Dear Neighbors,
It is an honor to return to St. Paul and represent the amazing people of Kandiyohi County.
2020 was a difficult year for all of us, but thankfully there is light at the end of the tunnel. As we look to this year’s legislative session, I will continue working to make government more efficient and to protect taxpayers from out-of-control spending.
I am pleased to announce that I was recently elected by my peers to serve as an assistant minority leader and will help lead House Republicans during the two-year biennium.
Most of our work during the first months of session will take place in House committees. I have been appointed to the following committees: Behavioral Health Policy Division, and Workforce and Business Development Finance and Policy.
My legislative assistant, Greta, and I recorded a short video from St. Paul on the first day of session. You can watch that video here or by clicking on the photo below.
New Business Guidance
I’ve been working hard to end Governor Walz’s peacetime emergency powers so that the legislature can work with the Walz Administration to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, those efforts have been blocked multiple times.
Some good news this week for business relief came when Governor Walz recognized Minnesota needs to get back to work. With cases and hospital stays showing a positive drop, our restaurants, bowling alleys, gyms, and others can resume operations on Monday.
Click here for more details.
My message to the Governor and his staff is that we all must be committed to never let this go backwards again and with a commitment from operators and customers to do their very best to wash hands, wear masks, and practice social distancing. If we follow these simple steps, we can assure businesses won’t ever be asked to close again. As the vaccines are being rolled out to citizens in the most need, we must stay the course to protect jobs, businesses and look forward to a ‘Grand Re-Opening” this late spring and summer.
Staying in Touch
In closing, Greta and I are working on ways to better connect digitally to constituents and looking at Zoom town halls and other community meetings. It is challenging not seeing citizens in St. Paul this year, so we must find other ways to connect.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with your ideas and suggestions for the coming session. I can be reached at rep.dave.baker@house.mn or you can call 651-296-6206.
All the best,
Dave