Ben’s Priorities for District 17B
Real solutions for rural Minnesota — grounded in five generations of lived experience.
District 17B has real challenges that deserve practical, common-sense solutions. Ben’s platform is built on direct, lived experience — from five generations of farming in Sibley County to championing rural communities at the State Capitol.
Supporting Family Farms & Agriculture
Ben grew up on a fifth-generation dairy farm. He understands firsthand the economic pressures on independent family farms and is dedicated to keeping family agriculture strong and viable for the next generation.
- ✓Break up corporate agricultural monopolies that undermine small and mid-size family operations
- ✓Restore bargaining power for independent farmers by strengthening cooperative and collective market access
- ✓Protect prime agricultural land from corporate and foreign acquisition
- ✓Expand rural broadband to enable precision agriculture and direct-to-consumer market access
- ✓Invest in sustainable soil and water conservation programs that pay farmers, not penalize them
Affordable Living & Healthcare
Rural families shouldn't have to drive an hour to see a doctor or choose between prescriptions and groceries. Affordable healthcare is an economic issue — and a rural survival issue.
- ✓Protect and fund rural critical access hospitals and clinics threatened by closure
- ✓Lower prescription drug costs by expanding MN’s ability to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies
- ✓Make high-quality senior care and long-term care accessible and affordable close to home
- ✓Reduce fuel and energy costs that squeeze rural household budgets and farm operations
- ✓Oppose any efforts to cut healthcare access for working families and low-income Minnesotans
Education Excellence in Rural Schools
Alongside family agriculture, public education is the second foundational backbone of rural Minnesota. Ben believes every student in District 17B deserves a world-class education — without driving 45 minutes to get it.
- ✓Reform state funding formulas so rural and small-district schools receive equitable per-pupil funding
- ✓Attract and retain great teachers by making teacher pay competitive with other professions
- ✓Expand Farm-to-School partnerships that source fresh food directly from local family farms
- ✓Invest in vocational, technical, FFA, and trades programs that prepare students for in-demand careers
- ✓Maintain local control of rural school boards — oppose unfunded mandates from St. Paul
- ✓Ensure safe, modern school facilities for every child in the district
Veterans & Fair Taxation
The men and women who served deserve more than thanks — they deserve our full support. And our tax system should be fair and transparent, ensuring working families and small farms are never left carrying an unfair burden.
- ✓Fully fund veteran mental health services, substance use treatment, and transition support
- ✓Expand access to veteran-specific healthcare and financial counseling in rural areas
- ✓Oppose taxation policies that disproportionately burden working families and small farms
- ✓Support progressive, ability-to-pay tax structures that protect middle- and lower-income Minnesotans
- ✓Close loopholes that allow large corporations and absentee landowners to minimize local tax burden