BNB Note:
While politics is often analyzed from the outside, BNB’s Guest Editorial Series aims to flip that perspective by highlighting the firsthand experiences of those working inside the political and policy arena. This includes lawmakers crafting and ushering legislation, candidates navigating the campaign trail, career civil servants implementing public programs, and political operatives shaping strategy behind the scenes.
The goal is not to litigate every claim or endorse every position, but to provide readers with direct insight into how decisions are made, how institutions function, and how power operates in practice.
Below, is a guest editorial from State Senator Liz Boldon (SD25). Senator Boldon serves as the Co-Chair of the Minnesota Values Project (MVP) which recently announced its 2027 policy agenda. The MVP 2027 policy agenda can be found HERE.
It’s more clear than ever that corporations and ultra-rich billionaires have rigged the system. They collude with the federal government to move wealth from the bottom to the top through tax breaks, private contracts, and cuts to programs that hurt the rest of us. At the same time, they’re accumulating monopolisitc power over our economy, hoarding our resources, suppressing wages, polluting our neighborhoods, and destroying our laws that prevent corruption. It’s not a free market anymore; it’s their market. this crisis not only undermines our democracy, but it’s making it harder and harder for working class Americans to survive day-to-day life. The rich get richer, and the rest of us are left fighting for the scraps. Cost of the essentials continue to rise as corporate greed eats away the fabric of our society. Minnesotans deserve better, and our elected representatives have the responsibility to act accordingly.
As a Co-Chair of the Minnesota Values Project (MVP), I’m proud of the legislation we’ve passed in recent years to make Minnesotans’ lives better - Universal School Meals, Paid Family Medical Leave, consumer protections against corporate greed, reining in health insurance companies, and more. All of these things have save Minnesota money, time, and peace of mind. But our work is never finished. Whether it’s health care, housing, child care, food, energy bills, Minnesotans are getting price gouged by insurance companies, Big Tech, Wall Street private equity firms, grocery monopolies, and private utilities - it’s unacceptable and unsustainable.
This year, with extensive public outreach and feedback from constituents, MVP has released a new set of priorities to address our neighbors’ most urgent needs, and build on past successes - meeting people where they’re at and delivering for working class Minnesotans.
A fair, resilient state budget: “Trickle-down economics” has been a failed experiment for decades. It turns out that when you lower taxes on the ultra-wealthy, they don’t invest that money back into our communities - they just keep it for themselves and hoard as much wealth as they can. It’s time we ended this cycle of abuse. Instead of giving tax breaks to corporations, we need to close loopholes that allow them to avoid paying into the system that they profit from. With the added revenue from the wealthy paying their fair share, we can provide services Universal No-cost or Low-cost Child Care for Minnesota families. Right now, families are struggling to cover these expenses. Not only would Universal Child Care take these costs off their plate, but every child in Minnesota could receive a head start on their education - which has been shown around the world to be an economic boost. At the same time, we need to continue to empower our state’s new Office of Inspector General to root out fraud against our state programs, and ensure our support programs serve those who need them.
A health care system that works for you: For too many Minnesotans, health care is a luxury. Too many folks forgo seeing a doctor entirely because of the cost. Health care is a human right, and wee have a duty to keep our constituents healthy. By establishing Universal Primary Care and expanding publicly available health care options, we can guarantee that every Minnesota can get the health care check-ups that they need, helping prevent further health complications down the line. Additionally, private insurance companies and their CEOs shouldn’t be able to come between you and your doctor-prescribed care. By reining in our prior authorizations and denied claims, we can hold insurance companies accountable for covering the cost of your care. While the federal government is destroying our health care system, we have an opportunity to build one that centers care for people instead of profits for insurance companies.
A place to live that doesn’t break the bank: It’s essential that we not only invest in building more housing for our growing population, but we must also ban corporations from buying up our supply of singly-family homes, exploiting our neighbors who live in manufactured home parks, and using AI algorithms to increase rents and maximize their profits. Homes are for families to create and enjoy cherished memories; they are not meant to be cash cows for Wall Street private equity firms. At the same time, we must address and restructure our regressive property tax system. Seniors and those on fixed incomes shouldn’t be burdened with tax increases. Instead, we could tax the ultra-wealthy and corporations who have more than enough, so that we can keep our neighbors in their homes.
Keeping Minnesotans safe: Gun violence is the number one cause of death for Americans under the age of 18. It wasn’t always this way, and we can absolutely make changes to save lives. By banning semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, we can reduce the number of deaths from firearms and mass shootings. We can save lives with common-sense solutions that are fully compatible with second amendment rights. It’s not an option to do nothing when kids’ lives are at stake.
In addition, we must safegurad Minnesotans’ Constitutional rights and freedoms. We’ve seen the federal government enact a campaign of “retribution” against our state, simply because of the President’s grudge against us. The consequences of that resentment were on full display when ICE occupied our state and kidnapped, disappeared, assaulted, racially profiled, harassed, and killed our neighbors during “Operation Metro Surge.” It was a gross violation of our civil liberties, and those who were responsible must be held accountable. We can and must allow Minnesotans the ability to sue federal agents for violations of their Constitutional rights. At the same time, we must fortify protections in state law, and protect Minnesotans from warrantless intrusions and extrajudicial searches, seizures, and arrests.
While it’s a non-exhaustive list of our Minnesota Values Project priorities, these categories encapsulate our main goals: a better deal for Minnesotans, so that everyone has the ability to thrive and live the American Dream.
Perhaps the most important aspect of our country is that nothing is set in stone. Every day, we strive to that “More Perfect Union” envisioned by those who lived long before us. There is no challenge too big for the American people to overcome. History teach us this, and generations before us have proven that we can make monumental changes for the better. Each movement was built on the one that came before it - Abolitionists, Labor Unions, Suffragettes, Civil Rights activists, the movement for LGBTQ+ rights. All of these and more have yielded equitable advancements in our country’s history. Each one required immense strength, solidarity, and sacrifice, and there were certainly setbacks and obstacles, but We the People and our unrelenting desire for that “More Perfect Union” would prevail each time. I’m confident that we can rise above these challenges in the same way that our ancestors proved it was possible.