MN House 37B – Local Decision 2018

In 2018, voters in MN House District 37B will elect a representative. District 37B includes the majority of Blaine. You can read about the candidates below, or watch a forum they participated in. The candidates did not jointly participate in a televised forum, but each were able to attend one of the local televised forums.

League of Women Voters Forum – Features Amir Malik
North Metro Mayors Forum – Features Nolan West

About: Born and raised in the small, rural town of Hoopeston, Illinois, Amir was instilled with the midwestern values of hard work, fiscal responsibility, and a dedication to making life better for the next generation. Amir’s family left Hoopeston, the self-proclaimed sweet corn capital of the world, and moved to Minnesota when his father’s job with Pillsbury moved here in the 1990s.

After graduating college early and going to law school, Amir spent several years learning business working out east – and most importantly, he met his wife and started his own family.

After several years as an educator, Amir now works as a Constitutional Rights attorney, volunteers in our community, and raises his four kids with his wife in Blaine.

Amir knows that too many politicians seek to divide us from our neighbors and represent special interests and PACs, not the community that elected them.

As a candidate, Amir has refused contributions from PACs, lobbyists, and special interest groups.

As our State Representative, Amir will bring people together across the political divide to focus on results.

Important Issues: Amir Malik wants to ensure all of us, no matter our upbringing, our skin color, or our background have the same chance to work hard and build a successful future for ourselves and our families. But for that to happen, we need representatives in St. Paul who represent our interests, not the interests of PACs or political elites.

Amir will represent the interests of the people of Blaine and work hard to:

ensure that our schools are the best they can be, because our children deserve it and our future depends on it
improve transportation infrastructure in the North Metro, so that Highway 65 is a freeway not a parking lot
remove the income cap on MinnesotaCare, encouraging people to work more or take better jobs without fear of losing their coverage

Goals if Elected: Amir will work hard to see that Minnesota’s Constitution is no longer violated and that bills are separated by subject matter. Amir will work hard to see that schools are funded properly by the state and that our children’s education isn’t dependent on our property values. Amir will work hard to see that everyone has the option to buy into the MinnesotaCare system and that the income limit is removed, so hardworking Minnesotans don’t have to decide between losing healthcare or earning a little more. Amir will work hard to fix our state tax system and reconcile it with changes at the federal level.

Endorsements:

Education Minnesota
Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters
Minnesota Nurses Association
Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
Minnesota AFL-CIO
Planned Parenthood Minnesota
AFSCME
Sierra Club
Indivisible North Metro
Conservation Minnesota Voter Center
SEIU Minnesota State Council
LiUNA Minnesota

Connect with Me:
Facebook: Facebook.com/MalikForMN
Website: MalikForMN.com

About: Nolan West has represented Blaine in the Minnesota Legislature since 2017. He grew up just off Radisson and currently lives in Club West. As a lifelong resident of Blaine, he knows what what our community needs.

Nolan successfully advocated for roads in the north metro. His first bill secured funding to rebuild 105th Ave adjacent to the National Sports Center. He also helped bring new projects to Hwy 10, I-35W, and Hwy 65. In fact, last legislative session saw more money for Anoka County roads than ever before.

Nolan also successfully passed a new law that significantly reduced social security taxes. Thanks to this legislation, 284,000 seniors will see lower social security taxes and 72,000 of those will no longer pay any taxes on social security income.

He has also worked to keep health care costs down. Due to bipartisan health care reforms championed by Nolan West, double-digit premium increases have come to a stop, and rates are expected to decrease for next year’s premiums. Nolan also helped put an end to surprise billing. Now, patients must be informed of possible out-of-network costs before any procedure.

In his first term, Nolan West has delivered significant results for Blaine.

Important Issues: Congestion in the north metro is horrendous. We heavily invested in north metro roads and bridges last session, but we are still behind. We must ensure that the north metro gets its fair share. We can’t be spending billions on a train in Eden Prairie when we have traffic jams on Hwy 65 and I-35W.

Health care costs are still too high. Bipartisan reforms have resulted in premium decreases here in Minnesota, unlike the rest of the country. However, after years of double-digit increases, costs are still out of reach for many Minnesotans. We must continue to bring health care costs down.

Taxes in Minnesota are ridiculous. Not only are we one of six states that tax social security, but our lowest income tax rate is higher than the top rate in 23 other states. We need to eliminate social security taxes completely and lower income taxes for all Minnesotans.

Goals if Elected: Fixing Highway 65 is Nolan’s number one priority. In his first term, he secured a study to examine upgrades between County 10 and Bunker Lake Blvd on Highway 65. After the study concludes next year, he will immediately work to fund projects to alleviate congestion.

Health care costs must continue to drop. Thanks to bipartisan reforms supported by Nolan West, we have seen premium decreases since 2016. Nolan will continually work to bring down health care costs. After years of double-digit increases, there is still work to be done.

Minnesota taxes are out of control. Our lowest income tax rate is higher than the top rate in 23 other states. Nolan will work to reduce income taxes for all Minnesotans. In addition to income tax reductions, he will continue the fight to eliminate social security taxes completely.

Endorsements: