Tom Dippel
Name: Tom Dippel
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-246-5058
Campaign Website: www.DippelForMN.com
Twitter handle: @TomDippel
Facebook Page: @DippelForSenate
Candidate Bio
As a lifelong resident of Cottage Grove and current state representative, I am an embedded member of the community and have focused on listening, learning, and amplifying the voices of those around me. My experience as a husband of 18 years and father of 6 has grounded me in service and community rather than partisanship, and inspired me to found a local school, where I serve as board chair.
I have also owned a business for over 20 years and have experienced the impacts of poorly-decided state government policy on workers, employers, and families. By owning and operating a business, I've learned how to prioritize, innovate, and create sustainable progress. Because of these lessons, I understand the gravity of legislation on businesses and the hard-working Minnesotans who design and advance them. I have brought this perspective to St. Paul as a member of the House of Representatives, and I will continue to fight for it in the State Senate.
What are your top three priorities if elected, and how might they be affected by growing uncertainty around state and federal funding?
As a state senator, one of my top priorities will be to fight for tax cuts that align with Minnesotans' family budgets, such as gas, sales, and Social Security taxes.
Secondly, one-party control in state government has created a laundry list of burdensome mandates on local governments, which have dramatically driven up property taxes for Minnesotans. Rolling back those costly decisions will remain a significant priority of mine.
Third, I believe in restoring Minnesota as a business-friendly environment, which means advocating for policies that incentivize meaningful investments in our communities.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro? Please elaborate on your answer.
The business climate in Minnesota has become increasingly hostile after two years of unchecked, one-party control. Unmoderated tax increases and costly state regulations have discouraged businesses from starting up in our state and have prompted many to move across state borders. As a representative of communities that border another state, the loss of businesses and lack of investment is felt by both those who choose to stay and those who leave.
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.
Collaboration between the government and the business community should be localized and based on the educational needs and developmental goals of communities. A multitude of mandates have made the dream of homeownership difficult for Minnesotans, particularly for first-time homebuyers. This is why the state government should allow developers to identify what buyers are looking for so they can provide quality options and competition that drives down prices. This framework naturally encourages strong workforce development, which is necessary for businesses to create a competitive edge.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
Addressing the labor shortage means investing in our communities to attract a workforce. This includes promoting public safety, access to affordable housing, and quality schools, which are often deciding factors for individuals looking for communities to work in.
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?
These mandates have contributed to a culture of uncertainty in Minnesota's business environment. With the programs already in place, improvements should be crafted with care and balance between the needs of the workforce and the capacity of businesses. One-party control overlooked these nuances, leading to workforce shortages, unpredictability for entrepreneurs, and increased expenses for employees and employers.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your district and the state?
After devastating incidents, a prominent issue in our area has been the prevalence of E-Motos. I recently brought forward legislation requiring electric motorcycles to follow higher safety standards, which would prevent future accidents.
I am also a strong supporter of investments in our law enforcement and public safety infrastructure. Ensuring that members of our community have fast and high-quality responses in their moments of need is a critical part of what will attract families and businesses to our area.
How would you work to improve transportation options in the district/state, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
In addition to my legislation to improve safety standards for E-Motos, I have consistently supported funding for local infrastructure. Through bonding funds, the City of Cottage Grove has improved roads and bridges and created economically accessible spaces for residents. I plan to continue fighting for improved safety standards for E-motos and investments in transportation.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Promoting housing affordability and shortages will involve leaning into a market system that values what consumers are looking for, and breaking down unnecessary red tape and regulatory burdens. Additionally, alleviating taxes for families and developers will create a more flexible environment for workers, employers, and buyers.
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.
Minnesotans deserve a responsibly balanced budget, and one-party control in 2024 and 2025 failed on that promise, leaving us with a culture of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. With many of those policies just now going into effect, the state government needs to address the structural imbalance to avoid putting more of the tax burden on our communities. This starts with rolling back the spending increases from the trifecta and carefully evaluating programs for wasteful and fraudulent spending.
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?
Minnesotans are rightfully concerned about the fraud that’s occurred in our state under one-party control. In addition to voting for the creation of an independent Office of the Inspector General, I proposed anti-fraud measures to create alerts and verification procedures before taxpayer dollars are spent.
HF 4715 proposes an automatic alert system when programs start spending more than their forecast. The percentage system would trigger audits and further legislative oversight to prevent significant amounts of taxpayer dollars from being stolen, as we saw under trifecta leadership.
Second, HF 4803 is a program integrity measure that proposed electronic visit verification requirements for various human services programs. This is an efficient way to verify that services are truly being provided to those who are most in need.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-246-5058
Campaign Website: www.DippelForMN.com
Twitter handle: @TomDippel
Facebook Page: @DippelForSenate
Candidate Bio
As a lifelong resident of Cottage Grove and current state representative, I am an embedded member of the community and have focused on listening, learning, and amplifying the voices of those around me. My experience as a husband of 18 years and father of 6 has grounded me in service and community rather than partisanship, and inspired me to found a local school, where I serve as board chair.
I have also owned a business for over 20 years and have experienced the impacts of poorly-decided state government policy on workers, employers, and families. By owning and operating a business, I've learned how to prioritize, innovate, and create sustainable progress. Because of these lessons, I understand the gravity of legislation on businesses and the hard-working Minnesotans who design and advance them. I have brought this perspective to St. Paul as a member of the House of Representatives, and I will continue to fight for it in the State Senate.
What are your top three priorities if elected, and how might they be affected by growing uncertainty around state and federal funding?
As a state senator, one of my top priorities will be to fight for tax cuts that align with Minnesotans' family budgets, such as gas, sales, and Social Security taxes.
Secondly, one-party control in state government has created a laundry list of burdensome mandates on local governments, which have dramatically driven up property taxes for Minnesotans. Rolling back those costly decisions will remain a significant priority of mine.
Third, I believe in restoring Minnesota as a business-friendly environment, which means advocating for policies that incentivize meaningful investments in our communities.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro? Please elaborate on your answer.
The business climate in Minnesota has become increasingly hostile after two years of unchecked, one-party control. Unmoderated tax increases and costly state regulations have discouraged businesses from starting up in our state and have prompted many to move across state borders. As a representative of communities that border another state, the loss of businesses and lack of investment is felt by both those who choose to stay and those who leave.
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.
Collaboration between the government and the business community should be localized and based on the educational needs and developmental goals of communities. A multitude of mandates have made the dream of homeownership difficult for Minnesotans, particularly for first-time homebuyers. This is why the state government should allow developers to identify what buyers are looking for so they can provide quality options and competition that drives down prices. This framework naturally encourages strong workforce development, which is necessary for businesses to create a competitive edge.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
Addressing the labor shortage means investing in our communities to attract a workforce. This includes promoting public safety, access to affordable housing, and quality schools, which are often deciding factors for individuals looking for communities to work in.
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?
These mandates have contributed to a culture of uncertainty in Minnesota's business environment. With the programs already in place, improvements should be crafted with care and balance between the needs of the workforce and the capacity of businesses. One-party control overlooked these nuances, leading to workforce shortages, unpredictability for entrepreneurs, and increased expenses for employees and employers.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your district and the state?
After devastating incidents, a prominent issue in our area has been the prevalence of E-Motos. I recently brought forward legislation requiring electric motorcycles to follow higher safety standards, which would prevent future accidents.
I am also a strong supporter of investments in our law enforcement and public safety infrastructure. Ensuring that members of our community have fast and high-quality responses in their moments of need is a critical part of what will attract families and businesses to our area.
How would you work to improve transportation options in the district/state, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
In addition to my legislation to improve safety standards for E-Motos, I have consistently supported funding for local infrastructure. Through bonding funds, the City of Cottage Grove has improved roads and bridges and created economically accessible spaces for residents. I plan to continue fighting for improved safety standards for E-motos and investments in transportation.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Promoting housing affordability and shortages will involve leaning into a market system that values what consumers are looking for, and breaking down unnecessary red tape and regulatory burdens. Additionally, alleviating taxes for families and developers will create a more flexible environment for workers, employers, and buyers.
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.
Minnesotans deserve a responsibly balanced budget, and one-party control in 2024 and 2025 failed on that promise, leaving us with a culture of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. With many of those policies just now going into effect, the state government needs to address the structural imbalance to avoid putting more of the tax burden on our communities. This starts with rolling back the spending increases from the trifecta and carefully evaluating programs for wasteful and fraudulent spending.
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?
Minnesotans are rightfully concerned about the fraud that’s occurred in our state under one-party control. In addition to voting for the creation of an independent Office of the Inspector General, I proposed anti-fraud measures to create alerts and verification procedures before taxpayer dollars are spent.
HF 4715 proposes an automatic alert system when programs start spending more than their forecast. The percentage system would trigger audits and further legislative oversight to prevent significant amounts of taxpayer dollars from being stolen, as we saw under trifecta leadership.
Second, HF 4803 is a program integrity measure that proposed electronic visit verification requirements for various human services programs. This is an efficient way to verify that services are truly being provided to those who are most in need.