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1. Summarize why you are running for office? What are your priorities?
I grew up in Minnesota and got involved in politics after John and I had our
daughter, Abigail. Abigail couldn't swallow and was in intensive care, but I
was discharged from the hospital after just 24 hours because of insurance
rules. I became the leading advocate for one of the country's first laws
guaranteeing 48-hour hospital stays for new moms and babies. Then, after
over a decade in the private sector, I went on to head up Minnesota's largest
prosecutor's office, where I took on violent crime and fraud. After serving as
county attorney, I was elected to the U.S. Senate. I've been ranked #1 for
bipartisan bills and #3 for passing bills into law. I'll bring that approach to
delivering results as governor.
Every year I visit all of Minnesota's 87 counties, including Lyon County. I've
worked extensively with local leaders in the Marshall area on everything
from infrastructure to workforce training to agriculture. I helped secure
significant federal funding to improve safety and accessibility on Highway
19, and $1.2 million for Southwest Minnesota State University to build a new
nursing simulation lab and expand its nursing program. Earlier this year, I
met with Marshall-area business owners about the child care shortages
making it harder for families to work and businesses to hire. In the plans I've
put forward, which you can read at AmyKlobuchar.com, I've drawn on ideas
proposed by both Republicans and Democrats. As governor, I'll work across
the aisle to get things done.
I'm not interested in the status quo. I want to be a transformative governor,
and I'll bring a strong growth agenda to our state. I'll lower costs for
Minnesotans who are paying too much for health care, child care, and
housing. Southwest Minnesota has been built on hard work, with particular
strengths in food, farming, health care, and manufacturing. As governor, I'll
build on those strengths. That means expanding Minnesota businesses,
including small businesses, and building new domestic and international
markets for our farmers. It means a state government that matches the drive
and ambition of the people of our state. State government must be more
effective, innovative, and accountable. As governor, I will root out the fraud
and send people to jail who commit fraud.
I have a long record of bringing Minnesotans together to get things done and
deliver results, and that's what I'll do as governor. I'll stand up for what's
right and fix what's wrong.
2. What can be done to protect the state from fraud?
When I headed up Minnesota's largest prosecutor's office, I took on fraud
and corruption, and I'll bring that approach and more to taking on fraud as
governor.
On day one, I'll begin a top-to-bottom audit of our state government to
identify waste, fraud, and abuse. I'll make sure people who commit fraud go
to jail. We need to stop fraud before it starts. That means vetting grants and
contracts before state funds are awarded, and in-person, unannounced
inspections. I'll create a "Do Not Pay" database to permanently ban anyone
convicted of fraud from receiving any grants or contracts. And I'll replace
decades-old IT systems with new technology to prevent, detect, and stop
fraud. We also need to strengthen criminal penalties and extend the statute of
limitations for fraud in all state programs, not just Medicaid.
Read my full plan to make government accountable and root out fraud here:
AmyKlobuchar.com/accountable
3. What can be done to support agriculture?
Agriculture is the backbone of Minnesota's economy. Our farmers deserve a
governor who has their back. I've worked across the aisle in the Senate to
deliver for rural Minnesota. The Agriculture Committee was the first
committee I asked to be on, and as a member of the committee and current
lead Ranking Member, I've worked to pass three bipartisan farm bills and am
working on a fourth. I'll bring that same approach to the governor's office.
Our farmers are being squeezed from every direction, with tariffs, volatile
input costs, and cuts to rural health care. These headwinds may well be a
constant, but they can never be an excuse. As governor, I'll work with
farmers to grow and produce more products, find new markets, and export to
the world. I'll expand uses for homegrown fuels like biofuels and sustainable
aviation fuel, grow bio-based manufacturing from Minnesota crops, and
support local meat processing so farmers have more places to sell.
I'll lower the cost of farming by expanding the sales-tax exemption for farm
equipment to fencing and grain bins and backing local fertilizer production
and storage. I'll keep the safety net strong during difficult times by expanding
low-interest emergency loans, reauthorizing farmer-lender mediation, and
making sure we're prepared for animal diseases, like avian flu.
Minnesota farmers feed and fuel the world. That's not just our past - it's our
future. And I want to build that future together.
You can read my full plan at AmyKlobuchar.com/rural