Jerry Relph

Education

I believe local school boards and administrators are best equipped to make decisions for the population they represent. I am against universal, mandatory pre-kindergarten, and believe parents should have the option of keeping their young children home during those highly formative years. Instead, I support early childhood education scholarships that allow low-income parents to give their children a fighting chance at the school of their choice. Learn more

I led the fight to reform teacher licensure laws, making it easier for schools to find and hire qualified teachers, and voted to provide schools with funds for critical needs, such as expanded school readiness, early learning with parental choice, and special education. Finally, I supported increased funding for schools to make necessary safety upgrades and hire more counselors, psychologists, and other mental health professionals. Learn more

Healthcare

I supported the successful ‘reinsurance’ program that lowered Minnesota’s individual health insurance premiums to among the lowest in the nation, voted to increase transparency with Pharmacy Benefit Managers that ultimately drove down the cost of prescription drugs, and supported the landmark bill to crack down on the state’s opioid crisis. I led the fight to get needed funding to expand mental health services for veterans, farmers, and students, and was the chief author of the initial legislative response to the coronavirus pandemic. Finally, I serve on the Task Force on Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research. Learn more

Infrastructure / Transportation

I believe the Northstar Commuter Rail should be extended to St. Cloud if it can be done in a fiscally responsible manner. The line would ease the burden on our roads and reduce congestion in the metropolitan areas. This is a legitimate cost of government; however, these dollars must be spent efficiently and effectively. Learn more

I support a long-term view of our transportation infrastructure. This means policymakers must use informed judgments to plan ahead for the most efficient use of our dollars. I believe we can leverage the state’s bonding power to finance needed improvements, such as the Interstate 94 corridor between St. Michael and St. Cloud. I’m also committed to working as hard as I can to bring regular, reliable commercial air service to the St. Cloud Regional Airport. Learn more

Social Services

Protecting our most vulnerable populations and delivering critical services to them are two of the most essential services of government. I’m particularly passionate about this area, which comprises the second-largest portion of Minnesota’s biennial budget. I’m proud of the work I’ve done to root out the fraud, waste, and abuse that has permeated the state agency tasked with administering these programs for too long. I spearheaded the effort to tighten up benefit eligibility, called out the partisanship of the Human Services Inspector General’s Office, and authored extensive reforms to increase accountability and prosecute those responsible for fraud. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

I believe in a government that spends within its means and respects our state’s hardworking taxpayers. We need to control government spending, so Minnesotans’ tax burdens do not interfere with growth. I support the use of ‘zero-based budgeting’ as one method to help control the explosive cost of state government and am proud to have supported extensive measures to root out fraud, waste, and abuse within government – including the waste and fraud present in the Department of Human Services Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Learn more

I supported the first middle-class income tax rate cut in nearly two decades, conformity to the federal tax law, and further cuts to the income tax on Social Security benefits as we work to eliminate the tax altogether. Recognizing their enormous impacts on our communities, I also supported cuts to small business property taxes and authored reforms to homestead and estate tax provisions for farmers and landowners. I worked to reduce or eliminate the tax on sick people known as the Provider Tax and secured a reduction in that tax. Learn more