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Representative Fabian thank you for joining us.
>> thank you. >> can you describe your district and can
you tell us of what ways you and your district are similar?
>> I think I'm a reflection of my district at my district is all of Roseau County and
all of Kittson County and all of Marshall County and four townships and Pennington County
which includes the city of thief river falls. To the West we're neighbors to North Dakota
and to the north we're neighbors to Manitoba. It is about 5000 square miles and I believe
we've been in about every square mile of the District since I started this in 2011 the
session started. I really feel I shovel my own sidewalks I blow my own snow, we are very
Agriculture aware of a strong manufacturing base I have of a very big interests in agriculture
I drive grain trucks for some friends and to some farm work once and awhile. I've been
through all the different manufacturing facilities in the area. Of course having been a former
teacher and track coach for 34 years I got into lots of schools I made lots of friends
throughout the district and I'm just as common claim is those people are and I really appreciate
a fact they have confidence in me to be their voice here in St. Paul it's quite humbling
to be honest with you. I love northwest Minnesota is a precious place in the world to have had
the opportunity to raise my three boys in the town of Roseau and have all the opportunities
that we've had drive all the thousands of miles it's been very rewarding and I feel
this is my opportunity to give something back to the great people of northwest Minnesota.
>> why did you initially decided to run for office as? Representative
>> what I have a concern for what's going on in my district. There was a sense of frustration
and there's lots of people feel that today and a lot of cases they feel government and
we can dissect the word governmental lot but it doesn't listen to us, I felt we needed
a strong voice for rural Minnesota particularly in northwest Minnesota in St. Paul. I've tried
to do that I've tried to do it and respectful way and try to make sure my voice is heard
and I'm not afraid to put some ripples in the water you might say but at the same time
I do I don't want people to look at me and some sort of a disparaging way and so I felt
the urge a sense of frustration and my wife said me one day well why don't you run for
office? when it came down to it at six months later she said you're going to do what? so
here I am today. >> are your top legislative priorities?
>> in this session I guess I would like to continue the permiting reform that started
in the first two sessions I was here. I was disappointed at both the governor's bill and
the chamber built did not get hearings in the House I would like to continue that. Obviously
with this being the on session I think some of not permitting and streamlining fits into
that I'd like to make it easier for cities and counties oftentimes people have the misconception
that the only people want to get permits are businesses but that's not true. If you wanted
to a county road project have permits if you want to put an addition on hospital you have
to have permits so I would like to have that process speeded up. How is that like to see
some of the tax is repealed that were put into place last year. I'm hopeful we can do
that. I want to continue to make sure the farmers the cattle ranchers and the turkey
producers and the agriculture sector in my part of the state is protected. I would like
to see some other reforms that make it easier to see the magic act and get back into the
legislative calendar you might say it is a bill will allow counties more flexibility
in how to go about their business and setting up some pilot projects one of the things that
frustrates the people are represent the social services directors is they're given money
but it has to be put into separate tours and for social services and a they're required
to spend only what is about money on this project for these services but maybe they
need some more money over here in this tour and to provide these other services so what
I would like to do is to untie their hands and allow local people to decide how better
to make use of the dollars that the state sense to them.
>> what do you see as the biggest challenge the state will face in the next 10 years?
>> I think it's jobs and the economy frankly when you live where I live remiss significant
competitive disadvantage with our neighbors to the western North Dakota in Tax regulatory
climate over there is much more business friendly. I have a great privilege to be a represent
for a very large employers in northwest Minnesota Marvin windows and doors, Polaris, the key,
and Arctic Cat and all of them at one time or another have had good fortune to be able
to grow and expand and I've talked about this on the House floor many times I know some
people think it's a broken record but I feel so strongly that we need to create an environment
in Minnesota that encourages those businesses grow and expand here for too long much of
that expansion is come in places like Grafton in Fargo North Dakota and spirit like dialogue
and now moderate Mexico and Osceola Wisconsin I want Minnesota based businesses to be able
to say this is the best place in the world for us to do business in terms of the people,
the workforce, and also the tax and regulatory climate.
>> if given the chance, who would you like to be Friday or who would you like to exchange
roles with? >> uprising way not anybody in the political
arena. There's lots of people, if we could turn back the hands of time a little wiggle
back to the days of Dale Earnhardt had a tremendous respect for him I thought he was such a plane
blue-collar guy we talked earlier before the interview that having an interest in listening
to music and so forth and I think guys like George Strait he is so comfortable in his
can it would be interesting to do that. On the political side, I don't have a lot of
desire to other than what I'm doing right now and I'm comfortable with who I am and
what I am, to be honest I don't have a lot of desire to be other people. I like being
me I love my family and the people are represent at and I'm pretty comfortable being who I
am. . .