Minnesotans deserve an economy that works for all of us– not just the wealthiest few. A handful of years ago I co-owned a small-scale farming operation. I understand firsthand the challenges small business owners face when it comes to child- and healthcare. Here in district 58A, we need to keep working towards 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 continue to fight to make sure 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 continue to support property owners, including farmers, young families, and seniors, by returning to fully-funding our public schools.

Supporting Working Families

• I will continue to champion legislation that is specifically designed to help working parents by growing our childcare workforce and make it easier for more families to qualify for financial assistance when it comes to paying for daycare.

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

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

Making Farming Easier in Today’s Economy

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

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

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

Our children are the future of our community, and the quality of a child’s education shouldn’t depend on where they live! The public school I went to was excellent, and I want the same for my kids and yours. We must do what we can to provide young people 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 continue to fight for 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 continue to expand 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 continue to work towards increased access to free post-secondary education.

• I will continue to work to refinance and forgive student loans, and ensuring paying off student loans can count as match for pensions for public employees.

Meeting the Needs of Every Child through Wraparound School Services

• I will continue to 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’ (and education professionals’) mental health.

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. As your Representative, I will continue to 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 continue to work to expand public healthcare by fighting for a Public Option, allowing more families to buy a MinnesotaCare plan, and by contracting directly with providers to lower costs.

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

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

Ensuring Full Access to Reproductive Healthcare

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

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

• I will continue to 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 I will continue 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 continue to work with them and bring their voices to the Capitol. I’ll do this by:

Fighting Climate Change

• I will continue to grow increased participation by farmers and landowners to increase the number of acres where soil health practices are implemented. All farmers in Minnesota must 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 continue to work towards a just transition to 100% clean energy.

• I will continue to ensure our state invests in locally- and publicly-owned solar and wind power, such as solar on schools.

Ensuring Access to Clean Water

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

• I will continue fighting to ease the burden on rural communities for healthy groundwater by leveraging state funds and making the polluters pay.

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

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

• I will continue to champion 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. That includes our electoral systems. I have long been an advocate for ways to make participating in our democracy easier and more reliable, and I will continue to fight for democracy in Minnesota especially in this election year.

Respecting the Power of Local Government

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

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