Vision
A Minnesota that reflects our values is possible.
Now is the time for us to tap into our political imagination. We can realize the possibility of a government that will deliver resources to meet our shared needs and solve the problems we see in our daily lives. We deserve a government that will deliver resources to meet our shared needs and solve the problems we see in our daily lives.
Quality Public Education
Young people are powerful and we need to center their voice as we build institutions that meet their needs. Unfortunately, our school system delivers racist outcomes, including one of the largest opportunity gaps in the country between white students and Black, Brown, Indigenous, and immigrant students. We need to invest in quality public education that works for all young people in Minnesota.
VISION:
Fully fund schools by increasing the general education formula and eliminating funding gaps (cross subsidies) for special education.
Reform our special education “bill back” system which drains financial resources from public school districts.
Recruit, support, and retain teachers of color to diversify the teaching force.
Change our open-enrollment policies to ensure we have a balance between school choice and stable schools/school districts.
Work towards a fully funded childcare system in which no family pays more than 7% of their income for childcare and childcare workers make a starting teacher wage.
Invest in school-based mental health support networks to combat the mental health crisis we are seeing in our schools post-COVID.
Climate Justice & Resilience
In order to save our planet and the future for generations to come, we need entirely new economies, jobs, infrastructure, and a new vision for what is possible. The impact of climate change is already felt most acutely by BIPOC communities – it is essential to center a racial justice lens when considering appropriate climate policy. Our built environment will need to change to meet the moment, including more housing density, improved public transit, increased home energy efficiency, and more. We must implement a just transition to ensure a healthy economy and a clean environment for future generations.
VISION:
Job training and investment to create a green workforce – any job losses in a transition to a greener economy should be factored in and fairly compensated.
Create programs to help homeowners, landlords, and renters retro-fit their homes for increased efficiency. Make sure everyone, including the working class, can afford the transition to a greener economy and environment.
Hold polluters accountable. Our communities deserve clean air, water, and land, and government agencies have for too long protected companies at the expense of communities.
Work to increase tree canopy throughout our state as we address the Emerald Ash Borer problem in a way that does not overburden BIPOC communities.
Invest in sustainable agricultural solutions that help us feed our state and not further damage the environment.
Stand with water protectors and support environmental conservation of wild spaces.
Increase funding for quality public transportation, pedestrian, and bicycle infrastructure.
Work toward communal or cooperative ownership of energy generation.
Healthcare For All & Reproductive Justice
Access to healthcare is a human right, and we need to fight to make healthcare more accessible, culturally informed, and affordable. Our healthcare system is currently driven by market incentives that favor corporations instead of communities. The opioid crisis has highlighted how the for-profit healthcare industry can destroy the lives of millions of people. We need a healthcare system that centers our needs, not the profit margins of insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies.
VISION:
Move towards single-payer healthcare. As the chair of the MN Health Plan caucus, I am deeply committed to moving our state towards this goal.
Increase funding for health insurance navigators rooted in trusted community institutions.
Make addiction treatment and mental health more accessible and effective through funding of culturally informed organizations and institutions.
Ensure access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for all people and defend the right to reproductive justice, especially for those most marginalized.
Public Safety & Racial Justice
Communities, neighborhoods, and individuals feel safe when our needs are met. Decades of policy-making centered on ‘tough on crime’ approaches have left us with the highest incarceration rates in the world, disproportionately affecting Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. We can have a future where public safety is centered on preventing crime before it happens while having an effective and efficient emergency response–we are seeing this vision take shape in our district and city. We must continue to build a system of public safety in our state that is just, transparent, and accountable for BIPOC Minnesotans.
VISION:
Fund alternatives to armed officers for traffic enforcement, domestic violence response, unhoused community outreach, and mental health crises.
Fund engaging out-of-school time programs that connect youth to the community and prevent them from entering the criminal justice system.
Prioritize funding for culturally specific programming for survivors of violence, such as trauma-informed shelters, family support services, and healing practices.
Pass strong gun safety reform legislation such as safe and secure storage.
Fund capital investments on Lake Street and Franklin Ave to continue the revitalization and activation of the corridor.
Continue to invest in light rail safety programs to ensure transportation is accessible and safe for all users.
Economic Justice
Minnesotans deserve a society that meets our collective needs like good schools, affordable childcare, safe and reliable transit, stable housing, and much more. Supporting these essential systems has always been the key to Minnesota's prosperity, but it requires shared investment, particularly from large corporations and the highest income earners who benefit most from our vibrant economy. As your representative, I will fight to fund the public goods and services on which strong communities are built. To achieve economic justice, we also need to address the needs of workers who deserve a living wage, safer working conditions, and the right to organize.
VISION:
Work alongside labor organizers to expand collective bargaining rights & workplace protections, and combat wage theft & insidious right-to-work laws.
Close corporate loopholes and ensure that the largest corporations are paying their fair share of taxes.
Increase revenue to attract, support, and retain our public school teachers and educators.
Continue to make Minnesota's tax code the most progressive in the country through policies like the child tax credit, the renter's credit, and efforts to tax corporate profits held in foreign tax havens.