Margaret Anderson Kelliher: 2018 Election Guide
Welcome to WCCO.com's 2018 political guide!
We reached out to all Minnesota candidates running for U.S Senate, Governor, U.S Congress, Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Auditor this fall. Candidates were asked to provide a two-minute video discussing their platform as well as answer a set of our viewer's questions.
Above is the video and below the answers Margaret Anderson Kelliher provided. This is not a paid advertisement nor does WCCO endorse any candidate.
Responses from Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL candidate for the 5th District
Do you support changing the law to release non-violent drug offenders currently serving federal prison terms?
Our criminal justice system is broken. I believe we need to stop the prison pipeline by ending federal support of private prisons and have comprehensive reform of our criminal justice policies, including low-level drug offenses, which disproportionately punishes people of color, creating over-incarceration of black men. Putting resources into rehabilitation, housing support and job skills, instead of incarceration is critical to ending the cycle of recidivism.
Should Congress appropriate $25 billion to build a security wall along the U.S.-Mexico border?
I do not support the construction of a wall along the U.S.- Mexico border. We must reform our immigration enforcement policies that have developed since 2002 and the establishment of ICE. We need to disband ICE and return to a system of immigration that is humane and fair. The proposed border wall funding would be better put to use by investing in our communities including schools, roads, bridges and local infrastructure.
Should children brought to the United States with their parents illegally be given a path to U.S. citizenship, or should they be deported to their native countries?
I stand with young people who were brought to the US as children. The United States is the only country they've ever known and to deport them to a country they've never lived in would be unconscionable. I will continue to speak out and support Dreamers and their continued contributions to our country.
Do you think North Korea will "denuclearize," as President Trump says it will?
North Korea's denuclearization is critical not only for national security but for the safety of the world. I am encouraged by the fact that there has been no weapons testing in nine months. I am hopeful that denuclearization will happen but the recent summit between the President and Kim Jong-un was more symbolic than substantive and may have had the United States giving up too much with little in return.
Do you believe in climate change, and should the U.S. rejoin the Paris climate accords?
Yes, I believe climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing our country and the world. That's why as Speaker of the MN House, I guided the passage of Minnesota's ambitious renewable energy standard. We should absolutely rejoin the Paris Climate Accords. I am heartened by the willingness of local mayors, cities, and states to continue moving forward with the goals set forth under the Paris agreement even as our federal government ignores the critical responsibility our country has in fighting climate change across the globe.
Canada is retaliating for the U.S. tariffs by imposing tariffs of its own on Minnesota products. Among the Minnesota products: grain, aluminum, boats and boat accessories, packaged dairy products, ATVs, and much more. China imposed retaliatory tariffs on Minnesota soybeans and pork products. Do you believe it will hurt Minnesota producers?
Yes - and we already see the impacts on our state's economy. We live in a global economy where actions like the overzealous tariff policy of the Trump Administration will cause real harm to people in the 5th Congressional District. Our economy in Minnesota and the 5th CD is diverse in the number of industries and employers. Many of those employers are engaged in food production, food marketing, and distribution – this is where these actions can hurt both farmers and the food economy. We also can see where the cost of inputs is rising for medical device and other manufacturers as well as construction.
