Dear Friends,
Summer is heating up and I hope you are staying cool. First, a big congratulations to Minnesota’s own Suni Lee on winning the gold medal in the Olympic women gymnastics all-around. Our state is so proud of her accomplishment!
I wanted to share some updates on new laws that will take effect Aug. 1 as well as the latest information on COVID guidance as our kids head back to school:
New Laws Effective Aug. 1
There are a variety of new laws that will take effect this Sunday, August 1. These laws were passed during the regular and special legislative sessions and will impact many sectors, including agriculture and business and commerce. You can learn more about how these changes may affect you or your business here.
The COVID Backward Slide
It seems as though we are slipping farther and farther backwards every day when it comes to COVID-19 as we get new, conflicting guidance from the CDC. The good news is the legislature removed the Governor’s emergency powers so he cannot force shutdowns or mask mandates.
However, as we this week, MDH and MDE’s new guidance is once again trying to mask students as they head back to school. Our students cannot have another academic year where they are not allowed to freely breathe. Kids need to focus more on learning, not on breathing during the school day.
So what does this mean for your students? It is up to school boards to determine any mask mandates. Now is the time to contact your school board and urge them to not adopt this guidance. Our kids need a normal academic year so they can start to make up for lost learning as a result of COVID-related classroom distractions.
Crime Rising Across Minnesota
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension released their annual Uniform Crime Report on Tuesday, and I’m sorry to report that the findings are not good. All across Minnesota we are seeing a massive spike in crime compared to 2020. Here are some of the most troubling figures:
- 58% increase in murders. The 185 murders in Minnesota broke the record of 183 set in 1995.
- 54% increase in arson fires
- 20% rise in auto thefts, most since 2005.
- 62% increase in assaults on police officers, more than any other year on record.
- More than $216 million in stolen property, a 54.5% increase.
We cannot allow these trends to continue. I will continue fighting for the safety of all Minnesotans to make sure that law enforcement has the resources they need to keep our communities safe.
Why Would Walz Celebrate Rising Auto Prices?
This week, Gov. Walz held a press conference to “celebrate” (no really, his word) the implementation of the California Car Mandate. It baffles me that a Governor would celebrate a mandate that will drive up the price of cars for all Minnesotans by $1,000 or more and force car dealers to stock electric vehicles regardless of consumer demand. Minnesota is now the only state in the Midwest to implement this regulation, which will be harmful to border-city dealerships.
Minnesotans have already had a difficult year, no thanks to COVID shutdowns. Democrat policies in Washington, DC are causing inflation to surge, and yet our Governor has the audacity to celebrate raising the price of buying a car in our state. This is not the way to support Minnesotans who are trying to recover and rebuild.
Governor Visits Douglas County
This week, Gov. Walz visited our neighbors in Brandon to discuss how the drought is impacting farmers. The Governor also signed an executive order this week to waive trucking regulations to support farmers. The USDA gave Douglas county a primary agricultural disaster designation this week because of the drought conditions. This designation makes farmers in primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for assistance from the Farm Service Agency. Make sure to visit the USDA’s disaster assistance program website to learn more about programs that can help you during this difficult time.