Guiding Philosophy
Ayn Rand once said, “The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights, cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.” I believe in the right to carve your own path, that the individual is the one endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights and unique talents to prosper. The role of government – at both the state level and beyond – is to protect us from those who would impede that path. Instead, we have seen a dangerous encroaching “collectivism” manifest in Minnesota and beyond, which seeks to say all professional paths must have the same outcome, all children must learn the same, all people must bow to the whims of government and so-called experts at the expense of their personal well-being. As a legislator, I will work to reduce harm to the individual – whether born or unborn. Government, by and large, should stay out of the way, not overtax us, and not try to solve problems better left in the hands of builders and innovators.
Public Safety
Right now, the world is topsy turvy. Peacekeepers are treated with the scrutiny of criminals and our leaders are greasing the path for real criminals. Democrats have bought into the same notion as their Endorsed Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Attorney General Keith Ellison: let the criminals walk free and prosecute cops. This philosophy is a road to perdition and is the reason we have an exodus of police officers and first responders. Chisago County must be a beacon in St. Paul to reaffirm and appreciate the work these public servants do.
As a legislator, I will work to ensure that justice is actually fair, that our officers and first responders have the resources needed to do their job effectively, and that the far-Left philosophy of “Abolish the Police” is exposed and defeated around the state.
Fiscal Sanity
The appetite to spend in St. Paul has reached a fever pitch. We had a $19 Billion budget surplus in Minnesota. Democrats spent every penny of that and even had the audacity to raise taxes once they did, growing our state budget by a staggering 40% in just one year. The adults are no longer in the room in St. Paul. It would seem that these DFL legislators have never balanced a budget, put their name on a paycheck, or otherwise planned for the future. Our kids are going to suffer for the choices our state government is making today. And where are the results? Our schools are not performing better, waste, fraud and abuse is out of control, and people are leaving our state because it’s no longer affordable.
As your state representative, I will fight for fiscal responsibility, less taxes, and giving any surplus dollars back to the taxpayer. Government has FAR over-stepped its responsibility and to the extent that some of these programs passed last legislative session can be sun-setted or ended, they must be. Taxing and spending is out of control.
Protect Life
Life is sacred, whether it’s unborn or born. Democrats in St. Paul have made Minnesota’s abortion policy the most grotesque and barbaric in the entire world, allowing abortion on demand, until birth, without question. They have torn back every reasonable protection we once had in place, even allowing children born alive to suffer and die on a medical table. Remember protecting the individual? We will be judged harshly for not protecting the most innocent lives among us.
We must defeat Democrats in their crusade to maximize, not minimize, abortion in Minnesota.
Protect and Defend the 2nd Amendment
The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Democrats in St. Paul consistently attempt to limit or do away with that right. In bad faith, they smear law-abiding gun owners as criminals, as a way to enforce unconstitutional policies.
As a constitutional conservative, I support the rights of law abiding gun owners to keep and bear arms. I wholeheartedly support the 2nd Amendment and will push for Stand Your Ground, Castle Doctrine, and Constitutional Carry to defend your family and your home.
Education and Parental Rights
Your kids are yours, not the government’s. Democrats have pushed to massively fund a bloated, opaque bureaucracy to determine what your children are taught. And yet, year after year, it seems like schools aren’t “fully funded.” This is because of an unholy alliance formed by Education Minnesota and those in power. Not only that, but they expect you, the parent, to not have any say whatsoever in the material your kids are being taught.
Elsie and I send our kids to public school and believe that our schools in Chisago County are not as ideologically driven as they are in the metro area. That said, we still have to fight so that parents have both the financial power and editorial control about how their kids are educated. In St. Paul, I will work to ensure teachers have what they need, parents are given their seat back at the table, and IF you choose a different path of education for your child, you are actually able to do it. One size doesn’t fit all; it fits ONE. We must get back to a place of sanity when it comes to how education is funded and what control parents have over what they’re taught.
Religious and Medical Freedom
The past four years have exposed just how little Democrats in St. Paul think of the people they serve. From not removing Tim Walz’s emergency powers, to prosecuting political opponents for not abiding their narratives, medical and religious freedom have been under overt attack.
The decisions you make for you and your family should be private. They should not be subject to overrule or heavy-handed government intervention. As your representative, I will work tirelessly to get us back to a place where medical and religious freedom is respected.