00:00:02.266 --> 00:00:04.834 can finish your thought, your the sentence if you’d like as 00:00:04.834 --> 00:00:08.133 we go on, but thanks for paying such close attention to the 00:00:08.133 --> 00:00:17.100 timers tonight. Candidate Bittner. All right, well, all 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:21.367 mental health needs, uh, need to be addressed with compassion 00:00:21.367 --> 00:00:25.533 and, uh, mental health is an issue throughout society, not 00:00:25.533 --> 00:00:29.266 just students, but with adults as well. Um, I do believe that 00:00:29.266 --> 00:00:31.934 mental health needs to fall under the category of the 00:00:31.934 --> 00:00:36.734 Health and Human Services section, our category, I, I, uh, 00:00:36.734 --> 00:00:39.467 personally would like to see it separated from schools. I mean, 00:00:39.467 --> 00:00:42.567 there will be always some intersectionality because 00:00:42.567 --> 00:00:45.367 that’s where the students are, but they should be, the needs 00:00:45.367 --> 00:00:47.400 should be addressed under the health community and not 00:00:47.400 --> 00:00:51.867 schools. Schools need to focus on Their primary task, which is 00:00:51.867 --> 00:00:55.467 teaching children, so not to be, not compassionate, but I just 00:00:55.467 --> 00:00:58.133 think that the two need to be separated and that the needs 00:00:58.133 --> 00:01:01.400 need to be dealt with separately. Uh, family is the 00:01:01.400 --> 00:01:04.734 backbone, and I certainly appreciate that. The community 00:01:04.734 --> 00:01:06.367 is the next line of defense. 00:01:06.367 --> 00:01:11.266 Thank you. Candidate Bittner, this question comes to you 00:01:11.266 --> 00:01:16.800 first. As a member of the legislature, what measures, if 00:01:16.800 --> 00:01:21.100 any, would you support to reinforce or ensure voter 00:01:21.100 --> 00:01:33.367 confidence in our elections. 00:01:33.367 --> 00:01:38.266 Well, this is very fundamental to our System of government to 00:01:38.266 --> 00:01:41.367 have fair and free elections. 00:01:41.367 --> 00:01:46.133 And I do believe that we need to have some way to make sure 00:01:46.133 --> 00:01:51.233 that the people are voting are valid voters registered voters 00:01:51.233 --> 00:01:56.400 and that they have a right to vote. So, uh, a number of 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:01.233 states have proposed and actually are using voter ID, um, 00:02:01.233 --> 00:02:02.667 I am not opposed to that idea. 00:02:02.667 --> 00:02:07.533 I think it would be, um, One of the only ways to ensure that 00:02:07.533 --> 00:02:10.734 our elections don’t have questions and that we don’t get 00:02:10.734 --> 00:02:13.734 into some of the major issues that we’ve suffered from in the 00:02:13.734 --> 00:02:25.667 past few years. Candidate Ericson. I would say that a 00:02:25.667 --> 00:02:29.500 significant part of this has to do with educating voters about 00:02:29.500 --> 00:02:36.533 how the system works. We When we’re setting up for elections, 00:02:36.533 --> 00:02:39.166 election judges get to come in in advance to test the machines 00:02:39.166 --> 00:02:40.767 to make sure they’re working. 00:02:40.767 --> 00:02:42.867 Candidates are invited to test the machines to make sure that 00:02:42.867 --> 00:02:48.000 they’re working. There are countless protections between 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:51.800 the ballot box and the final count. And there are 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:54.634 protections to make sure that people who are registered to 00:02:54.634 --> 00:03:00.400 vote can vote. And I think that the belief that those things 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:04.233 are not true is a result of misinformation and fear and 00:03:04.233 --> 00:03:10.000 does not exist in reality. So protecting our communities by 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:14.266 education about the process is the most important way forward. 00:03:14.266 --> 00:03:22.233 Candidates say Yeah, I just want to echo Christian. I don’t 00:03:22.233 --> 00:03:25.500 think there’s anything wrong with our election process. I 00:03:25.500 --> 00:03:29.734 believe that we’ve always had and always will have fair 00:03:29.734 --> 00:03:34.000 elections. I do believe in that educational piece with so much 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:35.100 misinformation going out there. 00:03:35.100 --> 00:03:39.367 I do think us as a community can definitely gain confidence 00:03:39.367 --> 00:03:43.634 the more we understand the process. Um, I also want to 00:03:43.634 --> 00:03:48.367 kind of just address the voter ID thing. It’s from states that 00:03:48.367 --> 00:03:52.400 have done it in the past. It’s a barrier to our democracy at 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:56.133 times. It does hinder people coming out to vote. It does 00:03:56.133 --> 00:04:00.200 hinder some of the, like, makes people go away and us in 00:04:00.200 --> 00:04:03.367 Minnesota here, we take care of our own and we take care of our 00:04:03.367 --> 00:04:07.133 community. So we want to make sure everyone is everyone that 00:04:07.133 --> 00:04:11.000 should and can participate in our electoral democra 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:13.133 democratic process does, and we don’t want to put any barrier, 00:04:13.133 --> 00:04:16.834 but currently we do have a very fair election that has not been 00:04:16.834 --> 00:04:19.400 hindered in any way, so the more we can educate and talk to 00:04:19.400 --> 00:04:21.000 community members, the better. 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:26.367 Candidate Lee Yeah, Minnesota has been like number one or at, 00:04:26.367 --> 00:04:30.200 at the top of uh voter turnout and participation and we need 00:04:30.200 --> 00:04:34.467 to be super proud of that. I am, I’m really proud of that. So 00:04:34.467 --> 00:04:37.734 our system works. I am a strongly opposed to any voter 00:04:37.734 --> 00:04:42.367 ID laws. I think what we’re doing, uh, it works really well, 00:04:42.367 --> 00:04:46.634 um, and, uh, in terms of what we need to do is to continue to 00:04:46.634 --> 00:04:50.867 support uh the training, the education, the transparency 00:04:50.867 --> 00:04:53.800 that we already have to continue to support our 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:57.367 election. judges, our city clerks, uh, poor Devon, uh, has 00:04:57.367 --> 00:05:01.934 gone through so much. Uh, and, and, and our resident. If 00:05:01.934 --> 00:05:07.400 anything, what we need to do is continue to expand uh uh voting 00:05:07.400 --> 00:05:12.734 voting access, uh, drop off boxes, transportation, language, 00:05:12.734 --> 00:05:16.533 uh, uh, access, right? Um, so that way we can get everyone to 00:05:16.533 --> 00:05:17.533 participate as much as possible. 00:05:17.533 --> 00:05:24.000 Thank you. Candidate Lee, this is coming to you first. Do you 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:25.367 support ranked choice voting? 00:05:25.367 --> 00:05:31.000 Why or why not? Yes, uh, I do, uh, because, uh, as I 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:34.867 understand it, the thing that really sold me was that no vote 00:05:34.867 --> 00:05:42.300 goes to waste. No vote Go to waste. If you choose your top, 00:05:42.300 --> 00:05:44.834 uh, person, uh, or candidate. 00:05:44.834 --> 00:05:50.133 Second choice, 3rd choice, and so on, then your vote will go 00:05:50.133 --> 00:05:53.667 to someone and that matters a lot to me. So that’s what sold 00:05:53.667 --> 00:05:57.634 me, uh, and I’m uh I’m a supporter of ranked choice 00:05:57.634 --> 00:06:01.400 voting and will work to uh make sure that um that happens uh 00:06:01.400 --> 00:06:03.834 everywhere that we can. Uh, can, can, can help it to make, make 00:06:03.834 --> 00:06:12.634 it happen. Thank you. Candidate Ericson. The more I learn about 00:06:12.634 --> 00:06:16.367 rank choice voting, the more intrigued I am. I think for a 00:06:16.367 --> 00:06:19.266 country like the United States with the democratic tradition 00:06:19.266 --> 00:06:23.367 we have to be a solely two-party system is. is 00:06:23.367 --> 00:06:29.233 perplexing to me that we remain in that boat, um. I mean We 00:06:29.233 --> 00:06:32.467 can’t decide which of However many football teams we support, 00:06:32.467 --> 00:06:36.166 but we have two parties to choose from. And so I think Ra 00:06:36.166 --> 00:06:39.867 choice voting is a, is a way forward that broadens the 00:06:39.867 --> 00:06:44.634 number of choices we have. But I think that needs to come with 00:06:44.634 --> 00:06:47.367 an enormous investment in civic education about how it works. 00:06:47.367 --> 00:06:51.634 Um, I think the process we have now is confusing to people, and 00:06:51.634 --> 00:06:54.367 I don’t think that rank choice voting would be any less 00:06:54.367 --> 00:06:59.133 confusing to people. And so continuous engagement on the 00:06:59.133 --> 00:07:02.200 electoral process needs to be an investment we make as a 00:07:02.200 --> 00:07:04.000 society regardless of rank choice voting or the system we 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:12.400 have now. Candidates say. Yeah, so this is a very unique uh 00:07:12.400 --> 00:07:17.400 question as I see rank choice voting happening in Minneapolis 00:07:17.400 --> 00:07:20.567 and just around. So as when it comes down to it, I don’t think 00:07:20.567 --> 00:07:24.100 we would rank choice voting or a two party system, no vote is 00:07:24.100 --> 00:07:28.934 ever a waste, regardless of who candidate you vote for, you, a 00:07:28.934 --> 00:07:31.867 person participated in a democracy is valuable 00:07:31.867 --> 00:07:34.266 regardless of who you’re voting for, who you’re writing in. I 00:07:34.266 --> 00:07:38.100 don’t, I would never say we’re wasting that vote. I do believe 00:07:38.100 --> 00:07:42.266 our two-party system. I’m currently is one that does 00:07:42.266 --> 00:07:45.467 marginalize some fresh ideas that come in, uh, some new 00:07:45.467 --> 00:07:48.934 perspective that could be there, but I do, I, I also believe 00:07:48.934 --> 00:07:51.934 that us as people, we the people, we can decide if we 00:07:51.934 --> 00:07:55.734 want a third party to have that power and so forth. So whether 00:07:55.734 --> 00:07:58.000 it’s rank choice voting, whether it’s just a two-party 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:01.233 system, the people is the one that’s gonna decide what is 00:08:01.233 --> 00:08:04.734 best to move us forward and I think as long as we are voting 00:08:04.734 --> 00:08:08.500 and participating, we can make a change regardless. Candidate 00:08:08.500 --> 00:08:14.467 Bittner All right, well, I would approach that one from a 00:08:14.467 --> 00:08:18.834 control standpoint, I guess, because if a municipality wants 00:08:18.834 --> 00:08:21.300 to do rank choice voting, I would say that it’s fine. 00:08:21.300 --> 00:08:24.000 That’s the way it’s set up right now. From a state 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:26.233 perspective, I would say no, that is not something we want 00:08:26.233 --> 00:08:30.867 to do. We want to keep the decisions local. I am all for 00:08:30.867 --> 00:08:34.867 local, uh, decision making, local solutions, overstate 00:08:34.867 --> 00:08:37.367 solutions, and in this case, I would say if the municipality 00:08:37.367 --> 00:08:40.934 wants to do it, that’s fine. 00:08:40.934 --> 00:08:43.867 All right, the next question will come to candidate Erickson 00:08:43.867 --> 00:08:51.200 first. Many are concerned with gun violence in our communities. 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:54.000 In fact, gun violence created the need for the special 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:58.667 election. What legislation, if any, would you support to meet 00:08:58.667 --> 00:09:07.734 the need for safe communities. 00:09:07.734 --> 00:09:14.767 It’s a hard question to answer in one minute. Um, Some time 00:09:14.767 --> 00:09:17.000 ago, somebody asked our police chief what causes him to lose 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:21.734 sleep at night. And it didn’t take him long to answer that it 00:09:21.734 --> 00:09:27.634 was 14 year olds with guns. And, um There’s an immense number of 00:09:27.634 --> 00:09:29.634 problems that lead to that. 00:09:29.634 --> 00:09:32.800 There’s more than one gun per person in the United States. 00:09:32.800 --> 00:09:40.266 They The market is flooded with firearms. Um, it’s Easier here 00:09:40.266 --> 00:09:43.467 than in many places in the world to acquire them, and we 00:09:43.467 --> 00:09:51.467 need to close loopholes like, um, straw buyers. Um. And 00:09:51.467 --> 00:09:56.467 Lastly, we need to create a society in which our 14 year 00:09:56.467 --> 00:10:00.000 olds don’t feel like owning guns is the best way for them 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.734 to have power and voice. 00:10:03.734 --> 00:10:13.367 Candidate Bittner. Yes, this certainly is a sensitive issue 00:10:13.367 --> 00:10:20.266 on many fronts, and we need to walk a balance on this one, so. 00:10:20.266 --> 00:10:24.133 Um, on one hand, we have to protect liberties. On the other 00:10:24.133 --> 00:10:25.166 hand, we have to protect people. 00:10:25.166 --> 00:10:31.533 I believe we’ve made a lot of progress in allowing people to 00:10:31.533 --> 00:10:34.233 have safely have guns for those that should have them. There 00:10:34.233 --> 00:10:41.634 are Um protections in place that don’t allow people who 00:10:41.634 --> 00:10:44.800 shouldn’t have them to get them legally. Now there are ways for 00:10:44.800 --> 00:10:49.266 them to get them, and that is illegal. Um, I believe that 00:10:49.266 --> 00:10:52.000 there has been a lot of back and forth in Minnesota over the 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:55.567 years on gun laws, and I believe that we are actually, 00:10:55.567 --> 00:10:59.266 um, in an OK place. I think the the restrictions that we 00:10:59.266 --> 00:11:02.734 currently have in place are to safeguard individuals and our 00:11:02.734 --> 00:11:17.934 community. Candidate Lee. You know, um We, we are here 00:11:17.934 --> 00:11:24.000 because um of uh a really again tragic uh situation uh where 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:29.467 the individual involved, um, had 50 guns, um, at his place, 00:11:29.467 --> 00:11:39.800 um. So You know It’s not Uh, necessarily a Uh, gun problem 00:11:39.800 --> 00:11:43.533 or uh or a um rights problem. 00:11:43.533 --> 00:11:50.467 Um, what I will do is work towards a statewide. Buyback 00:11:50.467 --> 00:11:54.500 program so what we need to do is to be able to get guns off 00:11:54.500 --> 00:11:59.100 the, the, uh, the, the streets that people don’t need anymore. 00:11:59.100 --> 00:12:05.467 Um, but also expand the ERPO, which is our red flag loss to 00:12:05.467 --> 00:12:09.734 really dive deeper into folks that have uh mental health or 00:12:09.734 --> 00:12:13.100 or or other wellness, uh, uh, issues, um, that of course, you 00:12:13.100 --> 00:12:20.934 know, could be a a larger risk to themselves and society. Mhm 00:12:20.934 --> 00:12:24.133 Many are concerned with gun violence in our communities. In 00:12:24.133 --> 00:12:28.467 fact, gun violence created the need for this special election. 00:12:28.467 --> 00:12:32.667 What legislation, if any, would you support to meet the need 00:12:32.667 --> 00:12:36.467 for safe communities. Yeah, this has been an ongoing issue. 00:12:36.467 --> 00:12:39.100 I feel, um, as a prosecutor, there’s something that I deal 00:12:39.100 --> 00:12:43.934 with on a daily basis in my work, whether it’s adult gun 00:12:43.934 --> 00:12:46.033 violence or you gun violence. 00:12:46.033 --> 00:12:50.567 One of the things that we do, um, in our, in Henry County is 00:12:50.567 --> 00:12:53.467 when you with a case, we give them options depending on the 00:12:53.467 --> 00:12:56.734 case for diversion. Diversion of the program where we partner 00:12:56.734 --> 00:12:59.467 with community and we, they get mental health services, they 00:12:59.467 --> 00:13:02.200 get resources and just see what is going underlying the issue. 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:07.467 One of the things I want to do, if you like that, is create a 00:13:07.467 --> 00:13:10.767 proactive process rather than reactive. I see you coming into 00:13:10.767 --> 00:13:14.367 my office as when they’ve already done something bad. I’d 00:13:14.367 --> 00:13:17.567 rather pour into them to keep them from doing something bad. 00:13:17.567 --> 00:13:20.567 Giving them resources, community center, access to 00:13:20.567 --> 00:13:22.400 those mental health. Services now, which is going back to 00:13:22.400 --> 00:13:24.500 that educational piece, right? 00:13:24.500 --> 00:13:27.266 Making sure we have other options rather than turning 00:13:27.266 --> 00:13:30.900 towards gun rather than using gun or doing or stealing cars, 00:13:30.900 --> 00:13:35.133 right? So when we when we pour into our youth at an early 00:13:35.133 --> 00:13:41.000 stage, the outcome is a lot more successful. Candidates say 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:44.200 this next question comes to you first, and it’s a bit of a 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:47.900 follow-up. What ideas do you have to address the safety of 00:13:47.900 --> 00:13:50.567 our elected officials and all that work or visit our state 00:13:50.567 --> 00:13:57.100 capital. First thing I would say is, again with heavy hearts 00:13:57.100 --> 00:14:00.900 we’re up here. Just the response time that with 00:14:00.900 --> 00:14:04.533 everything that happened, the response time by our police 00:14:04.533 --> 00:14:08.467 officers and, and our elected officials just surrounding and 00:14:08.467 --> 00:14:10.934 coming into community and making sure and checking on 00:14:10.934 --> 00:14:15.734 everyone. I wanna just uh thank those people. I think one of 00:14:15.734 --> 00:14:18.367 the biggest thing that we are dealing with right now, 00:14:18.367 --> 00:14:21.734 especially for this election, it’s addresses of elected 00:14:21.734 --> 00:14:23.233 officials being public, right? 00:14:23.233 --> 00:14:26.500 So for this election when you are filing and you’re going 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:29.634 through, they made an exception to not have address public, 00:14:29.634 --> 00:14:33.367 right? That is something that we can make sure that we try to 00:14:33.367 --> 00:14:37.634 build upon, right? I definitely agree that the community and 00:14:37.634 --> 00:14:40.467 the residents have the right to be able to assess their elected 00:14:40.467 --> 00:14:44.033 official, but with this waves that we can protect elected 00:14:44.033 --> 00:14:48.233 officials by hiding some of their personal information 00:14:48.233 --> 00:14:48.900 versus the private information. 00:14:48.900 --> 00:14:52.634 Um, I think we can move and come up with a better program 00:14:52.634 --> 00:14:56.367 to make sure people are safe in their home, and that’s part of 00:14:56.367 --> 00:15:07.000 my my primary goal, if you like to. Candidate Lee. I think, um, 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:09.400 Yes, personal protection of personal information is, is 00:15:09.400 --> 00:15:16.634 gonna be important. Um Also, uh, obviously increasing some 00:15:16.634 --> 00:15:21.934 physical, um, uh, safety precautions. Um, maybe a metal 00:15:21.934 --> 00:15:25.133 detectors or maybe um a waiting room, right, um, at the Capitol 00:15:25.133 --> 00:15:26.734 or other other buildings, right? 00:15:26.734 --> 00:15:29.734 So that there’s more of a safety process unfortunately, 00:15:29.734 --> 00:15:34.900 uh, we are in that sort of uh atmosphere right now, um, but 00:15:34.900 --> 00:15:41.634 two other things uh also, uh, one is the rhetoric, um, we 00:15:41.634 --> 00:15:45.634 need to bring the rhetoric down, uh cool the temperature, you 00:15:45.634 --> 00:15:48.533 know, those are uh phrases that y’all have heard, um, so it’s 00:15:48.533 --> 00:15:52.734 about. again, why I’m running to bring communities together 00:15:52.734 --> 00:15:56.767 to try to work with everyone, right? Uh, and then the other 00:15:56.767 --> 00:16:02.000 thing is cybersecurity, um, we do have uh resources to be able 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:05.734 to monitor what’s happening online in social media, 00:16:05.734 --> 00:16:07.100 especially the darker corners, and we need to continue to do 00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:16.000 that. Candidate Ericson A couple of weeks ago when I went 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.100 down to file for office, my kids asked if we could go 00:16:19.100 --> 00:16:23.934 wander around the capital, and we did, uh, and the freedom to 00:16:23.934 --> 00:16:30.734 just walk in. To the state’s House. Uh, freely by any 00:16:30.734 --> 00:16:35.634 resident is something that I would really fear giving up. 00:16:35.634 --> 00:16:38.367 But also elected officials do deserve to be safe, and I think 00:16:38.367 --> 00:16:42.634 that there’s ways to get there that still keep the kind of 00:16:42.634 --> 00:16:45.200 openness and availability that we’ve gotten used to as a 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:50.533 society, um. I think that this recent tragedy is pointed out 00:16:50.533 --> 00:16:55.467 that we need to build a robust communication system to all of 00:16:55.467 --> 00:16:59.800 our elected officials that happens instantaneously so that 00:16:59.800 --> 00:17:03.100 people are aware and can make decisions regarding their 00:17:03.100 --> 00:17:07.667 safety and, um. I know that there’s some talk about the 00:17:07.667 --> 00:17:10.834 state making services available for elected officials to sort 00:17:10.834 --> 00:17:15.000 of Protect their homes and kind of a crime prevention way, and 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:18.367 I think that’s a useful step forward as well. Candidate 00:17:18.367 --> 00:17:25.266 Bittner All right, yes, so we all learned that our addresses 00:17:25.266 --> 00:17:28.767 would be private when we filed for candidacy and, um, that is 00:17:28.767 --> 00:17:33.567 an important step. Um, I remember years ago too when uh 00:17:33.567 --> 00:17:37.533 it was There were protests at legislators’ homes, and that 00:17:37.533 --> 00:17:40.734 should just not happen either, which also brings me to agree 00:17:40.734 --> 00:17:43.634 that we need to lower the temperature, um, we need to 00:17:43.634 --> 00:17:46.166 focus on civil discourse. I mean, that is one thing I would 00:17:46.166 --> 00:17:50.867 just want to say that we are Minnesotans, you know, we have 00:17:50.867 --> 00:17:54.667 differences of opinion. Yes, but we are Minnesotans. Let’s 00:17:54.667 --> 00:17:58.467 remember that we need to keep our focus on society and on the 00:17:58.467 --> 00:18:02.834 fabric of society. Um, I also agree that we need to keep 00:18:02.834 --> 00:18:05.467 access to our capital. It is such a beautiful building, and 00:18:05.467 --> 00:18:09.634 it is filled with heritage and history. We need to keep that 00:18:09.634 --> 00:18:14.934 open and available to all of us, um, and, uh, I would be in 00:18:14.934 --> 00:18:17.800 favor of some measure of security to make sure that we 00:18:17.800 --> 00:18:20.800 can still be there. Thank you. 00:18:20.800 --> 00:18:25.634 Candidate Bittner, this one comes to you first, and it’s a 00:18:25.634 --> 00:18:29.266 follow-up question on safety that’s come in. Uh, what can 00:18:29.266 --> 00:18:32.233 the legislature do to ensure safety for our students in our 00:18:32.233 --> 00:18:46.634 schools. Well, we need to work closely as the legislature with 00:18:46.634 --> 00:18:49.634 our school districts. I mean, we need to be together with 00:18:49.634 --> 00:18:53.934 them as much as possible because we have big problems to, 00:18:53.934 --> 00:18:58.266 uh, address. If it’s, uh, outcomes, test scores, um. You 00:18:58.266 --> 00:19:02.033 name it, we have to be there with them and help them, help 00:19:02.033 --> 00:19:04.133 guide them through, uh, and provide the resources that they 00:19:04.133 --> 00:19:10.000 need. Um, I think that’s the only way the school districts 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:13.667 are the experts. We need to supply them with what they need 00:19:13.667 --> 00:19:17.400 to make sure that they, that the learning environment is a 00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:21.266 safe one and that seems to be just A given. I’m, I’m sorry 00:19:21.266 --> 00:19:25.934 that it isn’t, but that’s, that’s where we’re at. 00:19:25.934 --> 00:19:39.367 Candidate Ericson. I think we’ve touched on this on a few 00:19:39.367 --> 00:19:43.500 other issues that when we send our kids to school, uncertain. 00:19:43.500 --> 00:19:51.500 And afraid And bullied and feeling voiceless. It’s going 00:19:51.500 --> 00:19:55.100 to increase. The lack of security and safety in our 00:19:55.100 --> 00:19:58.934 schools. Um, but that doesn’t solve the immediate problem. 00:19:58.934 --> 00:20:01.634 The kids need to be safe today and social change happens over 00:20:01.634 --> 00:20:06.634 time. And so I think answering the questions about how do we 00:20:06.634 --> 00:20:10.767 keep guns out of the hands of children, whether it’s red flag 00:20:10.767 --> 00:20:17.233 laws or Um Increasing Efforts to keep illegal firearms off 00:20:17.233 --> 00:20:21.400 the streets. All of those are important parts of that 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:25.734 equation, and I think I do agree that that principles and 00:20:25.734 --> 00:20:28.900 superintendents need resources to make decisions for their 00:20:28.900 --> 00:20:39.467 unique contexts as, as educators. Candidates say. Yeah, 00:20:39.467 --> 00:20:44.300 I think this is a really scary thought to think about as a 00:20:44.300 --> 00:20:48.634 parent, um, as a 2 year old, as having a 2 year old, sending 00:20:48.634 --> 00:20:50.900 your kids to school and thinking that you might not see 00:20:50.900 --> 00:20:55.734 them. This is an issue that has been going on for years, um, 00:20:55.734 --> 00:20:59.834 currently here today, we have about 32 school students that’s 00:20:59.834 --> 00:21:04.133 happened as of the end of the day. How do we support that? My 00:21:04.133 --> 00:21:07.934 solution to that is always giving the schools the 00:21:07.934 --> 00:21:11.166 resources they need. We need guidance counselor, we need 00:21:11.166 --> 00:21:13.734 more training for these teachers to see if they can 00:21:13.734 --> 00:21:15.367 spot these issues ahead of time. 00:21:15.367 --> 00:21:19.166 Obviously, um, going back to a previous question, we have 00:21:19.166 --> 00:21:21.400 universal background checks already. We have to continue to 00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:24.000 enforce these kind of things to make sure guns are not falling 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:27.400 in the hands of youth who are going through certain 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:30.734 situations and we, as our teachers are the first line and 00:21:30.734 --> 00:21:33.667 they’re teaching and they see these youth more oftentimes 00:21:33.667 --> 00:21:36.266 than parents do. They’re the one that was spotted, so we 00:21:36.266 --> 00:21:39.367 need to make sure they have adequate training in looking. 00:21:39.367 --> 00:21:44.767 And finding these issues area right away. Candidate Lee First 00:21:44.767 --> 00:21:51.266 of all, uh, no, uh, teachers do not need guns. Um, what we do 00:21:51.266 --> 00:21:58.000 need are uh more uh Maybe classroom safety features which 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:00.233 uh there there are have been a lot that have been, you know, 00:22:00.233 --> 00:22:03.934 hitting the market, so we can look into some of those things 00:22:03.934 --> 00:22:08.734 where maybe it’s barring the door more or um just processes 00:22:08.734 --> 00:22:11.934 uh and and trainings, you know, so, so more physical features 00:22:11.934 --> 00:22:15.266 for classrooms and the school, um, bulletproof, uh, tables and 00:22:15.266 --> 00:22:22.634 chairs. Other than that, um, our SROs are super important, 00:22:22.634 --> 00:22:26.900 um, you know, they are uh already there working with the, 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:31.266 the, the, the, the children and helping to, um, you know, keep 00:22:31.266 --> 00:22:36.634 an eye out, um, and Uh, emergency response. We need to 00:22:36.634 --> 00:22:40.867 practice that, right? Um, let’s learn from Uvalde, OK? Uh, 00:22:40.867 --> 00:22:44.000 let’s make sure that our first responders are equipped and 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:51.467 prepared to respond as much as possible, um. Thank you. 00:22:51.467 --> 00:22:56.800 Candidate Eriksson, this one comes to you first. Oftentimes 00:22:56.800 --> 00:22:59.166 we ask candidates how they will work with others that have 00:22:59.166 --> 00:23:03.734 viewpoints that are different from their own. In this time of 00:23:03.734 --> 00:23:06.467 political polarization and extreme rhetoric. What ideas do 00:23:06.467 --> 00:23:08.867 you have to bring down the temperature and get the work of 00:23:08.867 --> 00:23:17.133 the people done. A lot of social science research has 00:23:17.133 --> 00:23:21.867 proven that we don’t really understand each other very well. 00:23:21.867 --> 00:23:26.667 Um, and so learning to communicate our values and 00:23:26.667 --> 00:23:30.533 positions in ways that others can understand is vitally 00:23:30.533 --> 00:23:36.834 important, um, Also being very clear about where you won’t 00:23:36.834 --> 00:23:40.033 budge is important. I think there’s issues upon which we 00:23:40.033 --> 00:23:43.233 shouldn’t fold, and there’s some issues upon which we can 00:23:43.233 --> 00:23:47.166 compromise and bend. And we should be clear about where 00:23:47.166 --> 00:23:51.266 those are early in negotiations, so we know we can find where 00:23:51.266 --> 00:23:57.667 the common ground is and where there’s not room for Um 00:23:57.667 --> 00:24:04.634 Compromise. And uh, Lastly, is realizing that it will be hard. 00:24:04.634 --> 00:24:08.367 Because the temperature is very high. And it’s, it’s easy to 00:24:08.367 --> 00:24:12.000 say, boy, it sure would be nice to lower the temperature, but 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:16.400 the temperature is high. And so we need to be patient and we 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:24.367 need to invest in communication with each other. Candidates say 00:24:24.367 --> 00:24:29.667 Maybe because. Mhm. Often we ask candidates how will they 00:24:29.667 --> 00:24:32.367 work with others that have viewpoints that are different 00:24:32.367 --> 00:24:36.767 from their own. In this time of political polarization and 00:24:36.767 --> 00:24:39.467 extreme rhetoric, what ideas do you have to bring the 00:24:39.467 --> 00:24:44.734 temperature down and get the work of the people done. So, um, 00:24:44.734 --> 00:24:47.800 in a divided house right now, you have to be able to work 00:24:47.800 --> 00:24:50.567 with the other side. Um, I believe that government work 00:24:50.567 --> 00:24:52.834 for the people when it listens to the people and in order to 00:24:52.834 --> 00:24:57.000 get things done, you have to find that common ground. What I 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:01.133 would do is build existing relationship that I have with 00:25:01.133 --> 00:25:03.867 Democrats and Republicans. I have been a policy director 00:25:03.867 --> 00:25:05.200 from a nonpartisan perspective. 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:08.133 I have sat down with Republicans. I’ve sat down with 00:25:08.133 --> 00:25:11.634 Democrats to get bills done to get Bill signed, to move bills. 00:25:11.634 --> 00:25:14.533 So I will build on that relationship that I already 00:25:14.533 --> 00:25:17.734 have and continue to negotiate, right? Find that commonality 00:25:17.734 --> 00:25:20.467 that we all have because at the end of the day, we all want to 00:25:20.467 --> 00:25:23.100 make Minnesota better, but we can’t do that if we are just 00:25:23.100 --> 00:25:26.367 stuck in our ways, right? I think, uh, as I said, you got 00:25:26.367 --> 00:25:27.300 to compromise with everything. 00:25:27.300 --> 00:25:29.467 I compromise. When I’m talking to my wife, I compromise when 00:25:29.467 --> 00:25:31.834 I’m talking to my kids. You got to be able to compromise. And 00:25:31.834 --> 00:25:35.800 this idea that you just saw one thing or one party or one track. 00:25:35.800 --> 00:25:38.100 It’s not, doesn’t get work for the people. It doesn’t work for 00:25:38.100 --> 00:25:41.300 the community. So I believe in building that relationship that 00:25:41.300 --> 00:25:44.533 I already have, push it forward and build that trust to get 00:25:44.533 --> 00:25:49.200 things done. Candidate Lee. 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:57.266 What we need to do is bring the focus back on our humanity. Our 00:25:57.266 --> 00:25:58.867 shared experiences of family. 00:25:58.867 --> 00:26:04.734 Of sports. Of recreation, you know, um, we can talk about all 00:26:04.734 --> 00:26:10.567 that all day long, um. But politics has been one of those, 00:26:10.567 --> 00:26:16.467 you know, uh, uh, uh, band, you know, uh, topics at the, the 00:26:16.467 --> 00:26:20.667 kitchen table, but we need to get back into that. And some, 00:26:20.667 --> 00:26:24.000 some can do it well, but some, you know, need to ease into it, 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:28.467 but we need to get back to creating those relationships 00:26:28.467 --> 00:26:34.166 again. And maybe mending some um that have been uh torn apart 00:26:34.166 --> 00:26:39.634 in recent years. Uh, we have to do that, um, focus on uh our 00:26:39.634 --> 00:26:43.667 goals, uh, and talk to each other, um. Melissa would have 00:26:43.667 --> 00:26:49.000 wanted us to also get off of social media as much as 00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:52.900 possible and just talk to each other. Thank you. Candidate 00:26:52.900 --> 00:27:00.266 Bittner. I love that That’s a great idea. All right, and I 00:27:00.266 --> 00:27:04.567 will begin again by saying that we are Minnesotans. The way to, 00:27:04.567 --> 00:27:07.467 uh, get things done with people is to develop relationships 00:27:07.467 --> 00:27:12.533 with them. You have to work to find the common ground. People 00:27:12.533 --> 00:27:15.667 are individuals and they need to be treated as such. We are 00:27:15.667 --> 00:27:20.533 not groups, we are individuals, and we have different ideas. 00:27:20.533 --> 00:27:24.266 But we can uh find what is the underlying value. We might have 00:27:24.266 --> 00:27:26.033 different opinions, but there are different, there are 00:27:26.033 --> 00:27:30.734 underlying values there that we need to understand. Um, we are 00:27:30.734 --> 00:27:34.033 all trying to reach similar goals, but oftentimes we have 00:27:34.033 --> 00:27:36.100 different ideas and a different means, a different way to go 00:27:36.100 --> 00:27:38.400 about it. Uh, I negotiate. 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:41.367 That’s what I do. I’m a real estate agent. That’s my job, 00:27:41.367 --> 00:27:45.734 and I must say that listening to people is very important. 00:27:45.734 --> 00:27:48.400 The most important thing you can do is become an excellent 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:55.734 listener. Candidate Lee, this is coming to you first. Um, 00:27:55.734 --> 00:27:58.133 we’ve had some questions submitted about the environment. 00:27:58.133 --> 00:28:03.800 Please tell us how your work as a state representative may be 00:28:03.800 --> 00:28:06.000 informed by environmental impact and environmental 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:11.800 justice issues. Yeah, um, so proud that, uh. I’m so proud 00:28:11.800 --> 00:28:15.467 that we have our very own, uh, Breckenridge, Isaac Walton 00:28:15.467 --> 00:28:19.900 League, uh, right here in our backyard, uh, and that we, we 00:28:19.900 --> 00:28:25.667 might have, uh, the, actually 34B might have the most river 00:28:25.667 --> 00:28:30.100 shoreline of any district in Minnesota. So there’s a really 00:28:30.100 --> 00:28:32.834 strong responsibility uh to be able to make sure that we 00:28:32.834 --> 00:28:34.900 reinvest, uh, not just in the environment, but also in the 00:28:34.900 --> 00:28:39.533 properties, right? Um, so we have, uh, the city has done a 00:28:39.533 --> 00:28:42.834 lot for River Park, and of course the new Gateway Park, uh, 00:28:42.834 --> 00:28:46.467 working really greatly with our, uh, a really wonderful partners, 00:28:46.467 --> 00:28:51.300 uh, Three Rivers, so continue to uh uh expand and fund that, 00:28:51.300 --> 00:28:56.634 um, also, um, Uh, whoever is in this seat will also join the 00:28:56.634 --> 00:29:01.400 caucus of Mississippi River, um, uh, uh, folks, um, so you know, 00:29:01.400 --> 00:29:04.467 I will definitely work to protect uh our, uh, the, the, 00:29:04.467 --> 00:29:08.634 the. the, the cleanliness, um, uh, and the pollution and, and 00:29:08.634 --> 00:29:12.667 keep that out of our, our Mississippi. Thank you. 00:29:12.667 --> 00:29:19.200 Candidates say. Yeah, I think, uh, climate change is one of 00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:22.800 the presenting issue of our generation nowadays, we see a 00:29:22.800 --> 00:29:25.934 lot of air pollution occurring where it is unsafe for you to 00:29:25.934 --> 00:29:28.934 go outside, it’s not safe for you to walk. It’s unsafe to 00:29:28.934 --> 00:29:31.000 take your little ones, and that’s something that we need 00:29:31.000 --> 00:29:35.667 to address. And one of the ways that we can address that is by 00:29:35.667 --> 00:29:37.667 supporting public transportation, right? Um, 00:29:37.667 --> 00:29:40.100 currently I do park and ride. I will park somewhere and then 00:29:40.100 --> 00:29:45.166 drive the bus to the cities, encouraging people to carpool, 00:29:45.166 --> 00:29:47.166 encouraging people to go electric. Electric. There’s 00:29:47.166 --> 00:29:50.100 ways that we can lower our carbon footprint, and then 00:29:50.100 --> 00:29:53.734 we’ll find that, find solutions to that. The environment is 00:29:53.734 --> 00:29:56.533 gonna be here long after we’re gone. We need to do our part to 00:29:56.533 --> 00:29:59.200 make sure that it’s up and running for the future 00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:02.800 generations. And I think that is something that is really key 00:30:02.800 --> 00:30:05.934 to my campaign and making sure that we address and find 00:30:05.934 --> 00:30:08.634 solutions, and those solutions comes from the community. Those 00:30:08.634 --> 00:30:11.567 solution comes from listening to people and see what fits 00:30:11.567 --> 00:30:15.634 them, how they feel that they can do. How can we at Brooklyn 00:30:15.634 --> 00:30:18.834 Parker make Brooklyn Park safer to drink the water to move 00:30:18.834 --> 00:30:20.400 around a little bit better. 00:30:20.400 --> 00:30:26.800 Candidate Bittner. Right, yes, I will agree that we live in 00:30:26.800 --> 00:30:29.500 one of the most beautiful states in the country, and we 00:30:29.500 --> 00:30:32.734 live in one of the most beautiful areas in the state. 00:30:32.734 --> 00:30:37.033 We have a beautiful Mississippi River right here, and we have 00:30:37.033 --> 00:30:40.200 wonderful parks here as well to enjoy. As far as this goes, I 00:30:40.200 --> 00:30:43.867 believe we have to strike the right balance between 00:30:43.867 --> 00:30:47.000 protecting our natural resources and also allowing for 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:49.533 their responsible use. Um, when you’re talking about the 00:30:49.533 --> 00:30:53.634 environment, I think what we’re really mostly getting at is 00:30:53.634 --> 00:30:58.000 energy and we are gonna have to rethink how we look for energy 00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:02.567 as well. I think we need to rethink our clean energy goals, 00:31:02.567 --> 00:31:04.233 um, maybe they were aggressive. 00:31:04.233 --> 00:31:07.500 I think le clean natural gas might be something that we need 00:31:07.500 --> 00:31:11.667 to look at. But I also think that um with the increased 00:31:11.667 --> 00:31:14.367 electricity needs that we’re going to be having in the 00:31:14.367 --> 00:31:17.800 future with EVs and uh data centers. We need to be looking 00:31:17.800 --> 00:31:21.266 at putting nuclear. back on the table with the um small nuclear 00:31:21.266 --> 00:31:25.533 reactors as a way to generate nuclear power. Candidate 00:31:25.533 --> 00:31:32.634 Ericson. I’m gonna go back to education on this one. As long 00:31:32.634 --> 00:31:36.300 as our society doesn’t have a shared understanding of what 00:31:36.300 --> 00:31:41.667 science is, we will have very little success moving forward 00:31:41.667 --> 00:31:47.734 on this issue, um. If we can’t agree on what is causing 00:31:47.734 --> 00:31:54.934 wildfires. We stuck. If we can’t agree on. pumping carbon 00:31:54.934 --> 00:31:58.133 monoxide and carbon dioxide into our air being bad. We’re 00:31:58.133 --> 00:32:03.467 not going to go anywhere. So we need to educate our community. 00:32:03.467 --> 00:32:07.367 Such that we have a shared understanding of what science 00:32:07.367 --> 00:32:14.667 is and how science works. Thank you. We’ve moved through our 00:32:14.667 --> 00:32:17.000 time for questions, so we do need to move on to closing 00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:19.634 statements now. A reminder you’ll each have 2 minutes for 00:32:19.634 --> 00:32:22.367 your closing statement, and we’ll begin with candidate 00:32:22.367 --> 00:32:28.634 Erickson. I want to start by saying thank you again for 00:32:28.634 --> 00:32:32.800 being here, for asking questions and for paying 00:32:32.800 --> 00:32:36.000 attention to our answers, uh, 60 seconds really isn’t a very 00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:39.233 long time to answer complex questions like this. But I 00:32:39.233 --> 00:32:42.400 think it does give you a picture of what comes to the 00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:46.233 top of our minds when a thought enters our head, um, so 00:32:46.233 --> 00:32:48.400 hopefully you’ve gotten some picture of where each of us 00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:53.667 stand tonight. Um From there, I would go to, please reach out 00:32:53.667 --> 00:32:57.400 if you have questions. I think I know I will be happy to 00:32:57.400 --> 00:33:02.200 answer emails, uh, if people send them, uh, Eriksson for 00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:07.033 house at gmail.com. Um, If a candidate comes to your door, 00:33:07.033 --> 00:33:11.300 answer it. Um, we, we love to talk and we love to listen. Um, 00:33:11.300 --> 00:33:15.467 so please reach out and be engaged. This is a very short 00:33:15.467 --> 00:33:19.367 time frame from Us entering the race to the election. Um, so 00:33:19.367 --> 00:33:22.400 it’s going to be important that residents look around and find 00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:26.367 what each of us stand for. But ultimately it is my position 00:33:26.367 --> 00:33:33.133 that On September 16th, the seat needs to be blue. And um, 00:33:33.133 --> 00:33:39.100 So I ask you to vote thusly, um, the primary. I’m asking for 00:33:39.100 --> 00:33:42.266 your support, but ultimately on September 16th, I’m asking you 00:33:42.266 --> 00:33:44.367 to vote blue. Thank you. 00:33:44.367 --> 00:33:49.266 Candidate Bittner Again, I would like to thank the League 00:33:49.266 --> 00:33:51.367 of Women Voters for this forum. 00:33:51.367 --> 00:33:55.667 America is an idea itself, and we need to promote the free 00:33:55.667 --> 00:33:58.367 exchange of ideas and thank you all to you who participated 00:33:58.367 --> 00:34:01.567 here tonight. Again, I’m Ruth Bittner and I’m asking for your 00:34:01.567 --> 00:34:06.367 vote to represent this district 34B is a diverse district. 00:34:06.367 --> 00:34:09.000 Different backgrounds and opinions, but we can focus on 00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:10.567 our common goals and vision. 00:34:10.567 --> 00:34:13.767 First of all, a legislator represents people. I listen to 00:34:13.767 --> 00:34:18.133 people. I am a hardworking problem solver as a real estate 00:34:18.133 --> 00:34:21.734 agent, that’s what I do. I negotiate. I can’t stress 00:34:21.734 --> 00:34:26.100 enough the need to work with people, valuing them as 00:34:26.100 --> 00:34:28.867 individuals, and we need to dial down our rhetoric. We need 00:34:28.867 --> 00:34:33.166 to see each other as fellow Minnesotans and fellow 00:34:33.166 --> 00:34:36.734 Americans at all levels of discourse, I want to promote 00:34:36.734 --> 00:34:40.367 civility. This is the only path forward for our society. I 00:34:40.367 --> 00:34:44.000 would like to have conversations and not 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:45.467 cancellations. My top priorities First, we need to 00:34:45.467 --> 00:34:48.634 get a state budget back in order. We are all sickened to 00:34:48.634 --> 00:34:52.233 see the fraud and theft that has plagued our great state. 00:34:52.233 --> 00:34:55.400 Let’s start by getting money to the people it was meant for and 00:34:55.400 --> 00:34:58.166 not for the to those who would take advantage of our 00:34:58.166 --> 00:35:01.467 generosity. I fully support the office of the Inspector General 00:35:01.467 --> 00:35:04.567 to investigate and prevent such fraud in the future. Second, we 00:35:04.567 --> 00:35:07.667 all want to live in safe communities. Let’s make sure 00:35:07.667 --> 00:35:11.400 our local law enforcement is fully staffed, trained, and 00:35:11.400 --> 00:35:14.533 supplied with the resources needed. Third, education is the 00:35:14.533 --> 00:35:18.467 key to our. future and sadly we are not succeeding. Spending 00:35:18.467 --> 00:35:22.133 has increased, yet test results are unacceptably low. We must 00:35:22.133 --> 00:35:24.800 work with school districts to get the route to get to the 00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:28.734 root of the problem, to restore the bright future of our next 00:35:28.734 --> 00:35:33.200 generation. The best solutions are the local solutions. You 00:35:33.200 --> 00:35:36.200 can learn more at Ruthinneramn.com. I’m asking 00:35:36.200 --> 00:35:40.734 for your vote on September 16th, and my name is Ruth Bittner. 00:35:40.734 --> 00:35:46.266 Candidates say Thank you again. 00:35:46.266 --> 00:35:49.467 I want to thank the League of Women Voter. I want to thank 00:35:49.467 --> 00:35:52.734 everybody for coming out and having such an important 00:35:52.734 --> 00:35:56.834 conversation. Um, I think the wide range of knowledge, 00:35:56.834 --> 00:35:59.467 experience here, we’ll move Brooklyn Park forward. But I 00:35:59.467 --> 00:36:03.734 want to say this racism is not about one person. It’s about 00:36:03.734 --> 00:36:06.400 building a future that every neighbor in this district can 00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:10.867 thrive. It’s about making sure our children Have a resources 00:36:10.867 --> 00:36:14.934 they need to be able to succeed in score. It’s about families 00:36:14.934 --> 00:36:20.266 feeling safe in their community and about having diverse voice 00:36:20.266 --> 00:36:24.000 being represented through all of Minnesota. I’m not a career 00:36:24.000 --> 00:36:27.867 politician. I’m a proud Democrat. I’m a father. I’m an 00:36:27.867 --> 00:36:31.533 advocate. I’m a public servant and I’m someone who is your 00:36:31.533 --> 00:36:35.667 neighbor. And I am here today to fight on your behalf. I have, 00:36:35.667 --> 00:36:38.567 I’ve been fighting as an organizer. I’ve been fighting 00:36:38.567 --> 00:36:41.634 as a prosecutor, and I will continue to fight for you in 00:36:41.634 --> 00:36:46.367 the Minnesota House. I hope to continue to grow up and foster 00:36:46.367 --> 00:36:49.100 deeper conversation. I am always available and accessible. 00:36:49.100 --> 00:36:52.900 You can find more information at my website, Ericsonsa.com. 00:36:52.900 --> 00:36:56.233 Again, this is just a tipping point, but whoever does get 00:36:56.233 --> 00:36:59.367 this seat needs to move brokenpart forward and needs to 00:36:59.367 --> 00:37:02.767 make sure that we are carrying on the legacy of Speaker 00:37:02.767 --> 00:37:05.100 Hortman. Not just carrying on it, but building upon it to 00:37:05.100 --> 00:37:10.467 make Brooklyn Park a better place. Thank you. Candidate Lee 00:37:10.467 --> 00:37:13.233 Thank you again to the Legal Women voters for the 00:37:13.233 --> 00:37:19.567 opportunity again everyone for coming out. What separates me, 00:37:19.567 --> 00:37:26.467 uh, is my, uh, statewide work experience. I helped to lead 00:37:26.467 --> 00:37:28.533 our census statewide mobilization partnership, which 00:37:28.533 --> 00:37:31.367 helped Minnesota to keep our 8th congressional seat, and if 00:37:31.367 --> 00:37:35.634 you didn’t know, that was by like 22 people. We, we kept our 00:37:35.634 --> 00:37:39.734 8th congressional seat because we counted 22 people more than 00:37:39.734 --> 00:37:46.734 New York. Also, uh, I have statewide organizing and 00:37:46.734 --> 00:37:50.000 programming experience responding uh in the uh 00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:53.734 pandemic to the COVID-19, um, uh, situation. Uh, at the state 00:37:53.734 --> 00:38:00.133 level. Uh, so I will, again, bring all of that to bear with 00:38:00.133 --> 00:38:06.000 in terms of working within our caucus and at the legislature. 00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:11.367 I am proudly the DFL endorsed candidate. It was also recently 00:38:11.367 --> 00:38:15.367 endorsed by the DFL Veterans and Military, uh, families 00:38:15.367 --> 00:38:23.367 caucus. And by my union, make the Minnesota Association of 00:38:23.367 --> 00:38:29.200 Public Employees. And I looked to gain more, uh, because 00:38:29.200 --> 00:38:35.867 unions, uh, as well as uh veterans as well as the 00:38:35.867 --> 00:38:40.266 environment and organizations that support um justice, uh, 00:38:40.266 --> 00:38:44.867 it’s important again to build that tent for all of us to come 00:38:44.867 --> 00:38:49.800 together around. I’m also proud to have Senator John Hoffman’s 00:38:49.800 --> 00:38:53.000 endorsement, Representative Samantha Van endorsement and 00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:58.000 former rep, Mike Nelson’s endorsement. Which are all 00:38:58.000 --> 00:39:00.467 bordering uh this district. 00:39:00.467 --> 00:39:04.367 Together, let’s keep moving. 00:39:04.367 --> 00:39:09.533 Minnesota For stronger. That’s my slogan. Thanks. The League 00:39:09.533 --> 00:39:12.367 of Women Voters of Brooklyn Park Oso, Maple Grove, would 00:39:12.367 --> 00:39:16.133 like to thank all of you for coming tonight. I’d like to 00:39:16.133 --> 00:39:19.200 especially thank the candidates for being part of the 00:39:19.200 --> 00:39:21.867 democratic process by running for office and for being 00:39:21.867 --> 00:39:23.400 willing to serve your community. 00:39:23.400 --> 00:39:36.266 It’s not an easy task. If we did not get If we did not get 00:39:36.266 --> 00:39:38.934 to your question tonight, and I know we didn’t get to all of 00:39:38.934 --> 00:39:41.634 them, or you have further questions for candidates, we 00:39:41.634 --> 00:39:45.266 invite you to contact them directly with your concerns. I 00:39:45.266 --> 00:39:48.100 would like to remind everyone again that the views expressed 00:39:48.100 --> 00:39:51.133 in this forum are those of the candidates, not those of the 00:39:51.133 --> 00:39:54.934 League of Women Voters. And I have one more special message 00:39:54.934 --> 00:39:59.133 to everyone. Your vote is important and it truly counts. 00:39:59.133 --> 00:40:04.000 Early voting began today for the August 12th primary. Early 00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:06.800 voting begins September 2nd for election day, which is 00:40:06.800 --> 00:40:11.467 September 16th. All of the voting information that you 00:40:11.467 --> 00:40:16.900 need, locations and times can be found at MNvotes.org. Thank