Dear Neighbors,
The governor has once again extended his emergency powers, so the legislature is back in special session this week. Session began Monday and is anticipated to run at least a week, with negotiations taking place between the House and Senate on a handful of issues like bonding, tax cuts, police reform, and supplemental budget spending.
I will continue to advocate an end the Governor’s peacetime emergency powers and return the legislature back to regular order. It’s clear, now more than ever, that after over 120 days of peacetime emergency, we cannot have a single person continue making unilateral decisions. Governor Walz MUST work with the legislature as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and get more businesses open safely.
To be clear, ending the peacetime emergency would not mean an end to the state’s response to COVID-19. Instead, it would move Minnesota away from the “emergency” phase of our response and into the “management” phase.
In addition to this, I’m focused on getting a tax bill done that includes full section 179 conformity and making sure local school districts are given full authority to make decisions on returning to school this fall.
Local school officials are the ones who know their districts, families, and students best, and they should be steering the ship going into the upcoming school year. We need to trust our local officials to do the job they were elected to do.
Because of a 60-day post-session rule, I cannot send out any additional email newsletters until November at the earliest. If you want to stay updated on the latest information about legislative sessions, I would encourage you to check out my official Facebook page.
Although I won’t be sending out newsletters for the foreseeable future, you can still call or email my office if you need anything. You can reach me via email at rep.dave.baker@house.mn or on the phone at 651-296-6206.
Have a great summer,
Dave