Dear Friends,
This weekend, I look forward to joining the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) at the March for Life rally at the state capitol in St. Paul on the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States. I am proud to be pro-life, and I will always stand up for the rights of the unborn.
I encourage those who are able to join us in St. Paul to pray for the unborn and our nation. Those who are able to join us for the rally should assemble in front of the Capitol in St. Paul at 12:30pm for a brief program.
Walz Checks
In a bid to boost his popularity in an election year, Gov. Walz announced yesterday that he wants to give every Minnesotan "Walz Checks" totaling $175 per person or $350 per married couple. Given that the state has a $7.7 billion surplus, it is good to see that the Governor is on board to help provide Minnesotans some relief.
But this is not enough. There are many ways we can return the surplus to the people. We could do payments, like Walz is suggesting, but let's make them meaningful. Individuals should receive $1,500, not $175. This surplus gives us an opportunity to pass meaningful and permanent tax relief for all Minnesotans. We should enact major tax cuts, including social security, so that Minnesotans can keep more of their hard earned money.
UI Relief
Many business owners in our community have expressed their concerns about their impending tax increases if we do not repay our Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund debt. Both the Governor and the Senate have expressed their support of UI relief, so we should work quickly at the beginning of session to use the surplus and/or COVID relief funds to ensure businesses do not have to face these tax hikes in April.
The Governor and the DFL held businesses hostage last session with PPP and UI relief. If we don't act quickly, businesses will have to wait for another tax refund - many of whom are STILL waiting for their money back for PPP and previous UI relief.
Staffing Shortages Delay Public Works Projects
This week, the Echo Press ran a concerning story about the staffing shortage that is causing delays to important road construction problems in our community. I called Douglas County Public Works to see what could be done. We have a critical shortage of civil engineers who play an important role in completing this projects. If you or someone you know has a student determining what they want to do after they graduate, encourage them to look into civil engineering. Our civil engineers are critical to the safety and success of their communities.
New Social Studies Standards
Last week, I joined my House Republican colleagues in submitting comments on the new proposed social studies standards. Democrats continue to push political indoctrination in the classroom, like Critical Race Theory. Politics have no place in school. The classroom should be a place for academic achievement. We need to make sure parents' voices are heard in their children's education. Focusing on transparency and ensuring every child succeeds at school is critical to every kid's future