MEET THE CANDIDATES
Feature
Michael Hutchinson
DISTRICT 20B
Why are you running for State Representative and how does your experience qualify you for the position? I love our country and want to help lead our great State to make it even better and stronger, for everyone. As a veteran, I have seen how efficient and effective we can be when everyone shares a mission and works toward a common goal, regardless of their diverse origins. I believe that our State can and should be doing more for its rural residents and the issues unique to living away from large cities, while still addressing statewide issues like inflation
from corporate greed, affordable housing, and critical educational funding. Our country was founded on the simple principle of "By the people and for the people" which means it is our government designed to serve the needs of our communities, not to bow to the whims of the rich. What are your top two priorities/issues as a candidate for State Representative? While my number one priority is listening to the people of my district and taking their concerns to the State House, in my first term I hope to push for a number of changes that will help everyday people. My top priorities will be rural funding, both for infrastructure and services including fighting to make EMTs and Ambulances funded like other essential services in all communities. In parts of my district it can take 30+ minutes for an ambulance to arrive, this is not acceptable if people are going to safely live in Minnesota. My other priority will be affordable home ownership. While I believe we also need price protections for renters, my goal is to make sure more families and individuals can own their own home in communities across our state, not just be a forever renter to the corporations that bought up all our housing. How can the state government improve to best serve both the business community and its citizens? A Representative's duty is to main street, not wall street. I believe the point of our Government is to serve the needs of its citizens and their businesses, so everything the State does should be for all our benefit. I know that a strong community economy is not created by large corporations, but by local and family run businesses. Our laws must protect new ideas and start-up companies from monopolies, collusion and other anti-competitive practices which will also help ensure consumers are protected from corporate greed. When I am elected, I will make sure our small and/or new business support programs and grants are properly funded and updated to work in accordance with the modern business world so that local entrepreneurs can create jobs that strengthen our communities.
OCTOBER 2024 — ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE | 15
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