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MN Senate candidates talk issues

Boettger, Seifert take part in candidate forum

MARSHALL -- Area candidates for Minnesota state Senate weighed in on topics from taxes to education and child care, during a forum in Marshall. Senate District 15 candidates Andrea Boettger and Braxton Seifert took part in the Wednesday night event.

Boettger, a Democrat, and Seifert, a Republican, are running for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Gary Dahms. Senate District 15 includes Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine, Lyon, Redwood and Brown Counties, and part of Blue Earth County.

Boettger and Seifert were asked to give their positions on Minnesota's tax climate. Boettger said Minnesota needed to look more carefully at its spending.

"What we do have is too many programs that we’re running right now. They’re great programs, but we really need to look at consolidating some of those programs, reallocating those funds, and really using what we have," Boettger said.

As an example, she said, new family and medical leave requirements accounted for a 1% increase to the city tax levy in New Ulm.

"I wouldn’t say that we’re not going to raise taxes, but I think say that we need to do our jobs and be responsible with the tax dollars that we have," she said.

Seifert said high taxes have a negative impact on Minnesota.

"We are in the top for our tax brackets across the country. Whether it’s property tax, whether it’s income tax, whether it’s sales tax, Minnesota consistently ranks in the top 10," he said.

Seifert said Minnesota also had $9 billion in fraud from its state programs.

"We should not be raising taxes, and I’ll do one better: we should not be raising fees," Seifert said.

Senate candidates were also asked how Minnesota could protect against fraud. Seifert said additional measures needed to be taken, beyond the creation of a state Inspector General.

"We need mandatory audits every year. When we do our budgeting system in the state of Minnesota, we need to start at zero, and we need to focus on outcomes. We need to look at programs that are working in the state of Minnesota and fund those programs and get rid of the ones that are being defrauded," Seifert said.

"So there is some work that’s already been done, and part of that is the reauthorization process that all of these companies that provide these services need to go through," Boettger said.

In addition, she said, Minnesota needs to put aside funds to improve technology and security infrastructure, and it needs accountability from current legislators.

"We need to get some answers from them on that. And yes, people should be fired if they weren't doing their jobs," she said.

Boettger said that looking at possible changes to Minnesota's family and medical leave laws was a priority for her to support businesses.

"We have to reduce some of these regulations," Boettger said.

While the ability to take medical and family leave was important, she said, "We need to support our employers, because there’s a lot of staff time and risk of liability that goes into these programs."

"What I hear up and down, whether it’s, you know, someone in the agriculture industry or someone in the child care industry, in Minnesota we are overtaxed and we are over-regulated," Seifert said. "Taking a look at what other states are doing and using common sense is a great start at getting our business climate back on track."

The candidates also got more in depth on how easing strict regulations could help with child care availability in Minnesota.

"Minnesota has the second most restrictive child care regulations in the country, next to California," Boettger said.

She called for making training requirements less stringent and more flexible for experienced child care providers, and for changing regulations to allow for support for more flexible approaches to child care, like pod models.

"One thing specifically is that we need to to to look at what other states are doing," Seifert said.

He said South Dakota allows more infants per child care facility than Minnesota does.

"So what I would say is, if there’s a child care facility that thinks they can handle one or two more children and thinks they have the staff to support that and take care of them, then we should be able to offer the licensing and support to allow those needs to be filled."

Candidates also weighed in on what needed to be done to support higher education in southwest Minnesota, in light of Minnesota State's planned reorganization.

Boettger said Minnesota needed to look into the kind of incentives being offered to students in neighboring states like the Dakotas and Iowa.

"We have great opportunities for folks with the North Star Promise. That’s a great program, but that’s not that’s not concentrated on getting and keeping these students here, having them work here after they get their degree. You know, why can’t we do what South Dakota is doing?" Boettger said.

Seifert said he would commit to keeping open college and university campuses in southwest Minnesota.

"I will not vote to close any college campus in rural Minnesota, because those campuses not only are the lifeblood of our rural economy, but they put a heartbeat here," Seifert said. He said institutions like Southwest Minnesota State University and Minnesota West Community and Technical College help attract people to area communities.