Kate falvey

• Many large corporations like Amazon pay a significantly lower tax rate than small businesses. Will you support closing loopholes through legislation to ensure that the very wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share in taxes? Examples of legislation that address this issue (at the national level) include Sen. Wyden's Small Business Tax Fairness Act and Rep. Bowman's Babies Over Billionaires Act.

  Yes.

  I believe that giant corporations and the super-wealthy MUST pay their fair share of taxes. I believe that loopholes in the tax code should be closed in order for this to happen.

• Massive corporations dominate our economy today. Over the last two decades, 75% of US industries have grown more concentrated, with concentration in the average industry nearly doubling. This has left everything from production of baby formula, e-commerce and healthcare in the hands of a few massive companies that choke off small businesses, raise prices on consumers, and cut wages. Would you support state-level reforms to our antitrust laws to prohibit anti-competitive conduct and breakup monopolists?

  Yes.

  Our laws against monopolies (or duopolies) must be stronger. We have to prevent the giant corporate take-over of our economy. At the state level, we can do a lot, but we also need to pass the amendment to repeal Citizens United to keep the giant corporate money out of politics so that the politicians work for their constituents and not the corporations in their districts.

• Attorney General Keith Ellison has worked to reprioritize antitrust enforcement in Minnesota, including expanding the antitrust division. However, there are still only a handful of attorneys in the attorney general’s office dedicated to curbing the power of the monopolists that threaten small businesses. Will you support additional funding for the attorney general so that Minnesota can adequately enforce our antitrust laws and create a level playing field for small businesses?

  Yes.

  Having stronger anti-trust legislation is not enough; there must be enforcement and oversight and to do this, the department must be expanded.

• Do you have other ideas on how state policy can be used to protect small businesses from concentrated corporate power?

  I do not have any new ideas at this time. However, I am looking into insurance (for employees) cooperatives and things like this to help small businesses support one another and get some of the privileges of being "big".

• Small business employees are only able to work limited hours due to the cost of childcare, a crisis that has only worsened during the pandemic. Do you support capping and subsidizing childcare costs to make it more affordable and accessible, in particular for women of color?

  Yes.

  Childcare costs across the board for everyone are too high. Subsidized childcare is necessary for a healthy economy. However, pushing companies to raise wages to a level where only one parent must work outside of the home is also something that we need to explore.

• The pandemic exposed and exacerbated the lack of access to guaranteed, universal paid family and medical leave for so many small businesses. The vast majority of small businesses lack the capital and the scale to offer paid leave, even when owners want to provide this benefit to their employees. At the other end of the spectrum, sole proprietors frequently are unable to access paid leave and have to accept a significant loss in income when they are out because of reasons related to caregiving or injury/illness. Moreover, private insurers generally do not offer affordable, adequate paid medical leave policies to small businesses and do not offer paid family leave nationally at all. State programs have shown universal paid leave helps level the playing field between them and large businesses. Do you support a universal paid leave policy for small business owners and their employees?

  Yes.

  I believe that universal paid leave is essential for the health of families and businesses. Again, this is where a cooperative of small businesses may be able to provide benefits like a larger corporation.

• Access to affordable healthcare is an ongoing struggle faced by rural and urban Minnesotans alike. This issue is especially burdensome to sole proprietors, small business owners and their employees on Main Street. Rising drug costs, copays and deductibles mean that even those with health care coverage still pay thousands of dollars per year out of pocket, which means many people avoid getting treatment except for catastrophic health issues. This increases costs for the entire state when people cannot afford regular preventative care and results in ever increasing premiums. Small businesses struggle to pay health insurance for their employees, particularly when small businesses pay 18% more for health care coverage than do large corporations and 1/3 of all dollars spent on health care go to administrative costs. Will you work to ensure all Minnesotans have access to quality, affordable health care?

  Yes.

  No one should go bankrupt due to medical care

• Do you believe health care is a right for all people, and will you join the Minnesota Health Plan caucus to push for legislation that would provide universal health care for all Minnesotans?

  Yes.

• Investing in equitable capital access is essential for realizing the value of businesses launched by entrepreneurs not well-served by the current financial system. Black and Latinx entrepreneurs, in particular, have less business equity on average than their white counterparts and experience discrimination in lending; due to financial barriers, their businesses tend to bring in lower revenue and have lower profit margins. Women-owned businesses face similar challenges. This is particularly significant because Black-owned and Latinx-owned businesses are also more likely to be women-owned. Will you lead or support efforts to greatly reduce and hopefully eliminate this discriminatory access to capital for Black, brown, and/or women entrepreneurs so that they too can gain equitable access to low-interest capital?

  Yes.

  Banking/lending regulations must be rewritten for a more equitable process.

• Expanding access to capital is about more than just offering financial products. It also involves providing the support that allows small businesses to obtain high-quality, affordable financing and use it to solidify and grow their businesses, generate good jobs, and contribute to vibrant, equitable communities. (Examples of support include technical assistance, procurement opportunities, and back-office support systems). What ideas do you have for expanding access to these support systems for entrepreneurs?

  The state can provide grants and free (or low cost) training for new business owners who wish to expand their capital. We should encourage those who already work in those industries to become mentors to those starting businesses in their communities - maybe through business incentives of their own.

• Small businesses were impacted by COVID at a disproportionate rate (compared to large businesses) and ongoing challenges exacerbated by COVID mean that many industries have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Many small business owners (particularly those from historically marginalized groups) were left out or disqualified from COVID relief during the pandemic. Though Covid relief programs saved many small businesses, it is clear that the U.S. lacks a public infrastructure for fostering a thriving small business economy – much less a small business economy that is just and equitable. When thinking about the long road ahead towards economic recovery, what ideas do you have in supporting small business owners that have been hit hard during the pandemic?

  That's a tough one. I was appalled at the level of corruption of those "big" companies who applied for PPP loans that were meant for small businesses - also the lack of oversight by the federal government when awarding these loans.

  The road ahead is long and the best way we can help those small businesses recover is by giving them some tax breaks and some financial support to keep getting through this recovery time.

• COVID has exacerbated existing gaps in the care infrastructure system, unsafe working conditions, and financial burden, among other impacts for small businesses and working families. It is clear that small businesses and working families are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic two and a half years later. With that in mind, why should small business owners and working families trust you with their vote on Election Day?

  I believe that I can fight for small business at the Capitol. I want healthy communities in my district and a strong "Main Street" in each of those communities is the key to not only bringing in tourism and commerce, but also to encourage folks to move into those communities. The communities with more to offer their citizens in variety of businesses and cultural options will have a healthier future.