Dear Neighbors,
We are now more than 7 weeks into the 2023 legislative session and the pace of things in St. Paul is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Sadly, instead of working to reach consensus on a variety of issues that benefit all Minnesotans, Democrats in the legislature have pushed a hyper-partisan agenda that leaves me concerned about the future of our state.
Despite the setbacks, I continue to fight for commonsense, conservative, solutions to the problems facing our state. Together, we can push back against this radical, progressive, metro-centric agenda, and stand for the ideals that our nation was founded on like freedom, liberty, and personal responsibility.
I appreciate all of your support and the encouraging texts, calls, and emails as I work for you here in St. Paul.
Democrats Fully Funding Fraud
On Monday, House Democrats approved legislation that would provide more than a hundred million dollars to the state’s Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP). As you may recall, in recent years it was discovered that CCAP had issued more than $100 million in fraudulent grants.
I spoke against the bill during the debate on Monday, I encourage you to watch my comments from the House floor. Click here to watch.
Given their track record, I suppose that we shouldn’t be surprised that Democrats brought forward a bill that would send hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to a program with known fraud issues. During the debate on the bill, they couldn’t even say with certainty that the problems are solved with CCAP.
This is emblematic of a broader issue with waste, fraud, and abuse in public programs. Here are just a few examples in recent years:
- $100 million in CCAP fraud
- $250 million Feeding our Future fraud of which some of this overlapped with CCAP
- A recent Legislative Auditor report found “pervasive noncompliance” within state agency grant management programs—particularly in the Department of Education
I have always been a staunch defender of your tax dollars and continue to advocate for additional oversight and investigations into public programs to make sure fraudsters aren’t stealing from the state. Unfortunately, Democrats and Gov. Walz's disregard for program integrity remains a serious issue at the legislature.
Gun Control Bills
Democrats continue to fast-track a series of gun control bills and I expect them to be coming to the House floor for votes in the near future.
I will share more details on these bills in the coming weeks, and you can be sure that I will be a strong “NO” on any infringement of your rights. The 2nd Amendment and your right to self-defense is foundational to freedom and I will always stand up for your constitutional rights.
Please reach out to your representative or senator and respectfully tell them to vote “no” on these dangerous, unconstitutional bills.
Staying in Touch
Please be sure to reach out to me to share your thoughts, concerns, and ideas. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4333 or via email at rep.josh.heintzeman@house.mn.gov.
God bless,
Josh