Dear Neighbors,
The 2021 Special Session wrapped on Wednesday, with the legislature passing the final budget bills, avoiding a state government shutdown while also putting into law an end to the governor's emergency powers.
While not every bill was one I could support, it is good that all of the major tax increases and controversial policy provisions from House Democrats were eliminated from the final agreements. Importantly, the Taxes bill includes the PPP and UI tax relief fixes that will help thousands of Minnesotans.
Debate during special session was long and drawn out at times as House Republicans have been fighting hard to advocate for issues that matter most to Minnesotans. This included amendments to stabilize the costs of health care insurance, improve public safety to keep our communities secure, and of course bringing an end to Governor Walz’s emergency powers.
As stated above, I am extremely pleased that we were able to finally bring an end to the peacetime emergency. I had voted more than 20 times to remove Governor Walz’s emergency powers and it was good to see House Democrats finally join us in bringing an end to this insanity.
I am committed to working next year to rewrite state law related to emergency powers so that future governors cannot abuse these powers ever again.
That’s all for this week’s update. I hope you enjoy Independence Day weekend and that you can spend time with friends and loved ones as we celebrate America.
Staying in Touch
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me to share any thoughts or concerns you may have. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-8237 or via email at rep.brian.daniels@house.mn.
Have a great holiday weekend!
Brian