Principles

"A good government implies two things; first, fidelity to the objects of the government; secondly, a knowledge of the means, by which those objects can be best attained."

Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, 1833

Bring Personal Responsibility Back to Government

I will bring effort and attention to detail to Minnesota politics. In too many instances, voters have lacked choices in their elections, often settling on a compromise. Below you will find issues where I lean left and issues where I lean right, however, a representative in this district must ultimately lean 23B. My task is not only to hold and communicate clear principles but also to seek out input and engage the community that I represent. I will be a leader in learning as our state continues to move forward in a changing world. Based on my experiences as a Teacher, Economist, Farmer, Neighbor, and Citizen the following points outline my approach to politics:

Economy

Innovation is the ultimate driver of the economy, regulation, while necessary, stifles innovation.
Regulatory legislation is often necessary, but should include a clear acknowledgement of how stakeholders are impacted. Regulation must foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
Mandated procedures DO NOT allow for innovation, specified outcomes DO.
Taxes are necessary however, certain taxes are inefficient, tax breaks often become tax loop-holes.
The economy is not the end-all, lifestyles are. Economic policies must take into consideration people, their values, and their future.

Education

People are our most important resources, and the purpose of education is to help citizens make good use of their freedom.
Reform in education is currently needed in two areas: resources and accountability. Schools are underfunded and what funding is available is inconsistent and often must be obtained from too many diverse sources. Accountability in education standards is lacking with too much reliance on canned standardized tests. Parents deserve to have schools systematically present evidence of student learning in clear easy to understand formats.
Currently, state and local governments are struggling to connect resources to people who are willing and able to make changes, this is an administrative issue- not a funding issue.
The practices from the past are failing to serve a new generation of children with their own unique set of needs, innovation is needed (and is happening) to reach the new generation of students.
Pre-k/early learning opportunities should be available to all Minnesota families

Rural Communities and Agriculture

Strong and thriving rural communities are essential to the health and well-being of Minnesota. They must be protected and promoted.
High quality, broadband internet should be available to rural communities and is vital to a strong 21st century Minnesota.
The impact of any negative changes to the renewable fuel standard policy on farmers needs to be considered.
Farmers are largely an aging population and barriers of entry for a younger generation of farmers should be reduced.
Farmers in District 23B deserve to have a willing and available partner in their representative. Farm policies in the future will require much involvement, discussion and research, the issues are complex, giving answers now would be futile, the questions haven't been asked yet.
- Environmental regulation will become increasingly difficult for farmers. Cost-share programs will need to be used to accommodate private property rights.

Natural Resources

Our natural world provides the base of our existence.
Soil, air, water, minerals, plants and animals are all threatened in many complicated ways.
We live in a country founded on private property rights which presents a dilemma when seeking to change the behavior of businesses and individuals in terms of the environment.
Often historical uses of private property are found to have far reaching, previously unknown impacts.
Regulation of natural resources should acknowledge private property value.
Incentives are preferable to mandates for achieving desired outcomes.
America is a country founded on innovation by all, we need to create a climate where organizations can make their own changes to meet the needs of society.
Simply protecting the current environment will not be enough, policy and funding should move to increase the value in all of our natural resources.

Health Care

Health care for all must include an element of personal responsibility.
No-one should suffer unduly for situations beyond their control.
Lifestyle decisions have consequences and a public health care plan that doesn't acknowledge this will not be economically viable.
Any state policies will need to take into consideration federal legislation. Simply fighting the federal government on this is counter productive.
Rising health care costs result from more than just insurance monopolies, provider costs are increasing and consumer behavior often leads to increases demand for services driving up prices. Any long term plan must mesh insurance group risks with provider negotiation and provide incentives for consumers to make cost effective decisions.
Roughly 60% of rural Minnesotans obtain group health insurance through their employer making rising costs a bigger issue for them than changing the structure of the public exchange.
In short, any one-line answer to a health care question is presumptuous.

Gun Control

There is already enough gun control.
Firearm abuse and misuse is usually a result of a failure to administer current mandates, NOT a lack of regulation.

Elections

All candidates should be able to file for an election to be included on the ballot with the same requirements irrespective of political affiliation.

Schmitz Platform Comparisons.pdf

Platform Document

To the left is a document detailing Nick's independent platform in comparison to the major parties.

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