Dear Friends,
I hope everyone had a great first week of school! I know this is going to be a terrific year for our families. If any issues arise, make sure to reach out to your school administrators, school boards, or me for assistance. Our community is here to support students and families to make sure they have what they need for a successful academic year.
There are some great community events happening this weekend. Taste of Osakis is taking place in downtown Osakis on Friday and Saturday with food, live music, and fun. More information can be found here. Downtown Alexandria is playing host to the 5th Annual Oletoberfest. Make sure to visit Copper Trail Brewing Co for beer, food, live music, and fun events. You can find more information here.
Biden's Vaccine 180º
The day I have been warning about for over a year is finally here. Back in December President Biden said he would not require Americans to be vaccinated. Yesterday, he did a complete reversal with his announcement that all federal workers, and companies with 100 plus employees must now require COVID-19 vaccinations or employees must test weekly. Republican Governors across the country are leading the fight against this flagrantly unconstitutional act. Today, a friend of mine updated his Facebook status, “America is not governed by mandates.” He’s right. America is governed by We the People. It’s time for We the People to take a stand. Over the past year, we saw what happens when you give government an inch – they take a mile. “Two weeks to slow the spread” has now turned into mandatory injections or weekly testing if you want to keep your job.
The choice is now clear: either we fight for our way of life, or we give in. I caution us all to consider – if government gets away with this, then what’s next?
With that said, this will be litigated. Let’s not give in to fear but instead collectively put our heads together and figure this out. If you have some good ideas, let me know.
Energy Champion Award
The Coalition for a Secure Energy Future recently awarded me an “Energy Champion.” Minnesotans need reliable and affordable energy that is generated here in America, rather than sending money and jobs overseas to countries with no environmental standards and who exploit slave labor. I'm proud to fight for an all-of-the-above energy strategy that keeps energy bills affordable for families, harnesses new technology, promotes American energy independence, and ensures that our grid is there when Minnesotans need it most.
The award was presented by members of Runstone Electric Cooperative.
Minnesota Cold Weather Rule
As the seasons start to change, it’s a good time to remember that the Minnesota Cold Weather Rule protects residential customers having difficulty paying their gas bill from having gas service disconnected from October 1 through April 30. To avoid disconnection or to have service reconnected, you must either pay your bill in full or call CenterPointEnergy to start a payment plan. More information can be found here.