Dear Friends,
BREAKING: Gov. Walz has announced he plans to end his emergency powers on August 1.
ALSO BREAKING: Gov. Walz doesn’t even need his emergency powers today.
The COVID-19 emergency is well and truly over. There are zero reasons for the Governor to hold onto emergency powers through August 1, much less have them now. Every additional day we live under one-man rule is another day violating our constitution. The legislature is a co-equal branch of government, but we have been sidelined in the management of the pandemic.
We need to end the emergency powers now. Minnesota’s families and businesses have been devastated by Gov. Walz’s year of executive overreach. I will keep fighting to end the emergency powers BEFORE August 1.
Budget work continues
We are quickly wrapping up the omnibus budget bills, making the chance of a government shutdown slim. I was proud to vote for the Legacy and Agriculture bills to support our community. I did vote against the Higher Education; Commerce, Climate, and Energy; Transportation; and Housing bills.
I had to vote against the Higher Education bill once an amendment to provide additional funding to the University of Minnesota Police Department was voted down. Parents in our community should not have to worry about the safety of their children when sending them to a U of MN campus. Just last weekend, 3 students were shot at the Twin Cities campus. This is unacceptable. I will always support law enforcement, especially when it comes to protecting our students and campus communities.
I also voted against the Commerce, Climate and Energy bill when my amendment to protect the child and Uighur slaves was not accepted. It is shameful that the DFL refuses to stand up for human rights in the green energy industry. I will continue to advocate for the child and Uighur slaves to ensure that the green energy is not dirty energy.