Education Reform
Let's prioritize education by shifting focus from excessive testing to emphasizing core skills: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Exploring the implementation of year-round schooling, with shorter summer breaks and extended Spring and Fall breaks, could enhance learning continuity. Additionally, reevaluating block schedules ensures students receive a well-rounded education, equipping them with essential skills for adulthood upon graduation. Minnesota should actively promote apprenticeships and job shadowing opportunities to alleviate the burden of student debt for new graduates, fostering a more sustainable path to success.
Mental Health
In 2023, 52% of young adults reported experiencing depression, anxiety, or loneliness; however, mental health struggles impact people of all ages. The COVID-19 pandemic indeed exacerbated mental health issues globally, affecting people of all ages. Lockdowns, social isolation, fear of illness, economic uncertainty, and grief over the loss of life contributed to increased anxiety and depression. Moreover, disruptions in access to mental health services pose additional challenges with long wait times for therapy, lack of resources, and disparities in access to care. In addition, our children are under so much pressure to perform in all aspects of their lives. Children and adolescents face growing pressure from various sources, including academic expectations, social dynamics, and media influences. Social media platforms often create unrealistic standards of beauty, success, and happiness, contributing to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Pornography is too accessible to young people; it is time to move adult sites to their own domain that requires age verification.
Online Safety
As a parent and a member of this community, I understand the importance of ensuring our children's safety, especially in today's digital age. Protecting children is one of my top priorities.
The internet offers countless opportunities for learning and growth but also presents risks, particularly regarding social media and adult content. As your representative, I am committed to implementing measures to safeguard our children online.
Limiting Access to Social Media: I believe in implementing measures to restrict children's access to social media platforms that may expose them to harmful content or interactions. By working with technology companies and stakeholders, we can ensure that age-appropriate safeguards are in place to protect our children while they navigate the online world.
Creating a Safe Online Environment: It's crucial to create a safe online environment where children can explore and learn without fear of encountering inappropriate material. I will advocate for developing educational programs and resources to teach children about online safety and responsible internet usage.
Age Verification for Adult Content: To address the proliferation of adult content on the internet, I support the creation of a separate domain for adult-only content where age verification is required. By implementing robust age verification measures, we can ensure that minors are protected from exposure to pornography and other explicit material.
Restoring Midwestern Values
While Minnesota provides invaluable support for its less fortunate residents, recent policy initiatives have raised concerns. The extreme measures being crafted by the Governor and state government may not align with the values of hard-working Minnesotans. It's evident that the majority of the state's population disagrees with the direction being pushed. Importing values from California is not in line with the ethos of our state, and it's crucial that our policies reflect the priorities and beliefs of our local communities.
Healthcare
While Minnesota boasts excellent healthcare options, there's still work to be done to ensure transparency in healthcare pricing. It's essential that individuals have access to clear and comprehensive information about healthcare costs to make informed decisions about their care.
Costs should be clearly listed on health plan websites for greater transparency in healthcare pricing. This empowers plan members to compare prices and make informed choices when seeking care. By providing pricing, providers will have to justfy costs and compete for business.
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Paid for by Heidi Heino for state rep
