Omar Fateh’s Vision for Minnesota:

A bold 15-point legislative vision to lift up the lives of all Minnesotans and build a better world for future generations to come: 

Universal Childcare for All Minnesotans – We must take action to address Minnesota’s childcare crisis. In the wake of soaring costs and widespread closures of care centers across our state, now is the time to pass universal free childcare for every family, supporting our youngest Minnesotans and guaranteeing a living wage for our early educators and caregivers. 

The Minnesota Health Plan – Since my first day in the Senate, I am proud to be a strong supporter of Senator John Marty’s Minnesota Health Plan: A proposed single, statewide universal health plan designed to cover all of Minnesota’s residents for all medical needs. We have campaigned across the state for the MHP, conducted a study on the bill, now let’s get it done! 

Building The East Phillips Urban Farm Project – My office has played a key legislative role in the multi-year political and community battle over the former Roof Depot site in South Minneapolis, working to secure state funding for the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) – including $4 million in this year’s bonding bill. This victory belongs to the people of East Phillips and Little Earth who will finally be able to realize their long-held vision for an “Urban Farm, Not Toxic Harm” and actualize environmental justice.

Taxing the Rich - By raising taxes on the ultra wealthy, we will be able to raise revenue to fully fund essential services and public goods like our education system. It is time our Legislature looks at what our state has not been taxing from racehorses to box office tickets, and beyond. We need to be forward-thinking to develop novel solutions and build new revenue streams: a 5th Tier income tax, Land Value Tax, taxes on vacation homes, and more. We need to allow for a progressive local income tax on high earners in Minnesota, while allowing for ‘Local Option Income Tax’ that would let municipalities like Minneapolis to create a progressive income tax targeting individuals making $1 million or more.

Protecting All of Our Watersheds – Clean water is our most precious natural resource. We must act to pass common-sense protections for our precious Boundary Waters and all of our state’s watersheds, in the wake of federal rollbacks. I support strict protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and will follow the lead of my environmentalist colleagues like Senator Jen McEwen – author of the "Prove It First" legislation to protect our waters from toxic copper-sulfide nickel mining projects.  

Building Safer Streets – I will continue to be a strong supporter of traffic calming and safety initiatives part of Minneapolis' Vision Zero Action Plan. I have worked with our City Council and County partners to reduce vehicle speeds and protect vulnerable pedestrians. My office secured $1 million in traffic calming funding from the Legislature to help with neighborhood street improvements and safety backlogs, complementing broader local & federal efforts (such as a $20 million Safe Streets and Roads for All grant) to upgrade high-injury corridors. 

Expand Urban Farming Infrastructure – Minneapolis is the densest city in Minnesota. I am a strong proponent of expanding urban farming opportunities to allow residents in every neighborhood to be able to farm at a hyper-local block by block level, creating climate resilience hubs in the wake of climate change. Urban farming can heal our neighborhoods long impacted by heavy industrial use and poor air quality, and help us meet local climate goals by focusing on environmental equity, zero-waste, and community-owned public spaces.

Youth Programming – I have spent my career and legislative work supporting at-risk youth and securing targeted state funding for youth workforce development and employment. I believe investing in local youth initiatives, expanding mental health and addiction resources, and promoting mentorship, education, and opportunity. Doing so helps us realize safe futures, violence prevention, and civic engagement for the next generation. My office secured state funding for youth workforce programs and juvenile offender diversion. I also spearheaded funding for local programs like the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's “Teen Teamworks” – expanded teen job access through the Parks Board.

Fully Funding Public Education – I am proud to be the Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, and lead author of the North Star Promise Act: tuition-free public college for all working class Minnesotans. At the K-12 level, I am fully committed to working hand in hand with our incoming Minneapolis School Board Members to fully fund and fully staff Minneapolis Public Schools so our district can fully thrive. I will prioritize equitable state school investments, and targeting financial aid for specialized student support systems. In the Senate, I’ll keep advocating for fully funding wrap-around services, special education, and English language learner (ELL) programs to close achievement gaps.

Supporting Small Businesses & Start-Ups – I strongly support state assistance for our local small business, start-ups, and entrepreneurs.  Our work has focused on advancing local economic equity, immigrant-owned enterprise grants, and commercial vacancy reforms. I will advocate for reduced bureaucratic red tape and foster homegrown business growth across Minneapolis, by streamlining processes and reducing administrative hurdles. I am a proponent of immigrant enterprise support, through the expansion of multilingual services and targeted grants to help immigrant-owned small businesses navigate local regulations.

Stronger Gun Regulations & Gun Violence Prevention – The time to act is now. This past session, our DFL caucus passed a sweeping suite of legislation aimed at preventing gun violence and bringing forth stronger gun regulations – and the Republican House Speaker refused to take up this bill for a floor vote. Now, this summer, a series of gun violence incidents throughout the Twin Cities has resulted in several deaths and more than a dozen casualties. I am heartbroken for our community by this systemic gun violence. We must address this tragic issue with every tool available. The city and state should recognize this need with urgency before more Minnesotans are lost to preventable violence.

Fully Passing The North STAR Act – I am proud to be the lead author on the Safety, Trust, Accountability, and Respect (STAR) Act. Next session, we will work to fully pass it and make Minnesota a sanctuary state by prohibiting state and local law enforcement from using state resources, or cooperating with federal civil immigration enforcement. This bill prohibits state and local agencies from enforcing ICE activity, blocks sharing of non-public personal data with federal authorities for civil immigration enforcement unless a signed judicial warrant is present, and aims to protect access to our schools, courts, healthcare, and emergency services.

Expanding the Continuity of Care: Quality Human Services – Improving relational trust and working to build and strengthen relationships between service providers and the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Cutting through government bureaucracy and red tape within the audit and startup processes by streamlining and making things easier & simpler. Let’s work together towards Vision Zero – no deaths within any care facility.

Universal Broadband Coverage – From our urban cities, to the suburbs, small towns, and rural residents in greater Minnesota, all Minnesotans deserve universal broadband access. We aim to realize 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speeds. I will continue to support the state’s coordinated coverage expansion through the Office of Broadband Development alongside federal programs like the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) initiative.

Guarantee Farmers’ Right to Repair Their Own Equipment – Minnesota farmers gained major federal backing for their right to repair machinery following a landmark July 2026 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settlement with Deere & Company. I will join my colleagues next session in working to pass statewide statutory legislation to guarantee these rights for all Minnesota farmers, regardless of which companies they get their farming equipment from.