Priorities
Affordable Health Care as a Public Good (not a profit center)
When I was 22 I was diagnosed with diabetes. At the time I was one month into my employers health insurance. Had I been diagnosed one month earlier – and I was uninsured – my entire life would have been different. Ever since then I’ve seen how insurers have tried to avoid paying for the care I need to live.
I have fought to expand Minnesota Care and I want to keep up that important work. I want to make sure everyone has access to the care they need – regardless of race, class, gender or geography and that health is at the center of our health care system – not profit.
Dignity of All Workers and Support All Working Families In Need
Growing up my family was lucky we could make ends meet. My dad would rent a cabin for a week each summer. We took a few road trips. It was nothing fancy but I loved it. I also remember the toll it took on our family as my dad’s employer raised his health care premiums, cut his benefits and asked him to work longer hours.
I’m passionate about what it takes for all of us to afford our lives. I’m proud to have organized with low wage workers for a better contract and to have advocated for important legislation like Earned Sick and Safe Time. I’m committed to making sure Paid Family and Medical Leave is fully funded and supported and that wage theft laws are strong and enforced.
Supporting and Protecting Our Public Schools
When my wife Teresa and I thought about having a family it was a no-brainer to stay in Saint Paul and send our kids to public school. Today we have three Saint Paul Public School students in high school, middle school and elementary school.
Investing in and protecting our public schools is essential for building a strong community and economy here in Saint Paul and across the state. Ensuring that our public school educators have the resources they need to teach is critical. Funding to keep class sizes reasonable, have enough professionals to support our kids’ needs, and to invest in the infrastructure of our schools is a top priority.
Our Climate and the Farmers That Feed Us
Addressing the climate crisis is a responsibility we all share. In urban areas we need to pursue aggressives cut emissions and invest in infrastructure that can support a sustainable planet. The same is true in rural areas. I work with farmers in southeast and western Minnesota – the folks who work the land and feed us. I’ve made it a priority to listen and learn from rural folks about their struggles with health care, the economy and a sustainable environment.
Farmers are coming together to address the climate crisis. They see how the state of Minnesota can do more to encourage sustainable farming practices like cover crops and discourage the application of fertilizer that drives greenhouse emissions and pollutes our water. I want to continue to be a bridge between our community in St. Paul and family farmers.