Tim Walz Incumbent

Walz's campaign website stated the following:

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Agriculture

Minnesota’s farmers and farm economy are second to none; we will help them compete and thrive in the global marketplace.

Agriculture and rural communities are vital to Minnesota’s economy and way of life. We live in one of the most fertile and productive agricultural regions in the world and our farmers are some of the best at producing the food, feed, fuel and fiber we all depend on. Agriculture contributes over $121 billion in economic activity and supports over 400,000 jobs across our state.

Minnesota is a state that was built on the strength of its agricultural sector and we need to ensure that our family farmers and rural communities are able to compete in the global marketplace.

The Walz Flanagan Administration will:

Work aggressively to expand markets and make sure our producers and businesses have the level playing field they need to compete in our global marketplace.

Partner with our farmers and businesses to unleash Minnesota’s innovative spirit to add value to farm commodities and create good paying jobs across our state.

Support new and beginning farmers by helping them overcome barriers to entry and find opportunities to carry on Minnesota’s strong farming traditions.

Invest in agriculture-related research to continue enhancing productivity of Minnesota agriculture and develop new win-win solutions to complex problems.

Support the growth of organic and locally grown products that offer new opportunities for both rural and urban Minnesotans to be part of Minnesota’s strong agricultural tradition.

Achieve cleaner water by working together and looking for win-win solutions to this complex problem.

American Indian Issues

Minnesota is home to 11 Tribal Nations and a significant urban Indian population. Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan will work in partnership with Native communities to create policies that benefit Indian Country.

In order to address the problems Minnesotans face, our government has to look like Minnesota. Tim and Peggy will ensure that Minnesota’s Native communities are treated with dignity, as sovereign nations and have equitable access to positions in state government. That starts with the ticket: when elected Lt. Governor, Peggy Flanagan will be the highest ranking female Native American in the history of the United States.

The Walz Flanagan Administration will:

Honor tribal sovereignty and government to government relationships. Minnesota’s tribes are sovereign nations and should be treated as such. Treaty rights must be regarded as the supreme law of the land and will be honored. Tribal governments will be consulted in decision making on the front end. When our tribal communities are thriving in Minnesota, the entire state benefits.

Prioritize equitable education for Native students.

Make BIE school funding permanent, invest in Dakota and Ojibwe language immersion programs in culturally contextualized schools

Ensure history and culture of Native people are included in Minnesota’s K-12 education system

Support and fund Adult Basic Education programs, career skill development for Native adults

Work with tribal agencies, non-profits and especially schools to provide wrap around services for Native students and their families

Support tuition waivers for Native American students in higher education – with priority given to future educators

Work in collaboration with tribes to combat the opioid crisis.

Lessen barriers to treatment by providing funds to expand culturally competent long-term treatment programs

Acknowledge and work to heal multi-generational and historic trauma

Increase access to harm-reduction methods and non-judgmental, non-coercive services

Protect and invest in the well being Native American children and their families.

Fund public housing, food stability and supportive assistance programs and work with tribes to create stable family networks

Educate those working with Native American families on historical trauma and Native families’ increased vulnerability

Commit to addressing systemic racism and implicit bias in state agencies

Recognize that Native American children are best served by being placed with Native families – reduce barriers for Native families to take custody of their relatives

Childcare

Children and families are our top priority.

Every Minnesotan deserves access to affordable, quality child care. And they deserve to live in a community that allows them to put their children first. That’s a smart investment for all of us—and our future.

Too many families struggle to find child care they can afford and to take leave to be with their children when they are born. Minnesota has some of the most expensive and hard-to-find child care services in the country, especially in rural areas where whole communities may be devoid of child care options. This is more than a family challenge—it’s a social and economic issue for our state. It impacts parents’ ability to work, families’ ability to achieve financial security, and children’s readiness for kindergarten. We know that there is no smarter investment for our state than ensuring our littlest citizens have access to safe, robust care whether from their parents or child care programs that allow parents to continue to work and remain independent.

The Walz Flanagan Administration will support families by working to make child care more affordable and accessible for all. Tim and Peggy will:

Increase the Child and Dependent Care tax credit that is available to low-income families to help cover the costs of child care.

Increase income limits for the Child and Dependent Care tax credit to make sure more Minnesota families can get the support they need to work and care for their kids.

Fully fund and forecast the Child Care Assistance Program.

Remove red tape and fees that make opening and running a child care program unnecessarily difficult and costly.

Create a Child Care Innovation Center, which will offer seed funding, training, and technical assistance to folks who want to start a child care program.

Support progressive paid parental leave policies, so that all parents are able to stay home as they welcome a new member to their family.

Economy

We will build an economy that works for every Minnesotan.

Minnesota’s economy is one of the strongest in the country. Our unemployment rate and job growth have outpaced our neighbors. Our state is strong because our investments pay off, whether it’s funding our children’s education, our communities’ services, or our state’s infrastructure.

But we can—and should—do more.

Our economy leaves behind disadvantaged people in many pockets of the state. Residents face a lack of housing from North Mankato to North Minneapolis. Child care is out of reach for families from Alexandria to Apple Valley, and a college education is too expensive for young people across the state.

Rather than let emerging problems divide our state, we see that they unite us to act. Our state’s future depends on all of us coming together to tackle these challenges. It’s the right thing to do, and it helps all of our residents be part of our state’s economy.

The Walz Flanagan Administration will continue Minnesota’s leadership in progressive action, securing broad prosperity for all. Tim and Peggy will:

Guarantee and fully fund pre-K and K-12 education for our children, making Minnesota the “education state” and creating a workforce that propels Minnesota’s growth. Minnesota can and should continue to create the industries of tomorrow.

Stand up for our unions. Union membership is the surest pathway to the middle class. Tim and Peggy will stand up against assaults on our right to collective bargaining and push back against so-called “Right to Work” legislation.

Remove barriers to growth by encouraging equity and inclusion. Initiatives like connecting rural residents to the internet through dramatically expanded broadband and closing the opportunity gap for minorities not only creates fairness, it creates economic growth.

Improve our infrastructure by passing a $1 billion dollar bonding bill that will include badly needed funding for highways, bridges, mass transit, and bikeways at the state, metro and local levels.

Support Minnesota’s businesses while keeping working Minnesotans at the forefront. Minnesota has a fantastic workforce and a great quality of life. Government should serve Minnesota’s families. Tim and Peggy support re-investing in the Minnesota Investment Fund and Minnesota Job Creation Fund to help start-up companies create new jobs.

Expand the Middle Class and encourage people to organize. Our state government should protect our economy from increasing concentration of wealth in the top one percent. One way to ensure that is removing barriers so that workers are free to organize. Another is to expand the Working Family Tax Credit and other tax breaks for the lower- and middle-class, while ensuring that the top one percent pay their fair share.

Education

Every student in Minnesota deserves the opportunity to learn in the best schools in the country with caring, qualified teachers.

As a 20 year classroom high school teacher, Tim is deeply committed to the success of every student. Education is personal to him. Minnesota is consistently rated as one of the best places to be an educator in the entire country. We should be proud of our educators and the work they put in to make sure Minnesota has the best trained workforce in the world.

Minnesota continues to have some of the highest performing students in the nation. But our state also continues to have an opportunity gap that leaves too many children of color and children from greater Minnesota behind. Closing the opportunity gap must be a top priority.

These challenges are real. But Minnesotans can come together to solve them. The Walz Flanagan Administration will:

Fully and equitably fund our schools and reject the budgetary gimmicks we’ve used in the past, because all kids should have access to a high quality education regardless of their zip code. Tim and Peggy will ensure funding for our schools that is not only stable, but equitable.

Support and listen to educators, and ensure every student has a caring, qualified, committed teacher. Educators believe in children. It is not just a job, it’s a calling. We must ensure every educator has the resources, mentoring, time, and support they need. As trusted professionals, they are the best equipped to make decisions that impact their classrooms and students.

Work intentionally to close the opportunity gap for all students across Minnesota. We must provide them the tools and time to learn. A child’s chance to succeed should not depend on living in a particular zip code. If we’re serious about every child’s future, let’s do what works. We need resources in all schools so students have the support professionals they need (nurses and school counselors), more one-on-one time to learn, inviting classrooms, and a well-rounded curriculum.

Support universal Pre-K for Minnesota’s kids. All students deserve learning opportunities at an early age. We need to pursue a two-generation strategy so that we are supporting kids and their families together. Early learning should also be better integrated with Minnesota’s child care assistance programs. We know opportunity gaps begin early. By addressing education equity early we will provide all of our kids a chance to succeed.

Prioritize education funding coming from the state. Communities should not be reliant entirely on local property taxes to fund schools – that’s a recipe for racial and geographic disparities.

Follow best practices on recruiting educators of color and providing a diverse teaching staff. Some students go all the way through grade school without having an educator who looks like them or who shares similar cultural experiences. It is important to expose children to a diverse teaching staff. Let’s follow the research on recruiting educators of color, including increasing educator salaries and looking into loan forgiveness for educators of color willing to work in high needs fields of education.

Nix vouchers – In order to give Minnesota students the best chance at success, we need to keep funding to our public schools, not diverting it into voucher programs.

Giving every Minnesotan a shot at higher education. Provide 2 years tuition free education at Minnesota state institutions for individuals whose families make less than 125k a year.

Energy, Environment, And Climate

Working together to build a sustainable and just future for our environment and for all Minnesotans.

Creating a sustainable future does not require picking winner and losers. It requires us to work together. We can combat climate change, protect our lakes, rivers, and streams, and build an environmentally just Minnesota, but only if every Minnesotan has a seat at the table and has the opportunity to have their voice heard.

All too often environmental issues—from climate change to public land management—are framed as issues that divide us. Rural versus urban. Pro-job versus pro-environment. These are false divisions. We are One Minnesota.

In Congress, Tim represented a rural district but he also worked tirelessly to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our public lands since his first day in office. He did this by listening to his constituents, finding common ground on complex issues—everyone wants clean air and clean water—and building broad coalitions to support environmental policies that benefit us all.

Minnesota has long been recognized for its environmental stewardship and as Governor and Lt. Governor, Tim and Peggy will continue to address our environmental issues head on and work with all Minnesotans to create solutions.

The Walz Flanagan Administration will:

Expand the Renewable Energy Standard to end our dependence on fossil fuels. Minnesota already gets 21% of its energy from renewable sources. And thousands of Minnesotans from all over the state now work in the clean energy economy. To continue to grow this sector, Tim and Peggy support increasing our renewable energy standard to ensure that by 2030, at least 50% of our energy comes from renewables.

Reduce carbon emissions in all sectors to fight climate change. Tim and Peggy support reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and as Governor and Lt. Governor, they will work to make sure that we reduce emissions in all sectors of the economy.

Work with farmers on clean water solutions across Minnesota. Farming is vital to Minnesota’s economy. Farmers are great stewards of the land and Tim and Peggy will work alongside them to enact policies and programs that support innovative farming practices, like cover crops and drainage water management, which clean our water and improve a farmer’s bottom line.

Fight for energy justice. The environmental challenges facing Minnesota often have a disproportionate impact on low-income Minnesotans, communities of color, the elderly, and children. These impacts amplify the economic and health challenges these communities face. As Governor and Lt. Governor, Tim and Peggy will incorporate the values of environmental justice and robust stakeholder engagement initiatives across the State’s Executive Branch agencies.

Follow Minnesota’s processes when considering new projects. Minnesota has one of the most stringent environmental review processes in the country. As Minnesota is considering new energy projects, Tim and Peggy will follow these processes before making any decisions.

Advocate for tribal rights while assessing Minnesota projects. Tim and Peggy have been working from the beginning to make sure that tribal concerns over Line 3 are heard and addressed. Tim submitted a letter to the Public Utilities Commission expressing his concern that tribal rights be respected through the review process.

Gun Violence Prevention

Minnesotans deserve to feel safe in their communities, and to have their second amendment rights respected.

Gun Violence is taking an increasing toll on our communities. When any Minnesotan dies from gun violence, it’s a tragedy for all Minnesotans.

Tim has taken some heat over his record on guns in the DFL primary. so it’s important to have a clear understanding of the facts.

Yes, Tim has received campaign contributions from the NRA in his past congressional campaigns. He has donated all of the campaign contributions he received from the NRA to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which supports families of those who are injured or killed representing our nation in uniform. He will not accept any additional campaign contributions from the NRA. In fact, he expects them to spend a lot of money trying to defeat him.

The most crucial element to look at is Tim’s record on taking action to prevent gun violence. Here are the facts:

In Congress, Tim has supported common sense gun violence prevention measures for years. He’s done that by:

Voting in support of universal background checks

Voting for “No Fly, No Buy” legislation

Voting to fund the CDC to study gun violence

Voting against Concealed Carry reciprocity that would allow gun owners from states with Concealed Carry laws on the book to to take their guns across state lines into states without such laws.

Being an original co-sponsor on the bill to ban so-called “bump stocks”

In addition to his work on this issue in Congress, there are things that we can do here in Minnesota.

The Walz Flanagan Administration wants to keep families safe and let Minnesotans enjoy their Second Amendment rights:

Support a Ban on Assault Weapons in Minnesota. Tim has long said that he’s open to an assault weapons ban, and he’s seen enough – we need a ban on military style assault rifles in Minnesota.

Pass Universal Background Checks. The facts don’t lie – in states where there are universal background check laws on the books, there are 52 percent fewer mass shootings. 48 percent fewer law enforcement officials are shot to death with handguns. 48 percent fewer people commit suicide by firearm. This is a step we can take to keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them.

Fight dangerous “Stand Your Ground” bills. Research conducted by the American Medical Association tells us that states with “Stand your Ground” laws on the books see a significant spike in homicide by firearm. This bill would be a non-starter in Tim and Peggy’s administration.

Fund our public institutions to do research into gun violence If Washington won’t fund research into gun violence, Minnesota will. Tim and Peggy will work to pass legislation that funds our public institutions to conduct research into gun violence prevention.

Institute the Gun Violence Prevention Order in Minnesota. This common sense law would enable law enforcement and family members to petition a court to prohibit an individual from possessing firearms if a judge finds they pose a significant danger to themselves or others.

Build the coalition to make progress on gun violence prevention. Minnesota had to fend off destructive legislation this year that would have made our communities less safe. As a lifelong sportsman and hunter, Tim has the credibility among law-abiding gun owners to build the coalitions necessary to finally get things done on this issue.

Health Care

Health care is your right.

Minnesotans cannot reach their full potential if they’re struggling to access affordable, quality health care. We have made great progress in ensuring more Minnesotans than ever before can access health coverage; now we need to bring our brightest health care experts together with Minnesota’s working families to find solutions to new health care challenges.

Too many Minnesota families are priced out of the health care market—forced to purchase expensive health insurance for their family rather than pay this month’s college tuition bill. Too many Minnesotans must drive hours for a simple doctor’s office visit or, more importantly, to ensure their new baby is born in a facility equipped to handle it.

Of course, no Minnesotan hopes to use our health care system. But when they do, they want it to be affordable, they want it to be close to home, and they want to get better quickly.

Minnesota might rank among one of the healthiest states in the union, but many Minnesotans are suffering from significant health disparities and a lack of adequate mental health care services.

We can and must do better.

The Walz Flanagan Administration will:

Provide a strong public health care option for any Minnesotan who wants it. Tim believes that a single payer type system is on Minnesota’s horizon, but that immediate action needs to be taken to control costs and improve care. Minnesotans don’t have to wait for the federal government to act. We have a public health care option right now—MinnesotaCare—that delivers high quality care at a price Minnesotans can afford. Tim and Peggy will fight for it on Day One.

Bring the best health care minds and Minnesota families facing health care challenges together. Tim and Peggy will build a One Minnesota coalition focused on reducing health care costs and increasing Minnesotans’ access to real health care that makes sense for their community.

Tackling barriers to mental health care. The impact of mental health in our communities has been ignored for too long. Access to affordable mental health care is a right, too. It’s time we listen to and deliver for Minnesotans and their families facing mental health challenges. They deserve our love, respect and commitment to meaningful action.

Make additional investments into medical research here in Minnesota. Minnesota is poised to make huge steps forward on the prevention side of health care, which experts agree will bring down costs. With Minnesota’s great public institutions, our medical device industry, and our premier medical facilities, Tim and Peggy think that Minnesota is where we can find the solutions that will change the game when it comes to bringing health care costs down.

Stand with organizations that support women’s health. Tim believes in a woman’s right to choose and has a 100% voting record with Planned Parenthood. He will continue this support as Governor.

LGBTQ Minnesotans

Every Minnesotan deserves to feel safe and included in their community.

In 1996, Tim Walz formed the Gay Straight Alliance at Mankato West High School after one of his students came out as gay.

In 2005, during his first run for Congress, Tim campaigned in support of full marriage equality when the issue was far from politically safe.

Peggy helped build the Vote No (against the proposed statewide marriage ban) campaign in 2012- and joined with faith leaders across the state to defeat the proposed amendment.

In Congress, Tim was a leader on repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and was a leading voice against Donald Trump’s hateful transgender troop ban.

It’s clear that the fight has now moved to protecting transgender Minnesotans – Tim and Peggy will be there every step of the way.

The Walz Flanagan Administration wants every Minnesotan to feel safe in their communities, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity:

Stand against so-called “Bathroom Bills.” These bills only serve to endanger trans people while doing nothing to make our schools safer.

Ban the harmful practice of “Conversion Therapy.” Time to send this cruel practice to the ashbin of history where it belongs.

Take on bullying and harassment in schools. Minnesota kids can’t learn if they don’t feel safe in school. Tim and Peggy will build on the work on the anti-bullying bill passed during the 2014 legislative session.

Racial Equity

Minnesota has some of the greatest racial disparities of any state – that has to change.

Let’s create an administration that looks like Minnesota.

In order to address the problems face by Minnesotans, our government has to look like Minnesota. Tim and Peggy will ensure that people of color have equitable access to positions in state government. That starts with the top of the ticket: when elected Lt. Governor, Peggy Flanagan will be the highest ranking female Native American in the history of the United States.

As Minnesotans, one of our core values is fairness. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet been able to live up to that value when it comes to racial equity.

People of color and indigenous people in Minnesota experience disparities in almost all facets of life. Whether it’s educational outcomes, injustice in our criminal justice reform system, or lack of representation by people of color and indigenous people in our government, Minnesota has a lot of work to do to achieve equity.

We have to stop viewing racial disparities as a problem that only impacts Minnesotans of color and indigenous Minnesotans and start realizing that it’s an issue that affects all of us.

The Walz Flanagan Administration will:

Make access to education for everyone a priority. We know that there are investments that Minnesota can make to help students from diverse backgrounds. That includes programs that encourage hiring more people of color and indigenous people as teachers and getting POCI students exposure to careers in STEM.

Nurture healthy families across Minnesota. We must make meaningful investments into improving access to childcare, invest in families that want to combat the opioid epidemic, and ensure that health care providers are providing culturally competent care.

Provide economic opportunities for every Minnesotan. When Minnesota has a surplus, we should use that money to in invest in our communities, not give tax break to tobacco companies and the wealthiest Minnesotans. This includes targeted job creation programs in communities of color and indigenous communities.

Push for criminal justice reform and civil rights for everyone. Tim and Peggy favor creating a taxation and regulation system for adult-use cannabis in Minnesota. African Americans in Minnesota are negatively and disproportionately impacted by these laws. They also support outlawing private prisons in Minnesota – There should be no profit motive attached to recidivism.

Transportation

Transportation connects Minnesotans and creates jobs.

Our transportation network provides the critical connections that enable Minnesotans to get to and from home, work, school and the things we enjoy most in life. Whether traveling by car, bus, bike, rail or boat, Minnesotans rely on a well-maintained transportation system to get ourselves where we’re going.

For too long, the fight at the Capitol has been over how to divide the pie of transportation dollars between rural and urban Minnesotans and between mass transit and roads. That’s the wrong debate. The debate should be about which investments most improve our transit and transportation systems and how those investments can connect more people to opportunities to improve their lives. Our transit and transportation systems work together to move us around this beautiful state and we need both systems to be robust and reliable.

We must also solve the funding gap. Today, Minnesota no longer raises enough revenue from the gas tax to do much more than maintain our extensive road network. If we want to expand the capacity of our urban freeways, reduce crashes at major suburban intersections, or build new roads connecting one rural town to another, we have to stop fighting over how to divide the pie and start working together to grow the pie.

The Walz Flanagan Administration will:

Secure a stable funding source for transit and transportation by increasing the gas tax because Minnesota must modernize and expand our transportation and transit system in order to connect more people to opportunity and to compete for major employers and the jobs they bring to our state. To meet our current and future needs, Tim and Peggy will increase the gas tax and expand funding for transit and transportation in a way that is fair and equitable.

Expand the transit network both in the metro and in rural Minnesota to help take commuters off the road, make less congestion for those who choose to drive, reduce pollution, and save wear and tear on our roads. Younger generations increasingly show a preference for transit, while older residents look to transit to keep them mobile and in their homes longer. Tim and Peggy support expanding bus networks across the state. They also support strategic investments in high speed commuter rail, light rail and bus rapid transit projects, which move even more people at greater speeds.

Build a stronger partnership with employers and freight haulers since the movement of freight around this state impacts jobs, our environment, and our cost of living. Tim and Peggy will engage the businesses, farmers and others hauling freight through our state in a conversation about how our transportation system can be more efficient for freight haulers while still protecting the needs of our communities.

Create a taskforce on the future of transportation because travel patterns are changing and more people are choosing to bike and walk. Others are choosing to utilize ride sharing services or to maximize their income by driving for one of these services. Autonomous vehicles are on the horizon. To keep pace with the changes we’re experiencing, Tim and Peggy will convene a One Minnesota taskforce on the future of transportation in our state.

Wages, Benefits, And Workers' Rights

Minnesotans deserve living wages, excellent benefits, and the right to organize.

Minnesotans believe that all families should have the opportunity to thrive. Parents should have the time to eat dinner with their kids and help with homework. Grown children should be able to take care of an ailing parent. And every Minnesotan deserves time to welcome a new child into the world

Increasingly, some of these simple, basic Minnesota values seem to have fallen by the wayside.

The Walz Flanagan Administration will fight to make sure everyone has the chance to thrive – Tim and Peggy will:

Increase the Minnesota minimum wage to $15 an hour. $15 an hour is not the answer for all of Minnesota’s woes, but it’s central to ensuring that Minnesotans can thrive. On this issue, we have to lead by example – everyone on the Walz Flanagan campaign is paid a living wage (and receives benefits too!).

Improve and expand safe and sick time laws so that when a member of your family is sick you can care for that person. When Minnesota workers are sick, they deserve a chance to get healthy. Tim and Peggy think businesses should allow workers to accumulate sick and safe time. They’ll also ensure that there is strong enforcement of laws that prevent employers from penalizing workers for using the sick time. The sick time needs to cover a large range of issues (from domestic violence to providing long-term care).

Fight for fair scheduling rules because showing up for our families is important. One obstacle that modern families face are schedules without predictability or advance notice. Fair scheduling rules ensure that workers receive proper notification regarding their schedules, are compensated for last minute changes, and can rest in between shifts.

Expand paid family leave, since so many families are sandwiched between raising their children and caring for their parents and grandparents.

Fight wage theft and expand protections against wage theft. Sadly there are still bad-actor employers who find ways to steal wages from workers. Tim and Peggy will ensure that there are stiff penalties, a strong Department of Labor & Industry to hold them accountable, and training to educate workers.

Protect bargaining rights and encourage worker organizations, because being able to work together with your co-workers and bargain for a better deal is an important way to help workers get the pay and benefits they need and to check the power of corporations. Tim and Peggy will protect the right to collectively bargain and will support worker organizations as they fight for their future.

Support Defined Benefit Pensions. These pensions are critical to providing a dignified retirement to people who dedicate their lives to public service. Tim and Peggy will make sure Defined Benefit Pensions are supported and defended.

Veterans

Those who’ve raised their hand to serve our nation deserve the best care and services our nation and state can provide. As a retired command sergeant major in the Minnesota National Guard, the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress, and the top Democrat on the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Tim Walz knows this better than anyone. While the Federal Government shoulders the primary responsibility for providing veterans benefits, health care and services through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the state of Minnesota provides important and critical services to Minnesota veterans and their families as well. That is why the WalzFlanagan ticket developed, in coordination with Minnesota veterans and their advocates, the One Minnesota Veterans’ Opportunity and Care Plan.

The One Minnesota Veterans’ Opportunity and Care Plan will help make Minnesota a national leader in state-provided care and services for veterans. The One Minnesota Veterans’ Opportunity and Care plan has three main components: Improving Care and Opportunity, Honoring Families, and Building Coalitions.

Reinvigorating State Veterans Homes: Veterans homes provide long-term care services for Minnesota’s veterans. As Governor, Tim will protect and expand the services of Minnesota Veterans Homes by:

Funding the continued renovation and modernizing of current facilities. This will protect the health and safety of residents and improve their quality of life.

Opening as many as three new veterans homes in Minnesota. This will be done by building off the partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and local communities who are fundraising and building local support. Governor Dayton and the State Legislature allocated funding for these new facilities in May 2018.

Prioritizing adequate funding to ensure all veterans homes are fully staffed and are able to provide the care the resident-veterans have earned and deserve. Expanding Access to Veterans Courts: Veterans Courts are a specialty court that works to hold veterans who commit crimes accountable, but also to ensure they get necessary treatment for addiction and psychological trauma they may have endured while serving. As Governor, Walz will expand access to these courts to provide diversion and treatment options for U.S. military veterans who are struggling with addiction and serious mental illness.

Increasing Funding for County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs): CVSOs mission is to work one-on-one with Minnesota veterans and their families to help them apply for and obtain the benefits to which they are entitled, including assisting with suicide prevention education and outreach for veterans suffering from PTSD and addiction issues. Tim knows the support CVSOs provide is critical and as Governor, Walz will work to provide additional support for County Veterans Service Officers by:

Tripling county funding (a typical rural county gets $10,000 from the state for training and outreach);

Cutting red-tape by streamlining the paperwork to maximize CVSO impact and effectiveness;

Meeting the needs of Native American veterans who live on tribal lands and face unique challenges interfacing with the federal and state government.

Increasing Quality of Life for Disabled Veterans: Disabled veterans currently only receive a discount on hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses if their service-connected disability rating is 100% or more. As governor, Walz would work to lower the threshold so that more disabled veterans can enjoy the great outdoors and improve their quality of life.

Partnering with Labor: Ensuring veterans can find a job and provide for their families is critical. That is why as Governor, Tim Walz will partner with labor and other private organizations to ensure programs that connect veterans with good paying jobs, like Helmets to Hardhats, are getting the support they need to succeed.

Providing for Surviving Spouses: Currently, the Homestead Market Value Exclusion for surviving spouses is capped at 8 years. As Governor, Tim Walz would make this exclusion permanent by eliminating the eight-year cap. This change would allow the surviving spouse to receive the exclusion until they remarry, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of the property.

Protecting Military Beneficiaries: As Governor, Tim Walz would crack down on bad actors trying to scam people out of money in the name of helping veterans and active military personnel. He would do this by:

Prohibiting a party from entering or attempting to enter into an agreement with a military beneficiary if that beneficiary assigns pay or other benefits to third party in a manner that violates federal law.

Protecting Veterans and beneficiaries from giving a source of income (i.e. pension) to bad actors like predatory lenders.

State Veterans Cemeteries: Ensuring each and every eligible Minnesota veteran and their family has the opportunity to be buried in such a cemetery if they choose honors the service and sacrifice of our veterans and their family. As Governor, Tim Walz will build off his work in Congress helping to start the Veterans Cemetery in Preston, MN by protecting and expanding the services of the Minnesota State Veterans Cemeteries.

Veterans Advisory Council and Inter-agency Roundtable Meeting: Tim Walz or a member of his administration will convene a quarterly meeting and invite representatives of local, county, state and federal governments— along with the private sector and veterans’ advocates—to join him in collaborating around how we can continue to improve our advocacy on behalf of Minnesota’s veterans. The purpose will be to share best practices, identify any holes in services and benefits, and develop solutions.[29]

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—Tim Walz for Governor[30]

Click [show] to view an example of Walz's 2018 campaign ads. 

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of an ad from Walz's 2018 election campaign.

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"Share" - Walz campaign ad, released October 23, 2018

}