Oliver Morlan
RepublicanQ1 If elected, in what capacities would you refer to scientists when you are deciding how to vote on a policy?
“I would rely upon input from different scientific bodies and individuals to ground my decisions in consensus. I understand the scientific method and engineering principles to a great degree, so I believe I can make solid decisions in policy and know when and who to ask about specific issues.”
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Q2 Recently H.J. Res 140 passed, overturning a 20-year mining ban in the National Forest System land surrounding the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. What is your position on mining projects in this region and what policies, if any, would you support to protect the surrounding watershed?
“I don’t believe we should be mining in areas where there is extreme risk for environmental disaster. Couple that with the fact that industrial mining can hurt tourism which helps to drive the economies of small towns. There are locations around the U.S. that would be much better candidates for large industrial mining operations.”
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Q3 Contamination from PFAS and other “forever chemicals” in 21 community water systems in Minnesota exceed national regulations, putting residents at risk of negative health impacts. What policies, if any, do you propose to protect Minnesota residents from the potential impacts of PFAS?
“It’s a two pronged approach. On the prevention side we need to advocate for less plastic waste and more recycling options and operations. Secondly we employ bold civil engineering to go beyond wide spread clean up efforts. Forever chemicals and PFAS will not come out of the water unless we filter it out. I believe in hyper-industrialization that actually works with and aids our environment, and it really is the only way to keep up with what our modern society demands.”
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Q4 There have been multiple hyperscale data centers proposed throughout the state, including one currently under construction. What policies and regulations, if any, do you support to assess and act on the potential impacts of these data centers?
“AI Data Centers are being built for the purposes of handling the data process of listing, categorizing and surveilling people without their knowledge and consent. AI is over hyped algorithmic intelligence, not “artificial intelligence.” I would advocate strongly against the expansion of AI Data Centers where they are not wanted. This applies to AI enabled hardware like surveillance cameras, which constitute a violation of the fourteenth amendment.”
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Q5 In 2025 alone, the National Institute on Health (NIH) awarded over $700 million for research grants and contracts to Minnesota universities, which directly supported over 7,000 jobs and $1.79 billion of economic activity in Minnesota. What policies, if any, do you plan to implement or support regarding funding for continued science research either at the state or federal level?
“We need a wide sweeping federal audit of all research and development grants and contracts to make sure progress is delivered from that funding. Employing people to do work that isn’t valuable is not something the Federal Government can afford to fund when we are 40 trillion dollars in debt. Not saying the work they do isn’t valuable but I would need to assess that for myself and for the regular constituents of this state.”
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Q6 Fatal drug overdoses in Minnesota have significantly declined in recent years, representing a 28% drop from a record peak of 1,392 overdose deaths in 2022. However, compared to White Minnesotans, Indigenous Minnesotans are 7 to 15 times more likely to experience a fatal drug overdose, while Black Minnesotans are 2 to 3 times more likely to die from a drug-related overdose. What policies, if any, do you support to continue the downward trend of overdose deaths for Minnesotans?
“Minnesota still has a major issue with Fentanyl even after the Covid-lockdown peaks. Stopping overdoses starts with border security and foreign policy. I would advocate for the full designation of drug cartels as terrorist organizations and involve U.S. Military intervention against them. I would advocate to place penalties on Latin American countries who we see the drug trade coming from. I stand firm by the Monroe Doctrine and would enforce the naval supremacy of the United States in the Western Hemisphere to deter Fentanyl shipments from China to Latin America. Strict border protections would then act as a secondary barrier against these drugs entering the country.
At home we need a complete overhaul of our justice system. For criminals of victimless crimes I see no problem in restorative justice, but for those who placed others in harms way we need to bring back punitive justice. The only way to keep minority neighborhoods safe from crime is to keep the criminals off the street and in prison. That doesn’t mean over-policing that punishes people for minor infractions, but it does mean that when the real bad guys do get caught they don’t come back to the neighborhood anytime soon.”
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