Legislative UpdateDear Neighbors, There’s a strange atmosphere at the Capitol this week. Budget negotiations are happening. And battles are taking place about what to cut and by how much. Yet the areas of funding and cutting the House Democrats and Republicans currently agree on are few. With Transportation, Commerce, and Housing Committees leading the way in agreements- talks in other committees have stalled. Obviously being in a 67-67 tie, no one is going to get what they want. We face a $6 Billion shortfall due to decisions made under the DFL trifecta two years ago. So, I’ll be watching every budget that comes to the House Floor, like a hawk. After two years of reckless spending, we need to honor the taxpayers in Minnesota again. In one of my committees, Education Finance, we are miles apart. I want to be clear about where we stand right now: Republicans want to cut mandates to fund schools. Democrats want to cut schools to fund mandates. It’s obvious they want a continuation of the agenda from last session, yet our students and teachers in Chisago County will suffer because of it. My DFL colleagues seem immovable on several key issues, including cutting non-public pupil aid and special education transportation. In Commerce Committee, there will be very little new legislation passed. That is NOT a bad thing. Sometimes the best thing government can do is stay out of the way – especially when it comes to new business regulations that impact our job creators. I’m deeply concerned about Paid Family/Medical Leave and how it will affect small businesses. It starts on January 1st, 2026, and will be another mandated benefit for small businesses to manage on top of Earned Sick and Safe Time. These regulations will make us less competitive as a state and devastate many small employers in Chisago County. We’re trying to work with the DFL to possibly delay the program (remember, we have $6B deficit and this would be another expense by both the government and small businesses). In the House, we revived an effort to have more transparency in Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office. This comes after leaked audio revealed Ellison pledging his support to individuals who were Feeding Our Future criminal defendants. That effort was voted down on partisan lines. You can see that full clip here. I held a bonding hearing with North Branch Mayor Kevin Schieber – regarding the proposed interchange at 35 and 400th street. I’m not sure we will have a bonding bill this year, but it’s a priority of mine to make sure our infrastructure in Chisago County is taken care of if we do. You can view that full testimony here.  As the session winds down, I will remain committed to the following: - Making our small business landscape competitive
- Protecting our taxes
- Cutting waste, fraud and abuse in government
- Improving educational outcomes for our kids while supporting educational choice for our families (including charter schools, non-public schools, and homeschool families).
I recently did an interview with Twin Cities PBS’s Mary Lahammer about those priorities. Expect that to come out sometime later this month.  The Legislature takes a break next week to celebrate Easter. While many in St. Paul will be resting for the final push of Session, I will be in the community, meeting with constituents, running my business, and hanging out with my kids. You may not see a newsletter next week, we’ll have plenty to catch up on in two weeks! Sincerely, Max Rymer |