Good morning! Yesterday was budget forecast day, which revealed a lot about the damage that Democrats did last session. I will share the details with you about that, as well as highlights from our Preserving Girls Sports rally, and other events from this week. Preserving Girls Sports ActWe held a rally on the Capitol steps this Monday in support of the Preserving Girls Sports Act - HF12. Guest speakers Riley Gaines, Jack Brewer, and Ben Utecht shared inspiring stories about the importance of sports and why women's sports should be limited to biological women. It is abundantly clear that biological men have a physical advantage over biological women, and allowing men to infiltrate women's spaces is unfair and unsafe. Thank you to all of the spectators who joined to rally around this worthy cause.  On Monday afternoon, HF12 was up for debate on the House floor. There was passion on both sides of the aisle, although the Republican argument is for the protection of female athletes while Democrat representatives equate the bill to "state sanctioned genocide."  Even better, wildly liberal California governor Gavin Newsom admitted that allowing biological males to play in female sports is "an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair."  The bill was voted on that night, and it split along party lines. All 67 Republicans in favor of protecting girls sports and all 66 Democrats against it. This goes to show that every single one of our Democrat Representatives is more liberal than Gavin Newsom, who is considered one of the most liberal governors in the United States. This is not a partisan issue, it's common sense. Our female athletes need and deserve protection on the field and in the locker room. The Democrat DeficitJust yesterday we received the February budget forecast, which projects what the budget deficit/surplus will look like in upcoming years. The forecast showed that the deficit is expected to increase from $5.1 Billion to $6 Billion by Fiscal Year 2028-29. The FY 2026-27 balance also dropped by $160 million to $456 million, as spending growth continues to outpace revenue. This comes after the Democrat trifecta wasted an $18 billion surplus, increased taxes on Minnesotans by over $10 billion, and increased government spending by 40% in just the last two years. These increases are not sustainable for the state or the average Minnesotan and must be addressed now. See the chart below, which compares revenue and spending.  Capital Investments CommitteeCapital Investments Committee has kept me quite busy, as we've been hearing 17-18 bills per committee and I have been holding meetings with legislators and other groups about their bonding projects in between. I am proud to be the chair of such an influential committee, especially as we hear about projects from all across the state. I plan to keep you updated as we continue to hear legislation. ShoutoutsShoutout to both the 15A and 15B Alexandria Girl's Hockey Teams for punching their ticket to the state tournament. Both tournaments are set to being next Friday, March 14th. Click here for more details. Way to go girls! Congratulations to Dalin Reiter on his impressive performance at the Minnesota State Special Olympics Downhill Ski Championships recently. Dalin won the gold medal!! Congratulations also to Alexandria Superintendent Rick Sansted for winning the Administrators of Excellence Award this year! EventsWith Lent beginning on Wednesday this week, we are in the season of fish fry Fridays! There will be a fish fry in Alexandria next Friday at St Mary's Parish/School from 5-7pm. Keep your eye on the State Hockey Tournament this weekend and next to see some local teams face off! |