Dear Neighbor,
Another week in the 2025 session is nearing its end and we still are not back to full strength in the House.
As I said in my last newsletter, it would be nice for everyone to be back in the House so we could make better progress on bills to help Minnesotans. The longer this boycott by the DFL lasts, the more challenging it’s going to be to get our work on time this year. We are already three weeks into the session, and we need at least one of them to come to the Capitol and allow for a quorum so we can come to order and conduct official business.
Meanwhile, House Republicans continue showing up for work and recently put forward a package of measures to make Minnesota a more affordable place to live, work, and raise a family. The package is the “Make Minnesota Affordable” initiative, and it focuses on lowering energy costs, reducing the tax burden, and ensuring budget surpluses benefit hardworking Minnesotans.
Minnesota families and businesses have had it tough in recent years, with soaring price increases, along with our state’s unsustainable spending increases and unnecessary tax hikes. House Republicans are working to make living in our state more affordable to all, from reducing taxes to addressing energy costs and more.
Proposals in the Make Minnesota Affordable package include:
- Modernizing Minnesota’s renewable energy policies by expanding the state’s definition of eligible renewable energy to include hydroelectric capacity. It also delays unrealistic standards for electric utilities, protects reliable energy sources, and ends the state’s nuclear moratorium. These reforms will help stabilize energy costs and secure a balanced energy future for Minnesota families and businesses.
- Delivering sweeping tax reforms, repealing the controversial retail delivery fee and ending the tax on Social Security income once and for all. By requiring a comprehensive analysis of tax policies, this bill ensures a fairer system for Minnesota taxpayers. This represents a commitment to economic growth and reducing financial stress for families and seniors alike.
- Ensuring that future state budget surpluses are returned to the people of Minnesota. By proposing a constitutional amendment, this bill codifies the principle that taxpayer money belongs in the hands of those who earned it. The measure guarantees that Minnesota families, not government bureaucracy, benefit from the state’s financial successes.
We need to make real improvements for people to help make our state a more affordable place to live, work and raise a family. These proposals would be a good first step in that direction and I hope they are part of the finished product as we work to set a new state budget this year.
Have a good weekend and please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Paul