Election 2020

The Rock County ballots for the 2020 election include candidates for District 22 Minnesota Senate and District 22A Minnesota House of Representatives.
Shawna Marshall, rural Luverne, is the DFL candidate challenging incumbent Bill Weber (R-Luverne).
DFL candidate Chris Baumberger, Slayton, is challenging Republican incumbent Joe Schomacker, Luverne, for the District 22A seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
The Star Herald reached out to all four legislative candidates with the following questions:
Top priority: If elected, what is your top priority for the 2021 Legislature? Why are you running for office? What specifically do you see as important for Rock County?
COVID-19: How do you grade the state government’s response to the pandemic? Are additional measures necessary? If so, what?
Gridlock: What specific measures do you support to reduce the increasing partisanship of the lawmaking process and resulting gridlock? Do you support reforms that would prohibit consolidating multiple subjects into a single omnibus bill?
Budget: The Legislature will be tasked with adopting a two-year budget in 2021 with a looming shortfall due to the financial impact of COVID-19. What will be your approach to balancing the budget in terms of reducing spending and/or raising taxes and fees? Be as specific as possible.
Health care: Affordable health care remains a concern to many Minnesotans. Do you support expansion of government-run health insurance plans? If not, what options do you support to stabilize health insurance premiums?
Workplace regulations: Mandated paid family and medical leave for all Minnesota employers was debated in 2020. It passed the House but failed in the Senate. Do you support such a mandate? Why or why not?
Transportation: What is your preference for raising additional money for roads and bridges? Or is current funding sufficient?
Energy: Should Minnesota increase its renewable energy mandates on utilities? Or are market forces sufficient to promote sustainability?
Emergency Powers: Do you believe the emergency powers act should be changed to alter the governor’s peacetime emergency powers? If so, how?
Other issues: Are there other issues you want to address?

Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications.