Issues

The Problem: Healthcare costs are out of control, and patients often can't access the care they need in a timely manner. Even for those who have insurance, premiums, deductibles, and co-pays are so high that price is often still a barrier to patients who need care. 

Solutions:

• Increase price transparency so patients can make educated decisions about the cost of care and procedures. 
• Ensure that rural Minnesotans have access to care by retaining physicians, nurses, home health services, and care facilities in under-served rural areas. Keep our rural clinics and hospitals open!
• Expand insurance networks and coverage so that patients don't have to travel great distances to get care they need. Patients should be able to see local doctors that they know and trust; patients shouldn't have to drive for an hour or more just to see a doctor who is "in network".
• Expand affordable and accessible primary care options for patients. Patients with manageable conditions and illnesses should not have to wait until it becomes an emergency to get the care they need. Over-utilization of emergency services increases costs for everyone.

The Problem: Minnesotans are still struggling to make ends meet due to high inflation and increased costs. Hard-working families are not seeing wages increase even while corporate profits are at record highs. Small businesses and local farms are struggling with high costs, and big corporations are coming into our rural communities and pushing businesses out or buying up land.

Solutions: 

• We should lower income taxes on middle and lower-income families, to help provide some economic relief for those who are working hard to make ends meet. Minnesota has one of the highest income tax rates in the country, and has had substantial budget surpluses in the last few years.  Working families are the backbone of this state, and deserve to keep more of their hard-earned money. 
• Investigate and limit subsidies to corporations who are making record profits. Companies that are contributing to increased costs for consumers and making excessive profits should not be receiving your hard-earned tax dollars.
• Promote small-business growth and sustainability with tax incentives and regulatory relief. Small businesses and local farms are the lifeblood of rural communities. Small business owners are hard workers who don't want or need a handout. They deserve an even playing field to compete on against big national corporations. 
• Promote job-training programs and technical schools as career pathways for high-school students. Partner with schools to normalize non-college career paths and help enroll students in programs. College is not the only path to a meaningful career, and often saddles young students with mountains of debt.

The Problem: The state has been fortunate to have a comfortable surplus in recent years. With this surplus, the state legislature has made many new investments in programs and increased spending. We must steward this surplus carefully to ensure that the state continues to be solvent in the future.

Solutions: 

• Prioritize investments in programs that have a tangible impact on voter's lives (healthcare, education, infrastructure). 
• Thoroughly audit spending on new and existing programs to cut wasteful spending and ensure that tax dollars are making an efficient impact when spent. 
• Reduce the tax burden on middle and lower-income Minnesota working families. While the state has such a surplus and Minnesotans are struggling with inflation, the state has a duty to reduce the economic burden on taxpayers. 
• Focus more funding on reducing the state debt, and set aside investments and savings for the future. The state is financially stable now, but we have a duty to prepare for future economic challenges. 

The Problem: Graduation rates are down and testing scores for students have been unacceptably low. Learning competencies are still far below pre-pandemic levels. 

Solutions: 

• Fund new initiatives that work to improve learning. Audit, reform, or remove programs that are too costly and don't work. In recent budgets, the state has made substantial new investments in education. With these investments have come a variety of new mandates and requirements that increase costs for school districts. Many of these spending initiatives will have a positive impact, but some will be more costly and less beneficial. The state legislature has a duty to monitor and audit these new programs. 
• Ensure ALL students have access to quality education and extra-curricular activities. Rural students should have the same educational opportunities and access to sport and club programs as the cities and suburbs. 
• Ensure that high-quality teachers have incentives to continue to work in rural schools; teachers should be fairly compensated for the incredible work they do!
• Focus curriculums on subjects and material that will prepare students for success in the community and the workforce; topics like financial literacy, job skills, and career pathways.

The Problem: Minnesotans of all ages are struggling with mental health problems, and can't access the resources or care they need when they need it. Suicide rates have continued to increase in Minnesota over the last few years, and there are not enough accessible, immediate crisis options for Minnesotans who need help. 

Solutions: 

• Increase funding for crisis mental health response options and treatment centers. Police, EMS, and emergency departments are often the only options available to respond and treat a person in crisis. Many times, these resources aren't the most efficient or appropriate to treat someone having a mental health crisis. We should increase the availability of "walk-in care": psychiatric urgent cares, crisis centers, detox facilities, and other options. 
• Increase the state's capacity of inpatient mental health beds. There are not nearly enough facilities in the state willing or able to treat hospitalized patients in need of acute mental health care. Oftentimes, acutely ill patients wait in emergency departments for days, weeks, or even longer for a spot in a facility that can safely accommodate their needs. This diverts healthcare staff and resources and can create unsafe conditions for patients and hospital staff. 
• Re-evaluate how we compensate and reimburse mental health treatment providers. Oftentimes, those in need of acute mental healthcare are the most vulnerable Minnesotans; they may lack health insurance or the ability to pay for care. This makes it difficult to sustainably operate mental health treatment facilities, which we desperately need. The state should re-evaluate its funding formulas for state insurance, and should encourage and incentivize private insurance companies to consider reimbursing mental healthcare costs more fairly.  
• Partner with schools and youth organizations to increase awareness about social media and mental health in our children. Social media is contributing to bullying and suicide among children. Parents, schools, and youth leaders should know what signs to watch for to intervene early in at-risk children to prevent tragedies.

The Problem: Climate change continues to bring extreme weather, droughts, and health challenges to our state. In addition to this, more acute human activity like pollution, mining, and agricultural runoff are impacting our water resources. 

Solutions: 

• The state should continue making investments and providing incentives to private companies to develop sustainable energy resources and infrastructure. Realistically, our initial investments in new energy modalities will be more costly until the technology is more established. It is an investment worth making to preserve our state and our children's future. Ultimately, the goal should also include financial sustainability as well as environmental preservation. 
• Protect Minnesota's natural beauty and water resources. Generations of Minnesotans have valued sustainably utilizing the natural resources our state has: hunting, fishing, hiking, spending time in our parks, on our lakes and rivers. We should continue to preserve the areas that make these activities possible.
• Follow the science when it comes to new mines, water projects, and other major industries that affect the environment. We welcome investment in Minnesota, but companies that want to business here have an obligation to prove that their work is safe. Prior to approving any major projects, these companies should provide evidence that their work will not be a substantial detriment or harm to the environment and waterways, and will not put Minnesotans at risk of hazardous materials or chemicals.

The Problem: Crime rates are rising, police departments are struggling to hire and retain officers, and local jails and prisons are overwhelmed and understaffed. 

Solutions: 

• Continue to fund investments in law enforcement training and modern equipment. Police are better able to de-escalate and resolve situations safely when they have quality training and the tools they need to avoid using higher levels of force. 
• Invest in non-police first responder services. Police are often expected to wear too many hats when responding to emergencies, especially in rural areas with limited first responder resources. We should invest in more crisis response options that include social services, mental health professionals, and public health and EMS workers.
• Prioritize detainment of dangerous and violent criminals, while exploring alternative options for sentencing of non-violent offenders. We continue to see increases in the number of people in prison, without an increase in capacity. We should seek out input from corrections, law enforcement, public health, and mental health experts on how the state should address this.
• Invest in better rehabilitation programs and work programs for those being released from jail and prison. Often times, it is difficult to reintegrate with the community after release from prison due to limited job skills or restricted employment opportunities. We should prioritize preparing these individuals for employment and community participation to reduce recidivism rates. 
• Partner with local communities and schools across the state to promote career paths in law enforcement. In very recent history, Minneapolis has seen distrust, protests, and riots in response to the George Floyd killing and other events. The state and cities have attempted to make policy changes to address some of these concerns; real change is most impactful from the bottom up. We should encourage all communities to participate in the system to improve the system.