Denise Slipy

Economy

I will advocate for investments in sectors like housing, public transit, and energy that create thousands of good-paying union jobs. I will work to ensure these state projects involve our unions and include explicit protections for workers to ensure that they are paid good wages and benefits. I support protecting and expanding workers’ collective bargaining rights to ensure that they can bargain on wages, benefits, and contracts. Learn more

I have talked with families throughout the district, and I hear time and time again about the high cost of groceries as a real concern. I will work constantly to support families, so they can afford to live here. I will focus on strategic and innovative ways to ensure that living in our community is affordable for families. Learn more

We already know that trickle-down economics don’t work for the middle-class, and tariff's are just another tax on hard-working American consumers. We’ve had enough of the tired, antiquated and ineffective policies that have failed all of us for generations. It’s time for smart and innovative legislation to focus on an economy that is truly designed for growth and prosperity. Learn more

Education

Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to learn. Taxes go to public schools; and if you decide you want your child in a private school, you pay for that. All students, regardless of where they live, should have access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed academically and prepare for the workforce of the future. With the right investments and support, rural Minnesota’s education system can thrive, preparing students for success in an ever-changing world. Learn more

I will work on legislation — modeled after the military and Head Start — that would cap a family's out-of-pocket costs for child care at 7 percent of their income and bolster the early childhood education workforce to ensure that every family can find and afford high-quality child care. I support legislation that will expand the federal child tax credit, which lifted nearly three million children out of poverty. As your Senator, I will expand Minnesota’s child tax credit, which would reduce child poverty and help families afford child care — or anything else their family needs. Learn more

Environment / Energy

In addition to rapidly building out cleaner and cheaper energy generation, we need urgent action to mitigate flooding, remediate brownfields, clean up Superfund sites, and remove lead and forever chemicals from our drinking water. I will fight to make our communities more flood resilient, replace lead service lines and water infrastructure, and take on environmental pollution. We must protect what is left of our environment. Addressing our environmental needs, lowering our energy costs, and making our energy grid cleaner is something we can accomplish on a bi-partisan basis. As your Senator, I will build a more prosperous, more affordable, and cleaner Minnesota. Learn more

I will take bold action to drive down energy costs and utility bills, protect our communities and ecosystems, build climate-resilient infrastructure, and reduce our carbon emissions. Utility costs are out of control due to a power shortage. Families are spending almost their entire budget just to pay the electric bill. It’s time for action, because people just can’t wait any longer. We can transform Minnesota’s energy picture to build new, cheaper, and cleaner energy generation, bring down families’ bills, and put the best state in the nation on track to hit our emissions and clean air goals. Learn more

Healthcare

Regardless of where you live, you deserve access to quality affordable health care. Rural Minnesota faces unique health care challenges, including limited access to providers, long distances to medical facilities, and lower availability of specialized care. Among these challenges, ensuring equitable access to health care for women is a critical issue that requires special attention. The goal should be to strengthen the health care system in rural areas, with a particular focus on improving health care access and outcomes for women in ways that are both sustainable and responsive to the needs of rural communities. Learn more

Rural areas of Minnesota often face shortages of health care providers, including primary care physicians, specialists, and mental health professionals. In many cases, these shortages are exacerbated by difficulties in recruiting and retaining health care workers in rural communities. A moderate position calls for targeted investments in healthcare workforce development, including support for health care professionals who choose to work in rural settings. Expanding loan repayment programs for medical students and encouraging telemedicine use can help ensure that rural areas are not left behind in the modern health care landscape. Learn more

Housing

We can improve housing affordability by increasing new home construction that meets the needs of all residents. More housing will expand opportunities for home ownership and help drive down rental costs as supply increases. I will work with our municipalities to expand housing that both grows our supply and works for our communities. I will work to provide financing and assistance to municipalities to help them repurpose underutilized infrastructure, like converting commercial buildings into housing units. By supporting new housing and redevelopment, municipalities can boost their tax base without burdening homeowners with higher rates. We should strengthen first-time homebuyer programs to allow more families to build equity in the communities where they work. Learn more

At the root of the problem is a severe housing shortage and a lack of supply at all levels. This housing affordability crisis means that students can’t live where they grew up after graduating from college, that seniors can’t age in place or find a home near their children and grandchildren when they retire and are ready to downsize, and that businesses choose to set up shop in other states because their workforce can’t afford to live here. For most families, home ownership is the largest investment they will make and the best opportunity they will have to build generational wealth. But our current housing crisis and high property taxes mean many families may never get that opportunity. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

I support taxpayers having access to information related to state contracts and grants in plain language. You’ll see where the money goes, what it’s supposed to deliver, and whether it actually does. It is time for programs to be evaluated to determine if they actually deliver results for Minnesota families. Learn more

I will prioritize making state government work better for Minnesotans by modernizing state agencies and cutting through bureaucracy to save families and businesses time and money, lower costs to taxpayers, and drive our economy forward. I want to cut business and professional license wait times, eliminate business registration fees, reduce delays in the permitting process, and strengthen the Small Business Administration and Department of Employment and Economic Development agencies to drive small business success. I will prioritize customer service and hold agencies accountable to transparent, timely, and efficient processes and deadlines. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

I will be a senator who puts working families’ interests first and always stands up for workers’ organizing and collective bargaining rights. I have joined the picket line and strongly advocated for the fair wages and benefits that workers deserve. I am committed to giving labor leaders and workers a seat at the table when major decisions are made. I will fight for wage and hour laws and crack down on employers that break Project Labor Agreements and violate labor rights. Learn more