I have had the privilege and the honor of serving the people of the Arrowhead region for several years. During that time we’ve had a lot of ups and downs. We have weathered recessions and volatile markets, and we have battled for benefits through bad times. We have accomplished great things together and have celebrated victories large and small.
But this is an odd presidential election year. There is a strain of fear running through the electorate, both here in Minnesota and across the country. This worries me.And brings me to the reasons I am running for re-election to the Minnesota Senate: to rise above the anger and partisanship and to continue to put people first. I’m running because there is more work to do to bring economic diversity, good-paying jobs, affordable housing and education to the good people of Minnesota. While certain areas of our state are running like a well-oiled machine, it’s not universal. The Arrowhead region needs more jobs that continue to add value to our existing natural-resources industries.I’m also running for re-election because I believe our workforce is our state’s greatest resource. That’s why I continue to fight for workplace policies that support employees and their ability to care for their families. Our society is changing rapidly. It’s growing older, and that means we must start enacting more policies that will attract younger workers.As your state senator, I have gained immense respect for the power of state government. I know how much of an impact it can have on our daily lives, sometimes good and sometimes bad. That’s why I take very seriously my job to help govern this state - and why I work to rise above partisan politics and to remember why we’re all here. My children and grandchildren are my daily reminders of what’s at stake if we let partisanship, not people, guide our decisions.There are several policy and budget areas that rank high on my to-do list. I’d like to return to the Capitol in January to ensure the state Senate is doing everything it can to finally fix our transportation infrastructure across the state with a long-term solution. It is absolutely critical that we can agree on a sustainable and comprehensive solution that will care for our roads, bridges and transit systems long into the future.Last session, the Senate passed a comprehensive paid family leave bill. This is monumentally important to Minnesota’s long-term growth both for attracting workers and supporting our young families and aging parents. While the Republican-controlled House did not advance this bill, I will make paid leave a priority again.This session we must also pass a bonding bill that addresses the significant infrastructure needs across the state. I was disappointed we couldn’t come to an agreement on bonding this summer, and it will be a priority this session.Finally, a personal priority for me: I want to do more for small public schools. The current system of school financing is not equitable, and our smaller school districts face a different set of struggles than our metro districts. This is and remains an important issue to me.I hope you see in me someone who rises above the hyper-partisan behavior that has become all too common at the Capitol. I pride myself on being a leader who can get people to the table and get to an agreement. I think we need more of that common-sense, solutions-oriented leadership in our state government. I hope my work and experience has earned your support and your vote on Nov. 8. VIDEO: Candidate interview with Sen. Tom Bakk Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, represents District 3 in the Minnesota Senate. He wrote this at the request of the News Tribune Opinion page. About this raceSen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, represents Minnesota Senate District 3. His opponent, Republican Jennifer Havlick of Two Harbors, didn’t respond to invitations to also write a “Candidate’s View” column.Bakk was interviewed by News Tribune editorial board members as part of the newspaper’s endorsement and candidate-screening processes. The interview is posted at duluthnewstribune.com. Havlick didn’t respond to invitations to meet with the board.Election Day is Nov. 8.I have had the privilege and the honor of serving the people of the Arrowhead region for several years. During that time we’ve had a lot of ups and downs. We have weathered recessions and volatile markets, and we have battled for benefits through bad times. We have accomplished great things together and have celebrated victories large and small.
But this is an odd presidential election year. There is a strain of fear running through the electorate, both here in Minnesota and across the country. This worries me.And brings me to the reasons I am running for re-election to the Minnesota Senate: to rise above the anger and partisanship and to continue to put people first. I’m running because there is more work to do to bring economic diversity, good-paying jobs, affordable housing and education to the good people of Minnesota. While certain areas of our state are running like a well-oiled machine, it’s not universal. The Arrowhead region needs more jobs that continue to add value to our existing natural-resources industries.I’m also running for re-election because I believe our workforce is our state’s greatest resource. That’s why I continue to fight for workplace policies that support employees and their ability to care for their families. Our society is changing rapidly. It’s growing older, and that means we must start enacting more policies that will attract younger workers.As your state senator, I have gained immense respect for the power of state government. I know how much of an impact it can have on our daily lives, sometimes good and sometimes bad. That’s why I take very seriously my job to help govern this state - and why I work to rise above partisan politics and to remember why we’re all here. My children and grandchildren are my daily reminders of what’s at stake if we let partisanship, not people, guide our decisions.There are several policy and budget areas that rank high on my to-do list. I’d like to return to the Capitol in January to ensure the state Senate is doing everything it can to finally fix our transportation infrastructure across the state with a long-term solution. It is absolutely critical that we can agree on a sustainable and comprehensive solution that will care for our roads, bridges and transit systems long into the future.Last session, the Senate passed a comprehensive paid family leave bill. This is monumentally important to Minnesota’s long-term growth both for attracting workers and supporting our young families and aging parents. While the Republican-controlled House did not advance this bill, I will make paid leave a priority again.This session we must also pass a bonding bill that addresses the significant infrastructure needs across the state. I was disappointed we couldn’t come to an agreement on bonding this summer, and it will be a priority this session.Finally, a personal priority for me: I want to do more for small public schools. The current system of school financing is not equitable, and our smaller school districts face a different set of struggles than our metro districts. This is and remains an important issue to me.I hope you see in me someone who rises above the hyper-partisan behavior that has become all too common at the Capitol. I pride myself on being a leader who can get people to the table and get to an agreement. I think we need more of that common-sense, solutions-oriented leadership in our state government. I hope my work and experience has earned your support and your vote on Nov. 8.VIDEO: Candidate interview with Sen. Tom Bakk Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, represents District 3 in the Minnesota Senate. He wrote this at the request of the News Tribune Opinion page.About this raceSen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, represents Minnesota Senate District 3. His opponent, Republican Jennifer Havlick of Two Harbors, didn’t respond to invitations to also write a “Candidate’s View” column.Bakk was interviewed by News Tribune editorial board members as part of the newspaper’s endorsement and candidate-screening processes. The interview is posted at duluthnewstribune.com. Havlick didn’t respond to invitations to meet with the board.Election Day is Nov. 8.
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