Minnesotans deserve an economy that works for all of us– not just the wealthiest few. Just a handful of years ago my partner and I ran more than one small farming operation, so we understand better than most the challenges facing business owners when it comes to child- and healthcare. Here in district 58A, we need an economy that recognizes the unique challenges facing farmers, small business owners, and working-class families. Together, we can build a Minnesota where no one is left behind by:

Ensuring Fair Tax Practices

• I will never vote to increase income taxes for middle-class families.

• I will ensure that the wealthiest among us– those making more than $1 million a year (which is $83,333 per month/ $19,230 per week) – are paying their fair share in taxes by creating a new income tax bracket.

• I will fight for property owners, including farmers, young families, and seniors, by fully-funding our public schools, thereby doing away with the constant need for school tax levies.

Supporting Working Families

• I will champion legislation that is specifically designed to help working parents, including Paid Family and Medical Leave and Earned Sick & Safe Time.

• I will support and expand workers’ rights and the right to collectively bargain.

• I will grow our childcare workforce and make it easier for more families to qualify for financial assistance when it comes to paying for daycare.

• I will be a fierce advocate for a minimum wage that better reflects the rising cost of living in all Minnesota communities.

Making Farming Easier in Today’s Economy

• I will work tirelessly so that all those who want to farm have access to the land, capital, training, technical support, and resources they need to be successful.

• I will help curb the consolidation that is driving small and mid-sized farmers out of business and off their family’s land.

• I will fight for legislation that helps grow and protect our local meat, dairy, and small grain processing infrastructure and workforce.

Our children are the future of our community, and no child’s education should suffer because of where they live. I had an excellent public school education in Minnesota and I want the same for my kids. We must do what we can to provide our kids with the tools they need to become our future workforce as they become adults. That means giving our students, educators, and schools the resources they need by:

Fully Funding Public Schools at the State Level

• I will fight to pass a budget that includes full funding for our public schools, reducing the undue burden put on homeowners to pass property tax levies.

• I will ensure that any budget passed by the legislature includes much-needed funding for the youngest Minnesotans who need special education.

Making it Easier to Pursue Post-Secondary Education Opportunities

• I will create opportunities for high school students to learn about the variety of post-secondary options available to them, including learning a trade, farming, and attending technical schools.

• I will fight for the opportunity for students to receive two free years of post-secondary education.

• I will work to expand programs to refinance and forgive student loans.

Meeting the Needs of Every Child through Wraparound School Services

• I will be an advocate for funding for mental health resources in schools, helping to address some of the ongoing effects the pandemic has had on students’ mental health.

• I will tackle childhood hunger by ensuring that all students have access to healthy, well-balanced meals in schools.

I believe that healthcare is a human right, and that patients should always come before corporate profits. As the executive director of a small business, a mother, and as someone with chronic health issues, I’ve wrestled with our current system from every angle, and I know we can do better. When I’m elected, I will approach healthcare with the idea that we must create opportunities to provide better, more affordable, and more just options. I’ll do this by:

Making Healthcare More Affordable and Accessible

• I will work to expand public healthcare by allowing more families to buy a MinnesotaCare plan, and by contracting directly with providers to lower costs.

• I will advocate for more transparency of healthcare costs from providers to patients.

• I will reign in the rising cost of prescription drugs.

Ensuring Full Access to Reproductive Healthcare

• I will be a fierce protector of every Minnesotan’s fundamental right to make their own personal decision about abortion.

• I will work to end our current laws that require healthcare providers to carry out medically unnecessary practices solely designed to dissuade a pregnant person from receiving abortion care.

• I will work to expand access to full reproductive healthcare, regardless of race, gender, class, or zip code.

Treating Mental Wellness as a Necessary Part of Healthcare

• I will expand free mental healthcare programs, addiction treatment, and social work services.

• I will advocate for legislation that treats addiction as a mental health issue, not a crime.

Rural Minnesota’s way of life depends on the health of our land, water, and wildlife. We have the opportunity to be a major partner in finding the solution for climate change, and when I’m elected I will make it a priority to champion legislation that makes that partnership a reality. The farmer leaders I’ve had the privilege of working alongside have been leading the way, and I’ll listen to them and bring their voices to St. Paul. I’ll do this by:

Fighting Climate Change

• I will grow the Soil Health Cost Share Program to allow all farmers to have the resources and technical support they need to implement regenerative and sustainable farming practices that build resiliency and mitigate the climate crisis.

• I will facilitate a just transition to 100% clean energy.

• I will Invest in locally- and publicly-owned solar and wind power, such as solar on schools.

Ensuring Access to Clean Water

• I will work to ensure all Minnesotans, regardless of zip code have affordable, healthy drinking water

• I will ease the burden on rural communities for healthy groundwater by leveraging state funds

• I look forward to using my experience locally to address the root causes of water pollution like stormwater runoff and erosion across the state

Protecting and Preserving Our Wildlife

• I will help ensure our wildlife corridors are healthy and intact for native and game species to thrive

• I will support pollinator-friendly programs and incentives that protect the habitat of pollinators, especially our native bees.

• I will be a champion of conservation agriculture that recognizes farmland and our rural places can be great natural habitat

The 2020 presidential election highlighted for many the precarious nature of our democracy, and how crucial having faith in our institutions truly is, including our electoral systems. I have long been an advocate for ways to make participating in our democracy easier and more reliable, and that work will continue when I’m elected to the house of representatives by:

Respecting the Power of Local Government

• I will support local government units in maintaining their ability to build upon the laws of the state to best reflect their own community’s needs and priorities.

• I will foster trust in our electoral processes by supporting local election officials to freely and fairly conduct elections with integrity and efficient use of funds.

Protect our Fundamental Right to Vote

• I will support legislation l that makes it easier for all eligible voters to easily participate in our elections.

• I will restore the right to vote to those who have been convicted of a felony and paid their debt to society.

• I will defend Minnesota’s standing as one of the highest voter participation states and preserve our same-day voter registration…

• I will restore the right to vote to Minnesotans who have non-violent convictions related to cannabis.