Cole Birkeland
Name: Cole Birkeland
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (612) 305-8690
Campaign Website: colebirkeland.com
Twitter handle: N/A
Facebook Page: ColeforHouse
Candidate Bio
As an attorney, I protect people’s retirement savings and their civil rights through the legal system. Prior to that, I worked as a city attorney with numerous local governments across the Twin Cities metro area. I love my community and try to give back by coordinating service projects as the Director of Community Service on the Lake Elmo Rotary Club. I’ve also co-authored a report about improving Emergency Medical Services in Minnesota, and I give lectures to students about the Constitution and civic responsibility for the next generation. As a non-incumbent, I’m offering new leadership to voters who are hungry for change, but leadership that’s informed by extensive experience protecting rights, furthering the public interest, and prioritizing civic engagement.
What are your top three priorities if elected, and how might they be affected by growing uncertainty around state and federal funding?
My top three priorities if elected are:
All of these will be impacted by the recent federal cuts, primarily passed in the OBBBA. Federal subsidies for nutrition, new energy supply, and healthcare have all been cut, undermining both affordability and education outcomes. Simultaneously, the federal government has been rolling back environmental protections while not passing the permitting reform that would boost the economy. This deeply troubling picture only makes the future of state funding more uncertain, as problems caused by the impending cuts to programs may need to be patched with an already-squeezed state budget if we are to avoid the worst outcomes. All of this means that careful economic and financial policy is absolutely necessary moving forward.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro? Please elaborate on your answer.
I see the East Metro’s business environment as one where there are both reasons for optimism and caution. Recently, many communities in the East Metro have been growing after years of stagnation following the financial crisis. The St. Croix Valley area, communities like Woodbury, Lake Elmo, and Stillwater, have all seen strong growth and more volume of business than ever. These communities show how the local business environment can thrive when given the opportunity, and a local consumer base capable of supporting those businesses. At the same time, local businesses face challenges such as the increasing cost of financing, concerns over the impacts of new policies, inefficient and inequitable tax burdens, and the state’s shortage of workers. Addressing these issues, with input from local business owners, is essential to ensure that we have a healthy business environment moving forward. If elected, I will spend my time addressing these issues while maintaining strong lines of communication with the local business community.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges such as education, housing, workforce development, or other priority areas.
The only way to adequately tackle the biggest challenges in society is with strong collaboration between the government, business community, and civil society groups where each maintains their strengths. I see the ideal collaboration between government and the business community as one where there is productive communication about the needs of a community and where strong regulation supports competition, the free market, and stymies undue capture of the government by private interests. I am all for finding constructive ways for the government to partner with the business community to tackle challenges in areas such as education, housing, and workforce development, and look forward to doing so if elected.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
Minnesota’s labor shortage is primarily due to a failure to attract young people to the state as the population ages, and to make Minnesota a more competitive option for young people we need to tackle the cost of living. First and foremost, I will champion policies that aggressively lower the cost of living so we become one of the best options for young people. Housing is the largest expense for most Minnesotans, and dramatically cutting the cost of housing will make Minnesota more attractive for young people, who make less than average and are thus especially sensitive to housing costs. To that end, I strongly support policies that will meaningfully decrease the cost of housing.
Another important cost young workers face is the cost of starting a family, and so I will also champion policies that improve support for Minnesota’s children and parents. This includes expanding and adjusting the state’s child tax credit, investing in our state's primary education system, and increasing the availability and affordability of childcare. These policies directly supporting children and working parents will make it easier for young families to stay in Minnesota and keep working while starting their family.
Another area of concern is ensuring an appropriate skills mix to ensure we do not face a shortage of any particular type of worker. I will work to ensure we have workers of all skill levels, including lowering the cost of in-state higher education, lowering the costs for Minnesota workers to get their professional licensing and credentials, or for newcomers and immigrants to have their out-of-state licenses or credentials recognized, create accessible tools to help both employers and workers easily navigate and connect to job opportunities in our state, increasing workforce development and learning opportunities for Minnesotans, such as apprenticeships, employer-led earn-as-you-learn programs, and internships, and allowing employers more flexibility to offer compensation packages that attract more workers and young people to Minnesota.
Finally, my support is not limited to the policies listed here. I will always be interested to hear about more ways to expand and invest in our workforce.
The Legislature enacted several new workplace mandates in recent years, including Paid Family and Medical Leave, Earned Safe and Sick Time, and Worker Misclassification standards. If elected, how would you evaluate the impact of these policies on the East Metro economy and workforce, and what principles would guide any changes you'd seek to make?
I would be guided by two principles that are simultaneously necessary:
I support both PFML, ESST, and WMS because they provide support for workers and families. It is essential that workers have the ability to take time so they care for themselves when they are sick or for a new child, and I will not support efforts to undermine the support they need to do so. But I also take seriously businesses who have expressed concerns about how these new programs might impact them. I am open to adjusting these policies to make sure they are as workable and painless for businesses as possible while not reducing worker’s protections or benefits. Minnesotans will be better off with a favorable business environment that provides jobs and livelihoods in our state, so we must make these programs work well for businesses and workers alike if they are going to work at all.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your district and the state?
I believe that Emergency Medical Services could be improved by reforming the current statutory and regulatory scheme to move closer toward local control models. I also believe that the most effective way to reduce crime is having eyes on the street, and preemptive deterrence would lead to better outcomes for all community members. To support law enforcement in doing this, I will maintain a strong line of communication with our local law enforcement, and work to ensure they have the support, manpower, and resources needed to do their jobs.
How would you work to improve transportation options in the district/state, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
My district’s communities are diverse in their needs. Lake Elmo and Cottage Grove have both seen robust economic growth in some areas, and if elected I want to do my part in ensuring they have what they need on their trajectory. For example, ensuring that these cities have the road and transportation infrastructure they need to handle the current level of economic development efficiently and safely will be a priority. Furthermore, being further out from the city center means these cities have less public and mass transportation options available to residents, and I will be looking to expand such services where it would be helpful for our economy.
Other communities, like Afton, have prioritized preserving the natural environment, and base much of their local business around that. For those communities I will prioritize getting them the specific transportation investments needed to maintain the local character that is so important to their economy. Finally, I strongly support the recent policy changes to strengthen e-bike safety, and will support further e-bike safety measures in my time in the legislature.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Housing is the largest expense for most Minnesotans. While we must ensure local residents have a say in what happens in their community, the primary way to cut housing costs is to build more housing. To that end, I support policies that will increase housing construction, including certain zoning, land-use, and permitting reforms to increase construction opportunities and lower construction costs while still allowing important local community input.
I also support setting consistent deadlines so that applications get decisions quickly, increasing access to manufactured and modular housing, ensuring adequate access to capital for housing construction and improvements, and expanding tax exceptions for new housing, structures, and improvements.
These reforms will increase growth and create many new job opportunities in housing related sectors. A policy that leads to more growth, lower costs of living, increased opportunity, a larger tax base, and more tax revenue without raising taxes will be a central focus of my work if elected.
Minnesota's current two-year budget shows a surplus, but state forecasters project a significant structural imbalance beginning in the 2028-2029 biennium. What steps would you take to address this long-term challenge? Please include specific ideas for reducing spending, increasing revenue, or reforming state programs.
To address the projected fiscal imbalance, we must first and foremost focus on strengthening Minnesota’s economic growth. An economy that grows faster than is currently projected will mean more revenue, thus attacking the root problem. Some of the measures I would support to increase economic growth include:
After we have done everything possible to increase economic output, we will then have to turn to raising more revenue and cutting costs. I will spend my time in the legislature looking for ways to do both that do not harm Minnesota’s families and businesses, while also prioritizing policies that mitigate the need to do either in order to balance our budget.
Minnesota has faced several high-profile fraud cases involving public programs in recent years. The Legislature recently passed a new Office of the Inspector General on a bipartisan basis. Beyond this new office, what additional steps would you support to strengthen fraud prevention and rebuild public trust in how the state manages taxpayer-funded programs?
I would equip law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to prosecute criminal fraudsters to the fullest extent of the law, holding wrongdoers accountable and obtaining justice for crimes that have already been committed against taxpayers. I would also support imposing more severe penalties for fraudulent conduct, which serves an important function to deter future criminal conduct. Additionally, I support a full audit of state government programs, in order to uncover additional weak points that could be especially vulnerable to fraud and abuse. I would ensure that we fortify any areas in the process or programs that are most susceptible to abuse, including but not limited to modernizing the technology used to catch suspicious patterns, more thorough front-end screening before money is awarded, and requiring on-site inspections at physical locations.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (612) 305-8690
Campaign Website: colebirkeland.com
Twitter handle: N/A
Facebook Page: ColeforHouse
Candidate Bio
As an attorney, I protect people’s retirement savings and their civil rights through the legal system. Prior to that, I worked as a city attorney with numerous local governments across the Twin Cities metro area. I love my community and try to give back by coordinating service projects as the Director of Community Service on the Lake Elmo Rotary Club. I’ve also co-authored a report about improving Emergency Medical Services in Minnesota, and I give lectures to students about the Constitution and civic responsibility for the next generation. As a non-incumbent, I’m offering new leadership to voters who are hungry for change, but leadership that’s informed by extensive experience protecting rights, furthering the public interest, and prioritizing civic engagement.
What are your top three priorities if elected, and how might they be affected by growing uncertainty around state and federal funding?
My top three priorities if elected are:
- Affordability, growth, and the economy;
- Environmental protections; and
- Educating the next generation to be successful.
All of these will be impacted by the recent federal cuts, primarily passed in the OBBBA. Federal subsidies for nutrition, new energy supply, and healthcare have all been cut, undermining both affordability and education outcomes. Simultaneously, the federal government has been rolling back environmental protections while not passing the permitting reform that would boost the economy. This deeply troubling picture only makes the future of state funding more uncertain, as problems caused by the impending cuts to programs may need to be patched with an already-squeezed state budget if we are to avoid the worst outcomes. All of this means that careful economic and financial policy is absolutely necessary moving forward.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro? Please elaborate on your answer.
I see the East Metro’s business environment as one where there are both reasons for optimism and caution. Recently, many communities in the East Metro have been growing after years of stagnation following the financial crisis. The St. Croix Valley area, communities like Woodbury, Lake Elmo, and Stillwater, have all seen strong growth and more volume of business than ever. These communities show how the local business environment can thrive when given the opportunity, and a local consumer base capable of supporting those businesses. At the same time, local businesses face challenges such as the increasing cost of financing, concerns over the impacts of new policies, inefficient and inequitable tax burdens, and the state’s shortage of workers. Addressing these issues, with input from local business owners, is essential to ensure that we have a healthy business environment moving forward. If elected, I will spend my time addressing these issues while maintaining strong lines of communication with the local business community.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges such as education, housing, workforce development, or other priority areas.
The only way to adequately tackle the biggest challenges in society is with strong collaboration between the government, business community, and civil society groups where each maintains their strengths. I see the ideal collaboration between government and the business community as one where there is productive communication about the needs of a community and where strong regulation supports competition, the free market, and stymies undue capture of the government by private interests. I am all for finding constructive ways for the government to partner with the business community to tackle challenges in areas such as education, housing, and workforce development, and look forward to doing so if elected.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
Minnesota’s labor shortage is primarily due to a failure to attract young people to the state as the population ages, and to make Minnesota a more competitive option for young people we need to tackle the cost of living. First and foremost, I will champion policies that aggressively lower the cost of living so we become one of the best options for young people. Housing is the largest expense for most Minnesotans, and dramatically cutting the cost of housing will make Minnesota more attractive for young people, who make less than average and are thus especially sensitive to housing costs. To that end, I strongly support policies that will meaningfully decrease the cost of housing.
Another important cost young workers face is the cost of starting a family, and so I will also champion policies that improve support for Minnesota’s children and parents. This includes expanding and adjusting the state’s child tax credit, investing in our state's primary education system, and increasing the availability and affordability of childcare. These policies directly supporting children and working parents will make it easier for young families to stay in Minnesota and keep working while starting their family.
Another area of concern is ensuring an appropriate skills mix to ensure we do not face a shortage of any particular type of worker. I will work to ensure we have workers of all skill levels, including lowering the cost of in-state higher education, lowering the costs for Minnesota workers to get their professional licensing and credentials, or for newcomers and immigrants to have their out-of-state licenses or credentials recognized, create accessible tools to help both employers and workers easily navigate and connect to job opportunities in our state, increasing workforce development and learning opportunities for Minnesotans, such as apprenticeships, employer-led earn-as-you-learn programs, and internships, and allowing employers more flexibility to offer compensation packages that attract more workers and young people to Minnesota.
Finally, my support is not limited to the policies listed here. I will always be interested to hear about more ways to expand and invest in our workforce.
The Legislature enacted several new workplace mandates in recent years, including Paid Family and Medical Leave, Earned Safe and Sick Time, and Worker Misclassification standards. If elected, how would you evaluate the impact of these policies on the East Metro economy and workforce, and what principles would guide any changes you'd seek to make?
I would be guided by two principles that are simultaneously necessary:
- Provide strong support workers and families; and
- Avoid undue and destructive burdens on business.
I support both PFML, ESST, and WMS because they provide support for workers and families. It is essential that workers have the ability to take time so they care for themselves when they are sick or for a new child, and I will not support efforts to undermine the support they need to do so. But I also take seriously businesses who have expressed concerns about how these new programs might impact them. I am open to adjusting these policies to make sure they are as workable and painless for businesses as possible while not reducing worker’s protections or benefits. Minnesotans will be better off with a favorable business environment that provides jobs and livelihoods in our state, so we must make these programs work well for businesses and workers alike if they are going to work at all.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your district and the state?
I believe that Emergency Medical Services could be improved by reforming the current statutory and regulatory scheme to move closer toward local control models. I also believe that the most effective way to reduce crime is having eyes on the street, and preemptive deterrence would lead to better outcomes for all community members. To support law enforcement in doing this, I will maintain a strong line of communication with our local law enforcement, and work to ensure they have the support, manpower, and resources needed to do their jobs.
How would you work to improve transportation options in the district/state, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
My district’s communities are diverse in their needs. Lake Elmo and Cottage Grove have both seen robust economic growth in some areas, and if elected I want to do my part in ensuring they have what they need on their trajectory. For example, ensuring that these cities have the road and transportation infrastructure they need to handle the current level of economic development efficiently and safely will be a priority. Furthermore, being further out from the city center means these cities have less public and mass transportation options available to residents, and I will be looking to expand such services where it would be helpful for our economy.
Other communities, like Afton, have prioritized preserving the natural environment, and base much of their local business around that. For those communities I will prioritize getting them the specific transportation investments needed to maintain the local character that is so important to their economy. Finally, I strongly support the recent policy changes to strengthen e-bike safety, and will support further e-bike safety measures in my time in the legislature.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Housing is the largest expense for most Minnesotans. While we must ensure local residents have a say in what happens in their community, the primary way to cut housing costs is to build more housing. To that end, I support policies that will increase housing construction, including certain zoning, land-use, and permitting reforms to increase construction opportunities and lower construction costs while still allowing important local community input.
I also support setting consistent deadlines so that applications get decisions quickly, increasing access to manufactured and modular housing, ensuring adequate access to capital for housing construction and improvements, and expanding tax exceptions for new housing, structures, and improvements.
These reforms will increase growth and create many new job opportunities in housing related sectors. A policy that leads to more growth, lower costs of living, increased opportunity, a larger tax base, and more tax revenue without raising taxes will be a central focus of my work if elected.
Minnesota's current two-year budget shows a surplus, but state forecasters project a significant structural imbalance beginning in the 2028-2029 biennium. What steps would you take to address this long-term challenge? Please include specific ideas for reducing spending, increasing revenue, or reforming state programs.
To address the projected fiscal imbalance, we must first and foremost focus on strengthening Minnesota’s economic growth. An economy that grows faster than is currently projected will mean more revenue, thus attacking the root problem. Some of the measures I would support to increase economic growth include:
- Reform the state’s corporate income tax to move towards full and permanent expensing for investments made by in state businesses;
- Simplify the state tax code in order to lower marginal rates while remaining revenue neutral and without hurting tax progressivity;
- Ensure adequate access to capital for business, especially in sectors disproportionately harmed by high interest rates; and
- Increase investments in energy infrastructure, paired with reforms that lower the cost of constructing that infrastructure.
After we have done everything possible to increase economic output, we will then have to turn to raising more revenue and cutting costs. I will spend my time in the legislature looking for ways to do both that do not harm Minnesota’s families and businesses, while also prioritizing policies that mitigate the need to do either in order to balance our budget.
Minnesota has faced several high-profile fraud cases involving public programs in recent years. The Legislature recently passed a new Office of the Inspector General on a bipartisan basis. Beyond this new office, what additional steps would you support to strengthen fraud prevention and rebuild public trust in how the state manages taxpayer-funded programs?
I would equip law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to prosecute criminal fraudsters to the fullest extent of the law, holding wrongdoers accountable and obtaining justice for crimes that have already been committed against taxpayers. I would also support imposing more severe penalties for fraudulent conduct, which serves an important function to deter future criminal conduct. Additionally, I support a full audit of state government programs, in order to uncover additional weak points that could be especially vulnerable to fraud and abuse. I would ensure that we fortify any areas in the process or programs that are most susceptible to abuse, including but not limited to modernizing the technology used to catch suspicious patterns, more thorough front-end screening before money is awarded, and requiring on-site inspections at physical locations.