Kelly Moller
0Name: Kelly Moller
Public Office Sought: Minnesota House of Representatives District 40A
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-486-8096
Campaign website: votekellymoller.com
Twitter handle: @KellyForUs
Facebook page: Kelly Moller For Us
Candidate Bio
I’m a prosecutor and victim rights advocate, mom with kids in the Mounds View School District, and a resident of Shoreview for nearly 25 years. I currently represent all or parts of Arden Hills, Mounds View, and Shoreview, and I look forward to adding New Brighton. In my first two terms, dozens of my bills have passed. I’ve connected with thousands of constituents and passed legislation as a result of their concerns. I’ve worked across the aisle to pass bills related to mental health needs of students, justice for survivors of assault, flexibility for people with disabilities, public safety, and more.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
- Gun violence prevention: Gun violence is the leading cause of death of children in the United States and crime is on the rise. It’s well past time to enact common-sense gun violence prevention measures to make sure that people who shouldn’t have guns don’t have access to them. These include criminal background checks, red flag laws, safe storage laws, and a requirement to report stolen guns.
- Public education: We need to ensure schools have the resources required to meet the needs of all children, including those with disabilities. We also need to do more to address the mental health needs of our students, which were on the rise even before COVID. I have successfully authored bills to help address this growing crisis.
- Climate change: In addition to harming the planet and vulnerable populations, climate change has serious consequences for Minnesota’s economy, including damage to our valuable forests, changes in Mississippi River water levels that provide drinking water for much of the metro area and cools our power plants, and threatens our agricultural sector with too much or too little precipitation. I support solutions that happen to provide economic benefits to businesses and consumers alike. Electrification in the transportation sector and in buildings will reduce our dependence on volatile fossil fuels in particular and reduce long-term utility costs.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro and what role do businesses play in supporting quality of life issues in East Metro communities?
The business climate is strong due to decades-long commitment to a skilled workforce, a diversified economy, and a strong connection to the global economy. These assets generally allow the private sector in the MSP region to provide good job opportunities and a high quality of life. However, the last two years during COVID have been a serious challenge to both businesses and workers.
What role do you think the State should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to and retain existing businesses in the East Metro?
The state should avoid the “race to the bottom” strategy that other states use to attract businesses with budget-busting incentives. However, we can target assistance to develop specific parcels, support infrastructure that helps both businesses and workers alike (like roads, bridges, and transit), and align our higher education strategies with the labor needs of the business community. We should always be on the lookout for the “next big thing” that could grow into a large presence in our region.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
The retirement of the baby boom workforce—long predicted—is now upon us and accelerated by the pandemic. We must tap into the talents of all Minnesotans seeking to be in the workforce. That involves meeting child care needs of parents. Many parents are staying out of the workforce due to lack of affordable and convenient child care. State support is necessary to close this gap. Lack of affordable housing is also a barrier for finding workers in some locations in the metro area. I support more affordable housing at the yet-undeveloped Rice Creek Commons property in Arden Hills to meet this need. In addition, it should always be a priority that state government and business communicate about aligning higher education opportunities (especially at community colleges) with labor force needs. Finally, we need to create a more welcoming environment for people of color and immigrants in the Greater MSP area.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of a proposal on the many types of businesses in the East Metro and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I have been a supporter of paid family and medical leave. It is the right thing to do so that employees can meet the needs of their families. I look forward to maintaining open communications with the business community on this topic to find a solution.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you use to address public safety issues?
As a prosecutor in the metro and as a longtime victim rights’ advocate, I have dedicated my career to keeping the public safe. As a legislator, I’m leading on gun violence prevention and am the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee. My work with survivors to reform our sexual assault laws has received national recognition. I’ve worked with law enforcement on numerous bills, including proposals to combat drunk driving and carjackings. I’ve also supported proposals to build trust within our criminal justice and reduce racial disparities. When people don’t trust the system, victims don’t report crimes, witnesses don’t come forward, and juries may disbelieve experts like investigators. The response to crime requires a multi-faceted approach, and I’m looking at numerous evidence-based solutions in collaboration with our criminal justice partners.
What strategies or policies would you use to address transportation issues? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
I am supportive of a multimodal transportation policy encompassing roads and bridges, transit, and safe streets for walking and biking. I frequently hear from people and businesses in our district about the need for more options in the North Metro. The extension of the A-line bus from Rosedale to the Rice Creek Commons development in Arden Hills is a priority. Recently, I authored a bill for bonding dollars for a safe walking corridor for students coming to Mounds View High School in Arden Hills. Supporting increased public safety in our transit system is critical to its long-term viability. The pandemic is creating a reassessment of how and where we work. I would like to see a post-pandemic “settling down” of the workforce to see if we should re-orient our transportation spending priorities. Finally, we need a public-private partnership to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state. As an EV owner, I know that I would spend money at businesses in locations with sufficient charging capability.
What strategies or policies would you use to address housing issues?
Affordable housing is critical to those who are raising families, seniors or people with disabilities who want to stay in their homes, and employers who are trying to address workforce shortages. More supply is our greatest need, but market rate housing is going to people with the highest income. Some state support for affordable housing will be needed to close the gap. The Rice Creek Commons property is a major opportunity and cannot be wasted. This development also needs to be ready for climate-friendly electrification (heat pumps, electric vehicle charging, etc.). We must also work to address the unacceptable disparities for home ownership by black Minnesotans.
What are your priorities for the State’s budget? Are there any services currently provided by the State that you believe should be expanded, cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
There are always opportunities for local governments to share services to save money and provide public value. Many of our local governments do this already, such as suburban cities in my area of Ramsey County contracting with the County Sheriff and the Lake Johanna Fire Department for public safety. I am particularly excited about the potential for more co-responder models for addressing emergency calls involving someone having a mental health crisis. This can allow highly trained armed police focus on more serious cases. We can save taxpayer money and get better results by applying the right personnel to the right problem. Keeping people out of crisis helps all of us and saves money!
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
The development of the Rice Creek Commons property is a top priority. I am glad that the City of Arden Hills and the developer have come up with a plan that might break the impasse the city has with Ramsey County so that this development can be a reality. I would support any needed legislation to make this project a reality.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce, and address the achievement gap?
I support increasing the number of teachers of color in Minnesota. BIPOC teachers comprise five percent of teachers while BIPOC students are 34% of Minnesota students. Additional proposals I support include the Governor’s BOLD literacy program, funding for MATH Corps, and funding for expanded school lunches. I have authored legislation to address the mental health needs of our students because students’ needs are growing while Minnesota remains one of the worst states for the ratio of students to support professionals. This session, our caucus also demanded a significant bump in support for E-12 education to maintain high quality and not move backwards.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
I support our caucus’s innovative proposals in this area, including the Spark Revolving Loan Program, small business recovery grants for businesses owned by veterans, women, and people of color, and Targeted Community Capital Projects Grants.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
After passing a significant amount of relief in the previous session, the top priority to help businesses recover at this point is to get child care providers back on line. Lack of affordable child care is restricting the expansion of the workforce.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I love to hear from constituents! Our district is filled with thousands of people from all walks of life who have expertise to share with me. Please sign up for my e-mail newsletter at www.house.mn and let’s stay connected!
Public Office Sought: Minnesota House of Representatives District 40A
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-486-8096
Campaign website: votekellymoller.com
Twitter handle: @KellyForUs
Facebook page: Kelly Moller For Us
Candidate Bio
I’m a prosecutor and victim rights advocate, mom with kids in the Mounds View School District, and a resident of Shoreview for nearly 25 years. I currently represent all or parts of Arden Hills, Mounds View, and Shoreview, and I look forward to adding New Brighton. In my first two terms, dozens of my bills have passed. I’ve connected with thousands of constituents and passed legislation as a result of their concerns. I’ve worked across the aisle to pass bills related to mental health needs of students, justice for survivors of assault, flexibility for people with disabilities, public safety, and more.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
- Gun violence prevention: Gun violence is the leading cause of death of children in the United States and crime is on the rise. It’s well past time to enact common-sense gun violence prevention measures to make sure that people who shouldn’t have guns don’t have access to them. These include criminal background checks, red flag laws, safe storage laws, and a requirement to report stolen guns.
- Public education: We need to ensure schools have the resources required to meet the needs of all children, including those with disabilities. We also need to do more to address the mental health needs of our students, which were on the rise even before COVID. I have successfully authored bills to help address this growing crisis.
- Climate change: In addition to harming the planet and vulnerable populations, climate change has serious consequences for Minnesota’s economy, including damage to our valuable forests, changes in Mississippi River water levels that provide drinking water for much of the metro area and cools our power plants, and threatens our agricultural sector with too much or too little precipitation. I support solutions that happen to provide economic benefits to businesses and consumers alike. Electrification in the transportation sector and in buildings will reduce our dependence on volatile fossil fuels in particular and reduce long-term utility costs.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro and what role do businesses play in supporting quality of life issues in East Metro communities?
The business climate is strong due to decades-long commitment to a skilled workforce, a diversified economy, and a strong connection to the global economy. These assets generally allow the private sector in the MSP region to provide good job opportunities and a high quality of life. However, the last two years during COVID have been a serious challenge to both businesses and workers.
What role do you think the State should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to and retain existing businesses in the East Metro?
The state should avoid the “race to the bottom” strategy that other states use to attract businesses with budget-busting incentives. However, we can target assistance to develop specific parcels, support infrastructure that helps both businesses and workers alike (like roads, bridges, and transit), and align our higher education strategies with the labor needs of the business community. We should always be on the lookout for the “next big thing” that could grow into a large presence in our region.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
The retirement of the baby boom workforce—long predicted—is now upon us and accelerated by the pandemic. We must tap into the talents of all Minnesotans seeking to be in the workforce. That involves meeting child care needs of parents. Many parents are staying out of the workforce due to lack of affordable and convenient child care. State support is necessary to close this gap. Lack of affordable housing is also a barrier for finding workers in some locations in the metro area. I support more affordable housing at the yet-undeveloped Rice Creek Commons property in Arden Hills to meet this need. In addition, it should always be a priority that state government and business communicate about aligning higher education opportunities (especially at community colleges) with labor force needs. Finally, we need to create a more welcoming environment for people of color and immigrants in the Greater MSP area.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of a proposal on the many types of businesses in the East Metro and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I have been a supporter of paid family and medical leave. It is the right thing to do so that employees can meet the needs of their families. I look forward to maintaining open communications with the business community on this topic to find a solution.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you use to address public safety issues?
As a prosecutor in the metro and as a longtime victim rights’ advocate, I have dedicated my career to keeping the public safe. As a legislator, I’m leading on gun violence prevention and am the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee. My work with survivors to reform our sexual assault laws has received national recognition. I’ve worked with law enforcement on numerous bills, including proposals to combat drunk driving and carjackings. I’ve also supported proposals to build trust within our criminal justice and reduce racial disparities. When people don’t trust the system, victims don’t report crimes, witnesses don’t come forward, and juries may disbelieve experts like investigators. The response to crime requires a multi-faceted approach, and I’m looking at numerous evidence-based solutions in collaboration with our criminal justice partners.
What strategies or policies would you use to address transportation issues? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
I am supportive of a multimodal transportation policy encompassing roads and bridges, transit, and safe streets for walking and biking. I frequently hear from people and businesses in our district about the need for more options in the North Metro. The extension of the A-line bus from Rosedale to the Rice Creek Commons development in Arden Hills is a priority. Recently, I authored a bill for bonding dollars for a safe walking corridor for students coming to Mounds View High School in Arden Hills. Supporting increased public safety in our transit system is critical to its long-term viability. The pandemic is creating a reassessment of how and where we work. I would like to see a post-pandemic “settling down” of the workforce to see if we should re-orient our transportation spending priorities. Finally, we need a public-private partnership to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state. As an EV owner, I know that I would spend money at businesses in locations with sufficient charging capability.
What strategies or policies would you use to address housing issues?
Affordable housing is critical to those who are raising families, seniors or people with disabilities who want to stay in their homes, and employers who are trying to address workforce shortages. More supply is our greatest need, but market rate housing is going to people with the highest income. Some state support for affordable housing will be needed to close the gap. The Rice Creek Commons property is a major opportunity and cannot be wasted. This development also needs to be ready for climate-friendly electrification (heat pumps, electric vehicle charging, etc.). We must also work to address the unacceptable disparities for home ownership by black Minnesotans.
What are your priorities for the State’s budget? Are there any services currently provided by the State that you believe should be expanded, cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
There are always opportunities for local governments to share services to save money and provide public value. Many of our local governments do this already, such as suburban cities in my area of Ramsey County contracting with the County Sheriff and the Lake Johanna Fire Department for public safety. I am particularly excited about the potential for more co-responder models for addressing emergency calls involving someone having a mental health crisis. This can allow highly trained armed police focus on more serious cases. We can save taxpayer money and get better results by applying the right personnel to the right problem. Keeping people out of crisis helps all of us and saves money!
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
The development of the Rice Creek Commons property is a top priority. I am glad that the City of Arden Hills and the developer have come up with a plan that might break the impasse the city has with Ramsey County so that this development can be a reality. I would support any needed legislation to make this project a reality.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce, and address the achievement gap?
I support increasing the number of teachers of color in Minnesota. BIPOC teachers comprise five percent of teachers while BIPOC students are 34% of Minnesota students. Additional proposals I support include the Governor’s BOLD literacy program, funding for MATH Corps, and funding for expanded school lunches. I have authored legislation to address the mental health needs of our students because students’ needs are growing while Minnesota remains one of the worst states for the ratio of students to support professionals. This session, our caucus also demanded a significant bump in support for E-12 education to maintain high quality and not move backwards.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
I support our caucus’s innovative proposals in this area, including the Spark Revolving Loan Program, small business recovery grants for businesses owned by veterans, women, and people of color, and Targeted Community Capital Projects Grants.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
After passing a significant amount of relief in the previous session, the top priority to help businesses recover at this point is to get child care providers back on line. Lack of affordable child care is restricting the expansion of the workforce.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I love to hear from constituents! Our district is filled with thousands of people from all walks of life who have expertise to share with me. Please sign up for my e-mail newsletter at www.house.mn and let’s stay connected!