Steve Samuelson

Economy

We need to invest in our small businesses which have been the backbone of our local economy for generations. We need to find ways to allow our small businesses to compete with massive, global corporations on benefits packages to recruit and retain quality employees. We need to ensure that businesses also have local access to services for their workers. Learn more

Education

We have recently seen bold attempts to undercut funding in our children’s education shortchanging them of the opportunities guaranteed to previous generations under the “Minnesota Miracle.” We need to provide the most effective education possible to ensure that our children have the best opportunities in America. We need to ensure that Minnesota has the best, most highly educated workforce in the world for our businesses. Learn more

Concepts such as public funding for education for public service career paths like education, the medical field, and law enforcement to prevent future worker shortages to essential services should be studied and considered. Learn more

Leadership should be actively expanding public-private partnerships for vocational training at both the secondary and post-secondary level. Learn more

There is absolutely a place for educational concepts like charter schools, private schools, and home schooling within Minnesota. There is possibly even a place for these within the scope of state funding, so long as funding is limited to core curriculum education. Learn more

We must also address the skyrocketing costs of public, post-secondary college education. To help confront the costs for families and students entering higher education, we need to provide more access to affordable two-year colleges and trade schools within our system. We need to strongly encourage students and families to take advantage of these underutilized systems that we currently have in place to assist in their own future student loan burden. Learn more

Government Reform

We need to reduce the out-sized political influence that millionaires, billionaires, and corporations have on our elections. We can start to reduce their influence by limiting PAC contributions, legally mandating direct donation lists for all PACs, and mandating top donor disclosure on all forms of both political and issue advertising. Learn more

We need to continue to invest in our secure election systems that Minnesota uses and which has allowed Minnesota to lead the nation in voter turnout. Learn more

There is a lot of concern surrounding the safety of our election process. In Minnesota, we have seen no evidence of voting fraud. Learn more

Guns

No child should ever have to worry about gun violence and mass shootings anywhere, especially at their school. While society debates away the merits of gun-restriction and the values of gun rights, we can all agree that the time is past for debating addressing safety in schools. Learn more

I believe in and support the 2nd Amendment. Learn more

Healthcare

Perhaps the most fundamental aspect of health care is that we all have the right to make our own medical decisions. The right for us to determine our own care with our doctors and our families is the cornerstone of bodily autonomy. No level of government should have any place in the decision making process, nor should the government prohibit any citizen from exercising their right to bodily autonomy. Learn more

While we all know that the long-term answer to our health care problems must come from the Federal level with a national single-payer system, we must work at the state level to cover the many gaps created by our current systems. It will take effective bi-partisan leadership to ensure that all Minnesotans can make major medical decisions based upon the recommendation of their doctor rather than the size of their bank account. Learn more

We already have a great program with Minnesota Care that provides affordable health care to citizens who do not qualify for Medicaid. We should expand this program to provide support to workers who are full time employees, who are earning less than a livable wage, and who do not have access to health insurance through their employer. Learn more

Infrastructure / Transportation

Investments in rural infrastructure is absolutely vital to expanding both business opportunities and a higher quality of life to create a more diverse and sustainable economic base. Learn more

Infrastructure today is not just 20th century investments in bridges and roads, it is also the 21 st century need for broadband in every home and in every business. Just as our parents and grandparents invested in highways for them and us, it’s time we make those prudent investments in broadband for us, our children, and our grandchildren. Learn more

Legislation

Your legal rights nor your quality of life should never change on the basis of your race, your religion, your sexuality, your gender, or your political beliefs. Real equality under the law must be inclusive of all citizens. We need Senators who will vote to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

When a tax increase is needed, we need to apply it to those who can afford to pay it. When a tax decrease is needed, we need to give it to those that will benefit the most from it. Learn more

A simple way to balance the books on those revenue decreases is to offset them with property taxes increases on second cabins and multiple investment properties that are causing the housing shortage and the resulting property tax increases. Learn more

Within our district, one of the largest concerns of voters is having a secure retirement. We need to have leadership in St. Paul that looks to not just to protect Social Security, but looks to expand systems that can provide more protections for our senior citizens at affordable costs. We deserve leadership that considers all options, including removing taxes on Social Security income. Learn more

We need to find ways of decreasing property taxes for homeowners. Learn more

We need leadership that believes in a fair tax system that rebuilds the middle class instead of applying additional hardship and strain to working families. Fair taxes need to be paid by those who profit from the labor of those of us working. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

All around us, we see the benefits of a strong economy that is paired with strong unions – better wages for all, more job protections, and a safer working environment. To foster these benefits, we must protect and encourage the rights of workers to unionize and bargain collectively in Minnesota. Learn more