Sandbox

Healthcare

I want to hold up “the Minnesota Model” of healthcare delivery as a way to make our healthcare systems more cost-effective by rewarding health care providers for outcomes rather than paying them for the number of services they provide. It is also time that we ensure access to healthcare for all Minnesotans. As your State Senator, I will:

Support universal, affordable healthcare for all Minnesotans
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Reward healthcare providers for outcomes
  • Promote policies that reward healthcare providers for outcomes rather than more expensive fee-per-service healthcare delivery.
  • Ensure adequate support for the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) and other prevention initiatives
Ensure that there is true parity in mental health coverage

Develop our mental health system to better meet the needs of Minnesotans who have mental illnesses and/or chemical dependency issues

Education

I will work to eliminate the achievement/opportunity gap, expand learning opportunities, and ensure that Minnesota continues to have one of the most highly educated workforces in the nation.

Ensure Proper Funding for All Schools

With properly funded schools, regardless of zipcode, we can 

  • Attract and retain quality teachers
  • Invest in professional development for our educators
  • Work toward a better ratio of students to school counselors (currently 754 to 1)
  • Implement high-quality preschool for 4-year-olds and push for more investment in early childhood education
Make Higher Education Affordable
  • Adopt student loan forgiveness programs
  • Making higher education more affordable by holding down tuition costs and reducing student debt

Gun Violence Prevention

Gun injuries and deaths are a public health crisis in our country. Yet we have had no success in Minnesota passing gun violence prevention measures that have broad public support and that have been shown to reduce gun deaths. I strongly support passage of expanded background checks on gun sales in Minnesota and Red Flag legislation. I will co-author and pass these bills my first year in office

Common Sense Gun Reform
  • Expanded Background Checks to close all loopholes for gun purchases.
  • Extreme Risk Protection Legislation to temporarily remove guns from the hands of people who present a danger to themselves or others.
GUN VIOLENCE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

With an average of 343 Minnesotans dying from firearms every year, gun violence is a public health crisis. Bonnie Westlin is committed to taking action to keep Minnesotans safe.

COVID Response

As a single mom, I experienced financial hardships during my life. I had to work as hard as I could to provide for my kids, and in doing so I grew a small business from nothing. Now, many Minnesotans are experiencing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we need leaders who will focus on providing relief for our working families and for those experiencing poverty. I believe that we can build an economy back that works for everyone. The first thing we need to do is get control of the spread. Our economy can’t get back until we are safe from the virus

Invest in Medical Supplies & PPE
  • Supporting an increased investment in medical supplies and PPE made in Minnesota to put our communities to work and ensure that the public has access to masks and other life-saving equipment that they need.
Support Economic Growth

Using my experience and determination to help our local economies get back on their feet by supporting small businesses so when it is safe, they can reopen, grow, and thrive.

  • Working to provide low-interest loans so businesses can access capital to get back on their feet.
  • Providing tax credits and forgivable loans to small businesses that hire local workers.
Emergency Response

Gov Walz, with the input from MN Dept of Health and other agencies, has done a good job managing the pandemic. While some of his decisions have been politically unpopular and undermined by some state leaders, his approach has been backed up by science and by facts. He gave local control to our school districts to determine the best options for their district. Of course there are things the government could have done better. There is no playbook for dealing with this level of global crisis.

Eliminating Governor Walz’s emergency powers would create gaps in support for Minnesotans as they navigate this public health emergency. If the emergency declaration ended, so would the dozens of executive orders that have helped Minnesotans navigate this difficult time. Senate Republicans have failed to offer solutions to the holes that would be created from rescinding the emergency powers:

  • The evictions of tenants during the peacetime emergency
  • Ability to procure resources, such as PPE and testing supplies
  • Protections that would prevent harm to consumers from price gouging
  • Reinstating the Governor, Chief of Staff, and Commissioners pay cuts his Executive Order enacted, effectively, increasing their salaries.

Job Creation and the Economy

I will help develop an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few. By keeping Minnesota a competitive place to do business, for small, family-owned businesses and large companies alike. This will help create more opportunities for low-income Minnesotans to fully engage in the economy.

Ensure paid time for sick leave
  • Institute paid time off for employees to care for a sick family member or new baby
Confront the Challenge of Racial and Economic Disparities
  • Help and encourage employers to recruit, attract, train and retain a more diverse workforce
  • Invest in minority-owned businesses and small businesses
Increase private investment
  • Invest in the infrastructure of our colleges and universities, which are facing facility needs, such as repairing leaking roofs and cracked walls
  • Invest in the maintenance of our economic infrastructure, including bonding investments that create good-paying jobs and increase private investment opportunities
  • Invest in minority-owned businesses and small businesses

Economy

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Agriculture

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Foreign Affairs

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