An attack on one group’s rights is an implicit attack on everyone’s rights. Unfortunately, we are seeing attacks on our rights, the extent of which is unprecedented in our country’s modern history. Our fundamental right to due process is being chipped away at a time when we also see targeted attacks on the rights of specific communities.

Minnesota has done incredible work to uphold the LGBTQ and Reproductive Rights in our state, but we must remain vigilant. As a member of the LGBTQ community, defending these rights is personal. Furthermore, the fall of Roe V Wade has created an exceptionally unsafe environment for those seeking reproductive healthcare in this country. Minnesota is a haven for these rights and I will defend the right of a person to choose what is best for their reproductive health. Lastly, we must protect the right to due process which is granted to everyone on U.S. soil, regardless of age, sex, race, or immigration status.

While these groups are targeted now, an attack on anyone’s fundamental rights sets a precedent to attack the rights of anyone else. Even if we are not part of these communities, we must stand in solidarity with them - for their sake and for the good of our country.

Education is the foundation of a healthy democracy and functioning civil society. In some areas, our state’s education system excels - in 2024, our state’s graduation rate was at an all-time high. Yet we still have much room for improvement - that same year, average 4th grade reading, math, and science metrics were below proficiency. These metrics reliably predict a student’s future educational outcomes, so it is evident that we must do more to set them up for success.

Sitting on the Education Policy Committee, I support policies that keep our kids in schools by addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and look to expand the number instructional days our students receive; provide dignified compensation and critical support for our educators, so they can best educate our students; and support school districts to meet cultural competency standards that are flexible enough to acknowledge that no two districts are the same.

We must answer difficult questions about our public education system through ongoing evaluation, reflecting an educational and societal landscape in constant motion. I will lead with an open mind and be willing to change course if a certain tact is not achieving its intended outcomes. For the good of our society, we must tirelessly pursue excellence in public education.

With climate change an inevitable threat, we must protect our environment and responsibly manage our natural resources. We must ensure that Minnesotans have clean air to breathe, clean waterways, and that we do our part to reduce global emissions - now and in the future. At the same time, we must also invest in climate change adaptation measures in order to create resilient communities.

As a member of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, I support legislation that transitions our economy to one supported by clean energy and green infrastructure. Investing in solar, wind, and water energy will help us create a comprehensive network of energy sources that can match our state’s energy consumption needs while minimizing environmental impact. As other options for clean energy become available, I am eager to evaluate each of them on a case-by-case basis. One thing remains certain: if our state is to thrive in 10 years or 100, we must do more to foster a transition toward sustainability.

Gun violence is an epidemic. It feels like every day we hear a new story about a mass shooting in a school or supermarket, a deadly dispute between teenagers, or lethal domestic violence due to the presence of a firearm. Most recently, one of my colleagues was murdered with an assault rifle. There are so many horrific stories, it is easier to allow oneself to become desensitized than to take action.

We deserve better.

I seek policy solutions that will curb gun violence in our state as the courts’ jurisprudence around firearms evolves over time. We must preserve policies that keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of those most likely to cause harm, such as violent offenders, individuals with restraining orders on them, individuals with a history of violence, and repeat criminal offenders. Furthermore, safe storage laws have stalled for too long. I will continue to support strong safe gun storage laws until we finally finish the job. Gun violence is a blight on our society and for the good of all, we must stop it in its tracks.

I believe healthcare is a human right. Despite our progress, large gaps in the health outcomes of Minnesotans remain across different social and economic groups. Inadequate staffing makes hospitals, health care facilities, and elder care facilities less accessible. Soon, our state will endure a $500 million a year cut from the federal government to our Medical Assistance programs. These factors create substantial barriers to the provision of quality care.

As we evaluate healthcare policy, we must always ask what will best improve public health within our state. The following policy priorities surrounding Minnesota’s healthcare system are the first steps toward solving these issues, but certainly not the last. It will take continued monitoring and discussion with stakeholders to evaluate the ever-changing needs of both healthcare workers and healthcare recipients.

I believe the vast majority of challenges to our common health would be solved by moving the state toward a universal healthcare system. The insurance industry is rife with inefficiencies and private interests that put at risk the public good. We can do better. 

Having healthcare isn’t enough - it must be quality. One of the biggest threats to quality care is unsafe staffing practices within hospitals and other medical facilities. We must support nurses and doctors alike to make sure they practice in environments that give them the best chance to provide the highest quality patient care. This begins with safe staffing and working conditions.

These are the first and necessary steps to addressing the public health needs of our state.

Housing insecurity is perhaps the largest barrier to self-advancement that a person can face; it makes obtaining stable employment incredibly difficult, decreases access to public benefits, and takes a massive toll on a person’s mental health. We must ensure safe, quality, and affordable housing for all Minnesotans. 

I support legislation that provides incentives for property developers to provide affordable housing options. Beyond that, we simply need to increase our housing stock. I support legislation that incentivizes reformation of local zoning codes to foster affordable housing development. We need to engage local government, developers, and local stakeholder groups to make sure that our state’s housing policy is responsive to a dynamic housing market.

The sooner we address the housing crisis, the sooner we will put a huge swath of Minnesotans on a path toward greater stability, economic opportunity, and the ability to engage meaningfully in our society.

Labor unions grant workers a meaningful voice in our country. Wages have not kept pace with the cost of living, let alone the colossal profits experienced by corporations and their shareholders. Hundreds of millions of corporate dollars are funneled into our political system every year so that the ultra wealthy can bend the economy to their benefit at the expense of our prosperity, our health, and our environment. Unions are a necessary countervailing power to corporate interests and are key to ensuring a prevailing democracy and a thriving society.

As a current SAG-AFTRA member, former UNITE HERE Local 17 member, and the son of two union members, I have experienced firsthand the power of unions and collective bargaining. Because of these affiliations to unions throughout my life, I know what it’s like to have a union wage be the sole factor keeping food on the table. I will take every opportunity to strengthen the collective power of workers, for the benefit of all.

All Minnesotans deserve to live in a state where they feel safe. I believe in a future where everyone can walk around their neighborhoods without fear. This future can only be achieved by taking an inclusive and multifaceted approach to public safety.

Policing in this country has a history of racially-discriminatory practices that often make encounters with law enforcement a traumatic or even deadly experience for many Minnesotans. At the same time, policing is one of the most challenging jobs in our country, as is evidenced by law enforcement professionals suffering much higher rates of PTSD than the average person. As a lawmaker, I hold two truths at once: police have often been used as an apparatus of oppression and society often asks far too much of our police officers.

I believe in a future where law enforcement officers are educated on their profession’s past, are provided the support they need to succeed professionally, preserve their own mental health, and ingratiate themselves as trusted members of the community.

Law enforcement is an important aspect of public safety, but it is just one facet. Police are important for responding to clear and present danger to the community. However, the necessity of a police response is indicative of failures to prevent crime. More must be done to address the root causes of crime: housing instability, low wages, social exclusion, poor mental health, and a lack of upward mobility.

I support policies that address the determinants of crime, provide more de-escalation resources to public safety officers, increase officer access to mental health resources, and strengthen relationships between police and community organizations. This is a vision of public safety that leaves no one behind.