Tom Dippel
Name: Tom Dippel
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (612) 208-3801
Campaign Website: DippelforMN.com
Twitter handle: @TomDippel
Facebook Page: Dippel for House
Candidate Bio
I am a lifelong resident of Cottage Grove and a longtime business owner in the area. I started my dental manufacturing business in 2008 with just 5 employees. Now, my business has 20 employees and counting, working with dentists and oral surgeons across the country. I know what it takes to manage teams, make budgets, and make difficult decisions.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
1. My first priority will be to reduce taxes and out-of-control spending in St. Paul. In 2023, politicians increased government by an incredible 40%. With that came a series of tax raises across the board. This is not sustainable for our working families and business owners.
2. My second priority will be to cut burdensome regulations on businesses. The mandatory family leave policy has forced business owners to completely restructure their pay and benefits systems, causing an unnecessary headache for those who provide jobs in our community. I will find common ground between policies like this and the needs of business owners.
3. 3. My third priority will focus our state on education excellence. This means a tax credit-based school choice policy, more incentives for teachers to come to Minnesota, and more autonomy for local school districts.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro? Please elaborate on your answer.
The business climate in the East Metro is poor. In St. Paul, there is an aggregate sales tax of 10% – far above what most consumers are willing to pay. In our district, local businesses are under constant scrutiny from entities like the Metropolitan Council. A few months ago, they shut down the Hastings Dairy Store, a staple of the community. This sends a negative message to business owners and prospective business owners about their ability to make a living in Minnesota.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development? Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
I believe in a limited government that does not stand in the way of business owners (within reason). This means that the government may offer incentives to desperately needed industries within the East Metro. My ideal incentive would include a tax cut or tax credit. The best way that government can help business is to get out of the way of their bottom line.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
I would work to enact commonsense legislation that attracts workers to Minnesota. Solutions include eliminating taxes on tips, decreasing sales tax, and easing licensure requirements for professions like teaching.
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 support targeted investments in apprenticeships and ensuring that Minnesota’s wage theft laws are working correctly. I am committed to hearing out all stakeholders, in particular a wide range of business owners in SD 41, on any employment-related proposals.
The 2023-2024 Legislature passed many new mandates on employers, such as Paid Family Medical Leave, Earned Safe and Sick Time, and Worker Misclassification penalties. Do you support the PFML program in ins current form or do you believe there needs to be further refinement before the program comes into effect in January 2026? If elected, 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?
Mandates passed by the 2023-2024 legislature need serious refinement. Allowing smaller businesses to opt out of these programs is a great start, as large employers already have these policies built into their budgets. Smaller businesses need more time and more flexibility with these policies.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your district and the state?
Working with police officers and police associations will help our state craft legislation that protects both citizens and law enforcement. Currently, activists at the Capitol have limited the ability of police officers to have proper training and legal protection. These same activists cheer on an out-of-control County Attorney in Hennepin County as she prosecutes and verbally attacks police officers. Should they expand their Democrat Majority, these activist politicians have announced their intention to make Minnesota a sanctuary state for illegal immigration – prohibiting police officers from working with federal law enforcement.
How would you work to improve transportation options in the district/state, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
I do not believe the state should play a role in constructing bike lanes or trains. These projects are too expensive and lead to too much traffic congestion in the medium term. Instead, building more “Park & Ride” stations across the state and bolstering our bus systems will provide a more efficient way of transporting passengers to and from the Twin Cities.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Supply chain problems, burdensome regulations, and a growing population have led to a detrimental housing shortage for new buyers and even renters. This can be solved by selling state and local land to real estate developers and tax credits for investing in Minnesota neighborhoods. Lifting the sales tax on building materials will also help drive costs of building projects down. Local housing regulations also drive up cost. I would seek to give builders and buyers the flexibility to utilize the materials and exterior façade they deem appropriate, rather than local jurisdictions.
In light of projected budget deficit/"structural imbalance," what are your priorities for the State's budget?
As previously mentioned, Minnesota’s state budget grew by 40% in 2023. That may have been briefly sustainable with the large budget surplus but will not work for Minnesotans in the long run without drastic tax increases. Strategic cuts must be made to the state budget year over year so that Minnesotans can maintain quality services while also keeping money in their pockets.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (612) 208-3801
Campaign Website: DippelforMN.com
Twitter handle: @TomDippel
Facebook Page: Dippel for House
Candidate Bio
I am a lifelong resident of Cottage Grove and a longtime business owner in the area. I started my dental manufacturing business in 2008 with just 5 employees. Now, my business has 20 employees and counting, working with dentists and oral surgeons across the country. I know what it takes to manage teams, make budgets, and make difficult decisions.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
1. My first priority will be to reduce taxes and out-of-control spending in St. Paul. In 2023, politicians increased government by an incredible 40%. With that came a series of tax raises across the board. This is not sustainable for our working families and business owners.
2. My second priority will be to cut burdensome regulations on businesses. The mandatory family leave policy has forced business owners to completely restructure their pay and benefits systems, causing an unnecessary headache for those who provide jobs in our community. I will find common ground between policies like this and the needs of business owners.
3. 3. My third priority will focus our state on education excellence. This means a tax credit-based school choice policy, more incentives for teachers to come to Minnesota, and more autonomy for local school districts.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro? Please elaborate on your answer.
The business climate in the East Metro is poor. In St. Paul, there is an aggregate sales tax of 10% – far above what most consumers are willing to pay. In our district, local businesses are under constant scrutiny from entities like the Metropolitan Council. A few months ago, they shut down the Hastings Dairy Store, a staple of the community. This sends a negative message to business owners and prospective business owners about their ability to make a living in Minnesota.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development? Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
I believe in a limited government that does not stand in the way of business owners (within reason). This means that the government may offer incentives to desperately needed industries within the East Metro. My ideal incentive would include a tax cut or tax credit. The best way that government can help business is to get out of the way of their bottom line.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
I would work to enact commonsense legislation that attracts workers to Minnesota. Solutions include eliminating taxes on tips, decreasing sales tax, and easing licensure requirements for professions like teaching.
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 support targeted investments in apprenticeships and ensuring that Minnesota’s wage theft laws are working correctly. I am committed to hearing out all stakeholders, in particular a wide range of business owners in SD 41, on any employment-related proposals.
The 2023-2024 Legislature passed many new mandates on employers, such as Paid Family Medical Leave, Earned Safe and Sick Time, and Worker Misclassification penalties. Do you support the PFML program in ins current form or do you believe there needs to be further refinement before the program comes into effect in January 2026? If elected, 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?
Mandates passed by the 2023-2024 legislature need serious refinement. Allowing smaller businesses to opt out of these programs is a great start, as large employers already have these policies built into their budgets. Smaller businesses need more time and more flexibility with these policies.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your district and the state?
Working with police officers and police associations will help our state craft legislation that protects both citizens and law enforcement. Currently, activists at the Capitol have limited the ability of police officers to have proper training and legal protection. These same activists cheer on an out-of-control County Attorney in Hennepin County as she prosecutes and verbally attacks police officers. Should they expand their Democrat Majority, these activist politicians have announced their intention to make Minnesota a sanctuary state for illegal immigration – prohibiting police officers from working with federal law enforcement.
How would you work to improve transportation options in the district/state, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
I do not believe the state should play a role in constructing bike lanes or trains. These projects are too expensive and lead to too much traffic congestion in the medium term. Instead, building more “Park & Ride” stations across the state and bolstering our bus systems will provide a more efficient way of transporting passengers to and from the Twin Cities.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Supply chain problems, burdensome regulations, and a growing population have led to a detrimental housing shortage for new buyers and even renters. This can be solved by selling state and local land to real estate developers and tax credits for investing in Minnesota neighborhoods. Lifting the sales tax on building materials will also help drive costs of building projects down. Local housing regulations also drive up cost. I would seek to give builders and buyers the flexibility to utilize the materials and exterior façade they deem appropriate, rather than local jurisdictions.
In light of projected budget deficit/"structural imbalance," what are your priorities for the State's budget?
As previously mentioned, Minnesota’s state budget grew by 40% in 2023. That may have been briefly sustainable with the large budget surplus but will not work for Minnesotans in the long run without drastic tax increases. Strategic cuts must be made to the state budget year over year so that Minnesotans can maintain quality services while also keeping money in their pockets.