Dear Neighbors,
The third committee deadline is today, Friday. This means that the House Democrat majority’s omnibus finance and policy bills will have cleared their respective committees by the end of the day. Votes on each of these bills by the House are expected in the weeks ahead as they continue their way through the legislative process. I will plan to update you on these bills as they come to the House Floor for votes.
In the meantime, here’s a brief rundown on the past week.
Public Safety
With the third committee deadline coming and going, I am disappointed to report that once again, Democrats are not putting forward any meaningful bills to address Minnesota’s crime wave. After months of lip service saying that they would address the problem, Democrats are instead focusing their efforts on growing bureaucracy and investing in “violence-interrupters” that would take the place of armed peace officers.
Early this legislative session, House Republicans unveiled a package of bills aimed at reversing the dramatic increase in crime by holding criminals responsible for their actions, helping recruit and retain peace officers, and providing transparency to prosecutor’s charging decisions and the court’s sentencing decisions. These measures will help make our communities safer. But the House Public Safety Committee refused to hear any of these bills.
To make matters worse, the Democrat-run Public Safety Committee refused to hear bills from their party that would have helped improve the safety and security of Minnesotans. The progressive radicals have taken control of the House Democrat caucus.
With the Senate moving bills on this important issue, there is still time to address these problems. I hope House Democrats get serious and work on this with us.
Avian Influenza Update
Unfortunately, it appears that the avian influenza outbreak here in Minnesota is getting worse as more poultry producers are seeing positive cases show up in their flocks. Minnesota is the largest turkey producer in the nation and the 2015 outbreak devastated the industry as more than 9 million birds were lost to a similar situation involving avian influenza.
Reminder, poultry products are safe to consume, and I encourage everyone to support Minnesota-grown products during this difficult time.
In response, the House of Representatives approved legislation on Thursday that allocates funding needed to cover testing expenses and more. This bipartisan effort should help slow down the spread of avian influenza in Minnesota.
Here in St. Paul, our leads on this issue have been holding weekly calls with the Department of Agriculture and are working proactively with stakeholders to make sure we minimize the impacts of this outbreak. The Board of Animal Health has set up a website with resources on this matter and I encourage you to visit it to learn more about ways to prevent outbreaks: https://www.bah.state.mn.us/hpai/
Staying in Touch
The legislature will not meet next week as we observe the Easter and Passover holidays. I hope you and your family have a blessed holiday. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-8237 or via email at rep.brian.daniels@house.mn.
Have a great day,
Brian