Candidate for Minnesota House of Representatives - District 63B in 2018 Minnesota 2018 General Election.
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Get StartedJean believes that decisions about abortion are personal and private and should be made by those involved, not by government. She consistently votes to support the principles in Roe v. Wade. Learn more
Jean voted for marriage equality. Learn more
Funding for public schools has not kept up with inflation. With a projected $1.65 billion surplus in 2017, the legislature had the opportunity to fund schools at a level that keeps up with inflation, fully fund voluntary pre-kindergarten education, and make investments needed to close the achievement gap. Jean was very disappointed that Republicans chose tax cuts instead. Learn more
In 2013, with Jean’s support, the legislature froze tuition at all public Minnesota colleges and universities. Given the budget surplus in 2017, the Republican-controlled Legislature could have frozen tuition again but instead chose to substantially underfund higher education. The result is more tuition hikes and more student debt. Learn more
Jean authored the first law to provide state funds for an all-day kindergarten option and was very pleased when full funding finally passed in 2013. She believed that full funding was long overdue. Learn more
Jean has introduced two bills designed to protect the Mississippi as a drinking water source. Learn more
Solving the water problems at Lake Hiawatha and Lake Nokomis does not depend on a change in our laws. Rather there are state and local agencies that are responsible for water management in our area that must resolve the problems. Residents of the area urgently need short term solutions and all of us need long term management plans designed for prevention. Jean believes that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is responsible for taking the lead in problem solving. Learn more
She strongly supports the effort to raise the renewable energy standard to 50% by 2030. Learn more
Energy storage will make wind- and solar-produced energy more resilient. Minnesota currently does not have targets for storage capacity. Jean is working with experts to have a “storage target” bill ready for introduction when the 2018 session starts. She will have other bills that support energy storage, electric vehicles and more. Learn more
Last session when the Republicans were working to roll back solar, especially for rural Minnesota, Jean introduced a bill that would have given rural Minnesotans, including farmers, incentives for solar installations. Learn more
She worked hard to pass the most sweeping ethics and campaign finance reform law in Minnesota history. Learn more
Jean started the "No Perks Pledge" in the Minnesota House that lead to the ban on gifts to legislators. Learn more
Solving the water problems at Lake Hiawatha and Lake Nokomis does not depend on a change in our laws. Rather there are state and local agencies that are responsible for water management in our area that must resolve the problems. Residents of the area urgently need short term solutions and all of us need long term management plans designed for prevention. Jean believes that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is responsible for taking the lead in problem solving. Learn more
Jean does not accept lobbyist or political action committee (PAC) dollars for her election campaigns. Learn more
One of our first steps toward reform should be for the State of Minnesota to bypass insurance companies and contract directly with care providers when the state is supplying the funding for health care. Learn more
Prevention and incentives to keep people healthy must be part of a reformed system. Learn more
Incentives must be built into the system so there are continuous quality improvements. Learn more
The excessive administrative costs in our current system that benefit insurance companies should be reallocated to provide health care. Learn more
We must place a high value on the patient-provider relationship. Learn more
All Minnesotans should have the same access to affordable, quality care. The quality of care should not depend on income, age, employment or health status. Learn more
With advocacy and support from the Homes for All Coalition, the Minnesota House DFL Caucus made full funding for housing a priority in the 2013 capital investment bill from the very beginning of the process ensuring that it become a reality. Money for housing was again included in the 2017 bonding bill that Jean supported. Learn more
Jean believes expensive improvements for transit commuters at the outer rim of the region should not come at the expense of common sense and cost-effective improvements for bus riders in core communities like Minneapolis and Richfield who are the backbone of the current transit system. Orange Line Highway BRT and “arterial BRT” projects like the D-Line on Chicago and Portland Avenues here in Richfield and Minneapolis should just be the first investments in a comprehensive system upgrade. Learn more
ean believes we must pass an “all of the above” transportation bill that includes a “fix it first” approach to maintain roads in good condition, a large expansion of more frequent transit options, especially improvements to increase speed, safety and reliability like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in multiple forms. The bus fleet should be increasingly electrified to minimize carbon emissions. Learn more
Jean believes we should promote real choices for commuters and improve mobility and access for everyone at all times of day. This includes seniors who can’t drive, people who can’t afford to drive and people who choose not to drive to reduce their carbon footprint, and many others. Learn more
Even with passage of the 2017 bill, the state is still woefully behind on critical infrastructure improvements and has a growing backlog of deferred maintenance. Jean believes the Legislature should pass a significant bonding bill in 2018 to meet growing needs while interest rates are still low. Learn more
Jean has introduced two bills designed to protect the Mississippi as a drinking water source. Learn more
Last session when the Republicans were working to roll back solar, especially for rural Minnesota, Jean introduced a bill that would have given rural Minnesotans, including farmers, incentives for solar installations. Learn more
It was clear from the start of the last session that House and Senate Republicans, who controlled both houses, were determined to spend as much as they could of the $1.1 billion surplus on tax cuts. More than half of the Republicans’ first proposed two tax bills benefited the wealthy and corporations, with little going to average Minnesotans. Learn more
s of Jan. 1, 2018: Large employers must pay at least $9.65 an hour when the employer's annual gross revenues are $500,000 or more. Small employers must pay at least $7.87 an hour when the employer's annual gross revenues are less than $500,000. A training wage rate, $7.87 an hour, may be paid to employees younger than 20 years of age for the first 90 consecutive days of employment. A youth wage rate, at least $7.87 an hour, may be paid to employees younger than 18 years of age. Learn more
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