PRIORITIES

EnsurE a high quality and equitable education

I owe everything to the education I received at public schools and public universities, and I will prioritize full and equitable funding of our public schools. Excellent public education is a key factor in lifting people out of poverty. I’m so proud of Minnesota for adopting universal free school meals, which have a proven track record of improving education outcomes. Attempts to ban books or limit students’ access to information are wrong.  I will push for full state funding of needed special education services, which cost the Spring Lake Park school district $3.5 million, Columbia Heights $3 million, and Fridley $1.8 million in 2024. I’ll ensure that the school districts in southern Anoka County get a fair shake from the state government.

Clean water and a healthy environment

Every Minnesotan deserves to have clean, safe water to drink, and a healthy environment in which to grow and thrive. This is an important issue for our district. In the City of Fridley, a treatment system to remove PFAS “forever chemical” pollution is being installed, costing over $5 million split between state funding and local water users. As a State Representative, I’ll use my experience as an environmental advocate to push for clean energy, clean water, and environmental justice for all Minnesotans. This includes working to secure funding to ensure our community water supplies are protected from PFAS forever chemical pollution, and protecting Minnesota’s clean water from copper-nickel sulfide mining pollution.

Affordable, accessible, and top quality health care for all

Minnesota’s health care system has world-class doctors and hospitals, but a serious problem with affordability and accessibility. Costs are skyrocketing, and federal inaction is making it worse. Minnesota has public insurance options like MinnesotaCare and a strong marketplace in MnSure, and if elected, access, cost, and quality of health care would be a top priority for me. This includes pushing for the Minnesota Health Plan, a single, statewide plan that would cover all Minnesotans for all their medical needs. It also means protecting access to abortion, reproductive health care and gender-affirming care for everybody.

A transportation system that works for everybody

Whether you drive, use transit, bike, or walk, every Minnesotan deserves a transportation system that gets them where they need to go safely and quickly. As a person who uses all four of these ways to get around, I understand how important it is to design a transportation system that puts people first. The planned bus rapid transit route in our district is a huge opportunity, while the loss of the Northstar Commuter poses a real challenge for people who currently use it and the tunnel underneath the BNSF railroad tracks. I’ll work to ensure that our district gets fair access to transit and road construction funding.

Union protections and fair compensation for all workers

Every worker deserves a chance to join and form a union to represent their interests in their workplace. And every Minnesota worker deserves a living wage and paid family and medical leave so that they can recover from illness or support their family in dark times. I’m deeply committed to protecting union rights, supporting living wages, and providing paid leave to all Minnesotans.

Defend our neighbors

The climate of fear and intimidation created by federal immigration enforcement operations is corrosive to our community. The brutality of these operations, explicit targeting of people based on the language they speak and the color of their skin, and disregard for people’s rights to due process are offensive and wrong. I strongly believe that our communities are strengthened by diversity, and will fight to protect all Minnesota residents from violations of their rights.

Open and Accessible Leadership

Serving in the legislature is an act of public service, and the job of a legislator is to connect their community to the state government. I’ll put my experience as an advocate and a teacher of the political process to good use as a state representative. I’ll communicate with you so that you’ll know when and how to have your say in St. Paul.