Candidates for Senate District 9 share goals

 Minnesota Senate District 9 includes parts of Todd, Wadena, Cass and Morrison counties. The incumbent, Republican Paul Gazelka, is being challenged by Democrat Jason Weinerman. 

Paul Gazelka

1. Summarize your background and qualifications.

I am married to Maralee, we have five children and three grandchildren. I have a B.S. degree in Business Management from Oral Roberts University and own my own business. I have lived in the Brainerd Lakes area for the last 20 years. I am active in my church, a volunteer at Teen Challenge and teach Defensive Driving Courses for seniors. I have served eight years combined in the House and Senate and have served in leadership roles.

2. What will your top priority be if elected? 

My top priority would be to repeal MNSure or at the very least, to fix it. Insurance rates have sky rocketed for too many people. We must work on that. A close second would be tax relief, especially for farmers, seniors, business owners and those with student loans.

 3. What are your views on the budget bill that was not passed this past session? What should have been done to get both sides to agree on the bill?

 The tax relief bill was passed by both the House and Senate with bipartisan support, but the governor vetoed it because of a technicality. It contained much needed property tax relief, tax relief for businesses and farmers and student loan relief. The bonding bill did not pass because the Senate version did not contain light rail funding which the governor insisted on. Light rail costs $100 million per mile to build and can’t change routes as needed. It is not what Minnesota needs now. The supplemental spending bill did pass and the Veterans’ Pension Tax Exemption, which I authored, was in that bill.

4. Should the legislature make changes to MNsure, the state health care exchange? Why or why not? What specific changes would you make?

MNSure should be repealed and if not repealed, reformed. No Republican legislator voted for MNSure and no doctors or experts are on the MNSure board. Rates have continually gone up and will be again with people paying 50-68 percent more in January. The high costs and high deductibles are prohibitive. Other reforms I would make if we can’t repeal it are allowing 100 percent healthcare tax deductions, restoring a high risk pool, and allowing co-ops to form and organize.

Jason Weinerman

1. Summarize your background and qualifications.

I’ve lived in Minnesota for the past ten years where I have worked for the state in water and soil protection serving as a liaison between the state and local governments. This experience has given me a unique perspective into the opportunities and challenges faced by citizens and local government units when the state either meets its responsibilities or avoids its responsibilities and places more unfunded burden on the local taxpayers and lanowners.

2. What will your top priority be if elected?

I aim to rebalance the relationship between the state government and local governments. I think the state should provide support and authority to local governments who are in the best situation to identify and address local issues. I would like to increase local government aid to help reduce local property taxes and provide greater flexibility in meeting state mandates. We have lived through several years of deficits and the current budget surpluses should be used to plug holes that were created by state cuts during the recessions.

3. What are your views on the budget bill that was not passed this past session? What should have been done to get both sides to agree on the bill? 

When we look at both sides agreeing on the bill, it was not Republicans and Democrats but the legislature and the governor’s office. In our system of government, the legislature passes the bills and the governor either signs or vetoes them. When the legislature passes bills in the last hours of the session, we give too much power to the governor, allowing him to veto the bills without any legislative response. I would work with the leaders in the committees and the party leaders to pass bills in a timely fashion that will allow for a proper response to a veto. The governor clearly expressed his position on key provisions within both the bonding and tax bill and the legislature lost the debate when they delayed passage of the bill until the last minute.

4. Should the legislature make changes to MNsure, the state health care exchange? Why or why not? What specific changes would you make?

Yes, we need to explore ways to ensure that MNSure maintains an affordable health care system for all Minnesotans. The current system brought many Minnesotans into the health care system and expanded coverage. However, for many small businesses and individuals, the recent rate increases shows that something is wrong with the system. We need to allow for individuals and small businesses to come together to purchase coverage as a group so they can get a better rate. In addition, we need to better understand why the rates for these groups went up. Holding committee hearings where we call in the insurance companies would allow for us to make changes that address the specific challenges faced by insurers when they are offering coverage to small businesses and individuals.