Dear Friends,
You have probably heard about quite a few pieces of legislation that we have discussed in St. Paul this week. I wanted to address a couple of them and give you some background on their implications.
SAFE Account
As I mentioned in my newsletter last week, Gov. Walz and the DFL are pushing a $35 million SAFE Account to help local governments during a public safety emergency. There is enormous urgency behind this bill because the Chauvin trial is set to begin in less than a month.
We need to pass legislation to ensure law enforcement has the resources they need to keep our communities safe during this event. But, the DFL has added several amendments to the bill that are nonstarters. First, they have given the Department of Public Safety Commissioner unilateral authority to determine reimbursements and have expanded the scope of costs eligible for reimbursement. Finally, they added a provision to allow the POST Board to create new guidelines for responding law enforcement.
Law enforcement initially supported the SAFE Account until the addition of these amendments. Stay tuned as this bill is scheduled to be voted on this coming Monday. I will stand with our law enforcement to make sure the final bill reflects their needs and concerns.
Impeachment
I share the frustrations of many you as Gov. Walz continues to have unchecked executive authority during the pandemic. As you may have heard, articles of impeachment have been brought forward against the Governor. I wanted to explain some of the implications of impeaching Gov. Walz:
- Unlike the impeachment of the president of the United States, impeaching Minnesota’s governor would mean Gov. Walz would have to vacate his office until his acquittal. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan would then become the acting governor of Minnesota. A vote to impeach Walz is therefore an endorsement of making radical liberal Peggy Flanagan governor.
- A Gov. Flanagan would prompt the Senate President, a Republican, to become Lieutenant Governor. This would cause the Republicans to lose their majority in the Senate giving Democrats full control of the executive and legislative branches. Our Republican Senate is our only tool to hold Gov. Walz’s commissioners accountable through confirmation hearings.
- Gov. Flanagan is far more radical than Gov. Walz. She would impose even harsher restrictions on businesses and social gatherings and keep mandates in place indefinitely. She would cancel the Line 3 pipeline on her first day, costing hardworking Minnesotans their livelihoods.
Monday marked the 11th time House Republicans voted to strip Gov. Walz of his emergency powers. My colleagues and I are relentlessly keeping the pressure on him to roll back his restrictions. Democrats have consistently voted to protect Gov. Walz’s emergency powers, and they will do the same to block impeachment. This will not happen, and anyone who tells you otherwise is not telling the truth.
Please Contact Me
If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-3201 or rep.mary.franson@house.mn. I would love to hear from you.
It’s an honor to represent the best!
Mary