Greetings,
Summertime in Minnesota is as good as it gets, and I hope you have been enjoying yourself. It has been especially fun to see crowds back in full force at various community festivals this summer after a couple of difficult years.
One thing that is abundantly clear with the people I am speaking with in our area is they are fed up with the historic price increases on gas, groceries, you name it. Families and businesses are doing their best to make more with less and, yet, they see the state still has a massive surplus and revenue continues to exceed prior projections.
A July 11 report shows Minnesota’s tax receipts are up another $2.9 billion since February. And that’s on top of the several billion dollars left on the bottom line when the session ended. Minnesota Republicans proposed more than $8 billion in tax relief earlier this year, which would have meant meaningful relief to residents of our state. But House Democrats were looking to spend $21 on government programs for every $1 in tax cuts and a deal was not reached before adjournment.
I know people are fed up with 40-year price increases and rampant violent crime in our state, but let’s keep the faith and stay positive. Thomas Jefferson once said, “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” As I reflect on the shape of our state and country on this 56th birthday of mine, I remain not only vigilant, but optimistic the people of Minnesota will fight for their liberties, freedoms, and our good way of life. Our values and principles of this constitutional republic shall prevail, and we will right the ship to bring down costs on gas/energy, get a grip on violent crime and provide our children with the education they deserve.
In other news:
NFIB award
It was an honor to recently receive the prestigious Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business for my score on the NFIB Minnesota Voting Record for 2021-22. The Guardian of Small Business Award is reserved for legislators who vote consistently with small business on the key issues identified by small business owners.
Our small businesses have faced extraordinary challenges the last couple of years, and we must continue working to make Minnesota a better place to operate a business. Thank you to the NFIB for this award and I look forward to doing even more to support small-business owners in our state.
988 mental health crisis hotline available
A new 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline number is up and running, providing people with a universal number to call or text and receive help in times of need. This is an effort to help prevent suicide and provide resources to those facing a mental health crisis. I hope “988” becomes a valuable tool for people to use to get help fast when necessary.
Childcare development grants
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has launched the latest round of?Child Care Economic Development Grants to increase quality child care providers and support economic development across Minnesota. DEED is seeking proposals from local governments or nonprofits with experience in the operations, financing, advocacy, or advancement of the delivery of child care services. Qualified parties may request up to $300,000 in state funds for this program.
Individual child care providers, both centers and family-based, seeking funds to establish new operations or expanding existing operations are encouraged to partner on their funding request with local or regional organizations with experience in the planning or financing of child care facilities.
Applications must be submitted by Aug. 30. This link has more details about this grant program. An informational webinar also will take place 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. this Tuesday (July 26) at this Microsoft Teams link; you also can participate by phone by calling (651) 395-7488 (Conference ID 175 607 021#).
Newsletter hiatus
The end of this week brings us to 60 days since the 2022 legislative session ended. At that point, legislators are prohibited from emailing newsletters such as this until after the November election. In the meantime, I will keep on doing my best to represent the people of our area, including individual email correspondence. Your input, as always, is welcome and very much appreciated.
Until next time, hope to see you around the district and please stay in touch.
Regards
Joe