A Conversation About Priorities with U.S. Senate Candidate Peggy Flanagan

Two of our Future Forward editorial board members — a board of reporters under the age of 25 — had a chance to talk with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who is running for U.S. Senate. Here is some of the conversation.

 

 

Q: Affordability has been a big topic this election season. Specifically in healthcare, options are getting worse now with the cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. Health insurance premiums in Minnesota are going up by roughly 9 percent. With the “Big Beautiful Bill” that the Trump Administration passed last year, can that be reversed in Congress, or is it too late to roll back cuts that are impacting Minnesotans and the nation?

A: We are seeing less access, especially in rural communities, for clinics and maternity care. Almost 150,000 Minnesotans are going to lose access to care, impacted by what I would call “the big ugly bill.” That is really what this election is all about. Democrats have the opportunity to take back the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. [If so,] it is incredibly important that we get to work right away so that Americans can see very quickly why electing Democrats who care about your ability to afford your life matters.

We can roll back those cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and frankly, that should be at the top of our list on our way to Medicare for All. I would also get rid of prior authorizations so that some dude behind a desk doesn’t get to decide whether you get the life-saving health care your doctors prescribed. We also know that AI is making those decisions now more often than not, and we should all be outraged.

Medicare for All is at the top of my list. But on the way there, we’re going to do everything we can to restore these cuts so folks get the care that they deserve.

 

 

Q: Given what we saw in Minnesota related to ICE and Metro Surge this past winter, as well as the election integrity issues that we’re likely to see, can you speak to what the role of Congress should be in addressing voting rights and public safety?

A: We have to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and that would be something I would like to champion. People are nervous about the upcoming election. After everything we’ve seen here, and the rhetoric that is coming out of the White House, I understand why that’s happening.

We’re doing everything we can in state government — and that means the Secretary of State’s office, the Governor’s office, the Attorney General — to make sure there are [scenario-planning] exercises so that folks are ready if there are federal agents who try to intimidate or disrupt our election systems. I also know we have a very strong faith, labor, and nonprofit community who are all getting ready in many of the ways that we did in response to Operation Metro Surge.

My recommendation, especially in this cycle, is that if you can you should vote early. Make sure that your your vote is counted so that [on election day] you can help other folks get to the the polls.

Minnesota has one of the gold standards for election laws in the country: pre-voter registration for 17 and 18 year olds, making sure that Minnesotans who are formerly incarcerated can vote as as soon as they are released, same-day voter registration. Our election judges are trained and incredible folks. We’ll push for legislation that is similar to what we’ve been able to do here in our state.

 

Q: What is the role of federal and state agencies in respecting tribal sovereignty and water quality standards, especially in light of the continuing movement towards more mining in Minnesota?

A: First, I would say broadly that tribal sovereignty is the supreme law of the land and should be treated as such. The work  we’ve been able to do here in Minnesota should be a model moving forward — strengthening tribal-state relations, requiring consultation with all of our tribes and state agencies, doing everything we can to make sure that decisions are made in partnership.

The federal government has never fully honored treaty rights and, frankly, that should be the floor. My hope is to be able to continue the the role of you the senator who has been in this seat — Senator Smith, Senator Franken, Senator Wellstone all served on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. It is my hope to be there, as the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. I think that’s an important place to be.

It’s also important for us to follow the science and invest in science so that mining can be done safely. We look at places like Mesabi Metallics, which is the first mine that’s been built in over 50 or 60 years. The environmental protections that are part of that are very different than some of our previous mines when the science just wasn’t there. We’re not there yet to be able to do copper nickel mining safely.

I’ll do everything I can to make sure that we protect our our water. Not only is that important to me as a Minnesotan, and as an environmentalist, but also as an Anishinaabe-kwe and as Siobhan’s mom. It’s part of my role and responsibility.

 

Q: Will you focus your congressional platform on environmental protections, which might include data center oversights, or are there other priorities you feel most passionate and experienced about that you hope to focus on as a freshman senator?

A: At the top of my list is making sure that we’re always asking the question: Who benefits from it being this way?

When we look at the issue of data centers, rright now, it is AI tech billionaires and you know the oligarchy who seem to be benefiting from data centers and passing on the cost to local communities, both in energy costs and potential environmental costs in access to water. As we’re looking at regulations, those should always be grounded in protecting the local community, protecting the environment, and making sure that any costs aren’t being handed off to local communities as we watch tech billionaires just get richer at the expense right of places they do not live.

I am the only candidate in this race who is not taking any corporate PAC money. I think that is foundational to everything that we see happening right now. Corporations can influence our elections by spending remarkable amounts of money to get folks elected. I’m going to focus on cost of living issues, environmental protections, and simply putting back in place protections that have been rolled back in the last 18 months under this administration.

With fossil fuels, essentially [corporations have been] told you can do whatever you want, you can drill wherever you want, you can pollute wherever you want, with little consequence. Who’s going to pay the price for that? It’s going to be our local communities and future generations. So I want to put those protections back in place.

I would love for us to get back on track with investments we made in the Inflation Reduction Act for local clean energy projects, which we have had to shelve here in Minnesota. And really think about what it means for people to be able to to afford their lives. One job should be enough. You should be able to take a vacation. You shouldn’t worry about how you’re going to pay your next doctor bill, or if you can pay your rent. That feels like a place where all of us can build common ground, so those are the  things I’ll focus on. But I’ll have 99 cups of coffee with my colleagues to build relationships and figure out how we get the things done that we told people we were going to do.

 

Q: As you travel around the the state talking to people, what are you learning about our capacity as Minnesotans to talk through the issues that we are facing in so many ways?

A: We’ve done over 300 events in 112 communities so far. After having all of these conversations, and what we’ve been through during Operation Metro Surge, and the loss of Melissa and Mark Hortman, and Annunciation, I’ve learned three things. One is that we are resilient. Two, we really care a lot about each other. Three, we are very good at shoving down our emotions to do the next thing that needs to be done — I think that is good and bad.

My opponent has said she’s embarrassed to be from Minnesota, and has talked about wanting to flee to Florida. I would just say that I’ve never been more proud to be a Minnesotan than I am right now. It’s a really special place, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else or raising my daughter anywhere else than than right here.

 

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