Dear Friends,
Our new fraud committee held its first hearing on Monday and focused on the lack of oversight of taxpayer-funded grants to state nonprofits. This is a bipartisan issue that we should all be concerned about addressing. We learned there is no tracking mechanism for nonprofits, which is problematic considering $2.6 billion dollars in state revenue was distributed to approximately 2500 different nonprofits across 27 state agencies, and 25% of the nonprofits received grants from more than one state agency.
HOUSE COMMITTEES APPROVE BILLS HELPING VETERANS’ ORGANIZATIONS AND STUDENTS
Wednesday was a busy day for me at the Minnesota House as I had two bill presentations. In the military and veterans services committee I shared my bill that will give veterans’ service groups – American Legions, VFW’s, etc. – property tax relief on buildings they own and operate.
In 2017, the Minnesota Legislature reduced property taxes for veterans' service organizations to 1%. Despite this, Legions and VFWs have been struggling to keep their doors open, especially since the pandemic. These veterans organizations are known for their strong support of their communities, as their gambling proceeds are used to financially support youth sports and other charitable organizations. It’s my hope that this bipartisan bill can be approved quickly by the Minnesota House.
In addition, my legislation that will raise education standards and reduce cumbersome mandates on schools was also heard and approved by the Education Policy Committee Wednesday. The next stop for this bill will be the Education Finance Committee.
BILLS OF NOTE
This week the House labor committee heard legislation that would delay the implementation of the Paid Family Leave Act. I have heard from many local small business owners about this topic. It needs more work. Click here to learn more.
The state government finance Committee heard bills to strengthen agency and nonprofit accountability, create “fraud notes,” and strengthen whistleblower protections. All of these are responses to the rampant fraud that is taking place throughout state government agencies.
The public safety committee debated a plan to strengthen penalties for criminals and providing more accountability for the courts, prosecutors, and groups like the Freedom Fund. It also heard several bills that protect the most vulnerable victims of crime.
The taxes committee heard legislation that would eliminate the state tax on Social Security benefits for all Minnesotans. This has long been a priority of mine as no senior citizen should be taxed on their monthly Social Security checks.
MY COLUMN FOR THIS WEEK: MINNESOTANS DESERVE SAFE COMMUNITIES
I personally know five people who have been mugged or carjacked in the Twin Cities in the last six years. For the 20 years prior, I couldn't name one person who had been violently accosted in this way. I bet a lot of you can attest to similar stories. It is incredibly sad to watch our society crumble like this.
Over the past few years, members of the law enforcement community have been vilified by radical activists and lawmakers, and in some cases, the media. Because of this, police officers – not wanting to deal with the daily hate and unnecessary headaches - have left the profession in record numbers with few candidates stepping in to take their places.
The departure of police officers has led to a rise in crime, as criminals and gangs in the inner cities get to run the show. Combine all of this with certain extreme county attorneys who prioritize social justice over criminal justice and activist judges who willingly allow repeat offenders back on the streets, and you have a public safety crisis.
The problem is based on current policies being driven by liberal lawmakers that are clearly not working. They believe police are the problem, not the criminals. Instead of focusing on bills that hold criminals accountable, they sponsored bills that would allow law enforcement officers to be sued personally (instead of the government entity that employs them) and require peace officers to carry liability insurance. No wonder few desire to enter the law-enforcement field!
These types of liberal policies create disorder, and disorder greatly harms society. Left unchecked, it results in anarchy.
This is nonsensical. People deserve to be able to take a walk without being mugged. They deserve to be able to drive their kids to daycare without being carjacked. Right now, it seems that criminals get all the protection while crime victims and peace officers take a back seat.
This must be fixed. We cannot afford to admire the problem anymore. It is critical that we implement strategies that will make Minnesota safe.
This session, my House Republican colleagues and I are prepared to take action. We have unveiled a package of bills that include numerous provisions that are designed to equip law enforcement with the tools they need, ensure violent offenders are held accountable, and increase transparency in the criminal justice system.
To address criminal behavior, the plan includes mandatory minimum 10-year sentences for predators engaged in first-degree sex trafficking; predatory offender registration for offenders engaged in criminal sexual conduct who receive a stayed sentence from the courts; new and enhanced criminal offenses including blocking a freeway, highway, transit, or the road to and from the airport; and increased penalties for fleeing a police officer in a reckless manner, and assaulting someone from law enforcement. Individuals who conspire to trespass on or damage critical infrastructure such as pipelines, utility lines, and water lines would also see strengthened penalties.
The proposal would also give better access to the public on prosecutors’ charging and dismissal decisions, and court sentencing departures. It would also provide additional transparency to the practices of some criminal justice organizations that far too often provide a revolving door that puts criminals back onto the street without any public scrutiny.
The first responsibility of government is to provide safety to Minnesotans and protect its citizens. For the past two years, it could be easily argued that Democrat legislation has done more to protect criminals than it has the victims of their illegal actions. House Republicans believe that needs to change. We will be moving on legislation that will give law enforcement the resources it needs to succeed, ensure lawbreakers are held responsible for their crimes, and restore accountability in our criminal justice system.
Let's make Minnesota safe again!
Have a good weekend,
Peggy