed and K-12, and affordable, quality programming at the college level, technical schools or through on-the-job training.

Our young people and those needing adult retraining or recertification should not have to go deep into debt just to get a public education. We must invest in training for Minnesotans to do the jobs of the 21st Century and continue to innovate. Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce and we must commit the necessary resources to ensure they are well trained and not weighed down by crushing debt.

We must provide safe schools for our students and safe working environments for teachers and staff. Anything less is a betrayal to our educational system.

Broadband

Equal access to the Internet

I recently met with a family who lives just outside of Farmington and they told me that after dinner each night, they have to load up the car and head to the library in order to get Internet access for homework and other online needs.

There are hundreds of small businesses including farmers that have insufficient or unworkable broadband which affects their ability to do business. Many others depend on the internet for distance learning or the sale of their products or services to make a living. That’s unacceptable.

Universal broadband access in the 21st century is similar to rural electrification almost 100 years ago. We decided that citizens should have electricity. All citizens should have access to affordable, dependable broadband.

I will take this family’s story and the stories of countless others in our district to St. Paul and fight for affordable broadband access. This is an issue about equality, education and economic opportunity that can be ignored no longer.

Economy

Fighting for small businesses

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. For too long, those in power at the Capitol have bowed to the special interests and huge corporations, and not done much to help small businesses and entrepreneurs. More than 90% of all Minnesota businesses are “microbusinesses,” firms with fewer than 10 people in the business. Their needs, priorities and issues are very different than those of big business and we must support them to provide a more level playing field.

When I’m in the Minnesota House of Representatives, I will fight for small and microbusinesses and those who aspire to start their own business.

That’s part of the American Dream. We need to encourage our fellow Minnesotans to work hard, provide needed goods and services, create jobs & opportunities and innovate.

Bi-Partisan Cooperation

Ending the partisan gridlock

Imagine what we can accomplish when we remove partisan gridlock and adversarial politics and replace it with good, old fashioned cooperation, collaboration and respect as we do the people’s business. We must recapture a respectful, cooperative and caring process—caring out those we serve and not a few special interests.

It’s time to do the people’s business with integrity and in their best interests so citizens will regain the respect in government they once had. That starts with working with a respectful tone and collaborative style that promotes healthy dialog and accomplishes agendas in the people’s best interest.

Imagine if 100 students observed government in action every day. What would they see and hear? Is the gridlock and disrespect what we want them to see? Is working on behalf of special interests and not for citizens what we want them to see? Is this working environment one we want them to consider as a potential future career?

Let’s fix this system and work cooperatively in the people’s best interest. I have 17 years of experience as a professional negotiator and am committed to helping to improve what we do and especially how we do it.

Healthcare

Affordable and accessible

During my late husband’s long fight with cancer, I gained first-hand experience with our broken healthcare system. It is a system that too often puts the profits of big pharmaceutical companies and huge medical conglomerates before patients. I saw many examples of profit over health.

No one in Minnesota, or anywhere in the United States, should needlessly suffer or even die because they can’t afford quality care or health insurance or needed prescription medications. Emergency rooms should not be the first time someone sees a doctor for an illness and drug prices need to be brought under control.

When I get to St. Paul, I will fight for the rights of every citizen in our district to be able to see a doctor promptly and receive the help they need without being forced into financial hardship or further jeopardize their health condition.

Environment

Fighting pollution/supporting alternative energy

We have seen what happens when companies are allowed to pollute our atmosphere—people get sick just by drinking the water and breathing the air.

I will fight for our environment by ensuring those doing business in our state know that Minnesotans will not tolerate pollution of any kind and that our state will hold them accountable when they break the rules.

We must continue to transition toward clean and renewable energy sources and away from fossil fuels. It makes sense to work with farmers to promote clean energy goals by expanding the use of biofuels and more solar farms. This will help our economy, our health and our environment—especially our air, land and water.

Public safety

Reasonable, sensible responses to gun violence

As a resident of rural Farmington and proud gun owner, I support our rights. But I also want to cut through the partisan rhetoric once and for all, roll up my sleeves, and work together with others at the Legislature to enact reasonable, sensible responses to the epidemic of gun violence in our country.

I also believe that we must create an environment where kids and families feel safe when they go to school, watch a movie, or attend a concert.

I think that my professional background as a negotiator will help make a difference in creating sensible, consensus legislation on this important issue.

We must also make the necessary investments in our local public safety agencies—police, fire, EMT services, forest services and state patrols to help keep us safe and well served especially when an emergency situation arises. One of the most important priorities of government at all levels is to keep people safe.

Transportation and infrastructure

Caring for our roads, bridges and water supply

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, “the nation’s infrastructure earned a “D+” in the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card. Minnesota faces infrastructure challenges of its own.

For example, driving on roads in need of repair in Minnesota costs each driver $480 per year, and 6% of bridges are rated structurally deficient. Drinking water needs in Minnesota are an estimated $7.4 billion, and wastewater needs total $2.39 billion. 25 dams are considered to be high-hazard potential.

The state’s schools have an estimated capital expenditure gap of $818 million. This deteriorating infrastructure impedes Minnesota’s ability to compete in an increasingly global marketplace.

Success in a 21st century economy requires serious, sustained leadership on infrastructure investment at all levels of government. Delaying these investments only escalates the cost and risks of an aging infrastructure system, an option that the country, Minnesota, and families can no longer afford.”

I support the issues called out in the Report Card and commit to investing in these high citizen priorities.