IMPROVING STATE GOVERNMENT

Gen believes core Republican principles build a foundation for progress

In her years as your state senator, Gen Olson’s efforts have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the core principals of the Republican Party:

• Education with high standards and local control
• Free enterprise without excessive regulation
• Limited government that provides needed services
• Protecting Minnesotans through tough laws on crime

Gen believes that the people she represents in Senate District 33, regardless of their political leanings, want policies that produce results rather than just spending more dollars. She continues her work with the governor and fellow legislators to make that happen.
 

Gen takes lead in funding education

This biennium recorded the largest increase in funding education in decades. As lead Republican on Education Policy and E-12 Education Budget committees, Gen helped preserve the legislature’s commitment to use surplus funds to restore scheduled state payments to Minnesota schools. As a result, $794 million in general dollars will help fund many worthwhile programs including: Early Childhood and Head Start, performance pay initiatives for teachers, courses for gifted and talented students, and opportunities for students to take courses that qualify for college credit.
 

Gen stands up for fiscal responsibility

In the past four years, the governor, together with fiscally responsible elected leaders like Gen Olson, resolved a combined budget of $4.9 billion without raising taxes. They lifted our state out of the largest deficit in its history. We ended this biennium with replenished reserves and money to provide tax relief. Gen also defended the law on property tax reform from efforts to reverse it.
 

Gen advocates tougher crime bills

Crime and public safety are on everyone’s mind. Gen strongly supported Rep. Steve Smith’s legislation dealing with crime, public safety, and fire safety. Highlights of those bills include life sentences for the worst sex offenders, stronger penalties for meth crimes, a DNA database for all felons, and more funding for fire safety training, arson investigators, and hazardous material response teams.
 

Gen works hard on your behalf

In this cynical age, it’s easy to think of our elected leaders as politicians rather than people of principle. Gen Olson is an exception, as evidenced by the respect given to her by her peers and her 60%-plus margins of victory at election time. When Gen speaks for the passage of sound legislation on the Senate Floor, works hard in committee on budget and tax reforms, or cuts governmental red tape for a constituent, she’s doing what the strong majority of voters elected her to do.
 

Gen understands transportation issues

With an investment of $230 million for roads, bridges, and transit in the last biennium, our state needs experienced leaders like Gen Olson to guide the planning, budgeting, and use of federal dollars. In order to save money in the future, Gen supports bonding for increased road capacity but not for maintenance and infrastructure. Bonding can be used to jump-start necessary projects, which also results in cost savings over time.

Gen supports eminent domain reform

This reform has a two-fold purpose—to limit the ability of government to transfer property from one private landowner to another primarily for economic development purposes, and to strengthen the ability of landowners to contest in court the taking of their property for various public purposes.