Dear Neighbors,
It’s been a very busy week in St. Paul with 3rd committee deadline today, Friday, and several large omnibus bills before the House for votes. Here is a brief recap of some of the high-level items from the last week.
Elections Bill
Last week, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved legislation that makes several changes to the way elections are conducted in Minnesota.
Historically, any changes to elections policy in Minnesota have been done with bipartisan support. Governor Dayton required this, and it is so disappointing that Governor Walz has set aside this longstanding tradition.
There were several concerning provisions in the bill including one that allows voters to describe where they’re living while filling out a voter registration form rather than listing an actual address.
This sort of change is a recipe for voter fraud. For example, all a person would have to do is claim that they live in the gray house near Main Street, and then they’ll be handed a ballot. No address is necessary.
In addition to this, the bill does nothing to guarantee people will live in a proposed Senate or House district when it comes to redistricting; fails to stop nonprofits that receive government funds from using that money for campaigns; and fails to add safeguards that will prevent illegal immigrants from voting in Minnesota’s election.
This bill moves Minnesota’s elections in the wrong direction.
Protecting Your Tax Dollars
Monday was Tax Day and a reminder of the nearly $10 billion in new taxes that Democrats approved last year—despite an $18 billion budget surplus.
While all of us deal with the impacts of these billions in new taxes and the failed economic policies of President Biden that have driven the costs of everyday goods and services to levels we haven’t seen in decades, Democrats in Minnesota refuse to provide families a break.
Instead, they continue to bend over backward to provide tax dollars to individuals who have violated federal immigration law and are here illegally.
During debate on the House Floor, we offered an amendment to the Human Services Omnibus Bill that would have prevented taxpayer dollars from going toward those who are here illegally. With so many needs across Minnesota, it makes sense that your tax dollars should go toward helping our community.
My colleague, Rep. Isaac Schultz, asked at least ten different Democrat representatives to answer a simple question: What percentage of our state budget should be spent on people who are here illegally? All ten members refused to answer the question.
Watch the video below to see the full exchange.
Refusing to answer a question from a colleague is highly unusual and rarely, if ever seen. For ten Democrats to engage in this behavior is extremely disrespectful not only to Rep. Schultz and the entire House of Representatives but is also a disservice to the individuals these folks are elected to represent. Their constituents deserve to know where their elected officials stand on this important issue.
Staying in Touch
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me to share any thoughts or concerns you may have about state government or the job I'm doing as your representative. It would be great to talk with you. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-8237 or via email at rep.brian.daniels@house.mn.
Have a good weekend,
Brian