Dear Neighbors,
Democrats began their efforts to further erode the 2nd Amendment on Thursday with two bill hearings in the House Public Safety Committee.
House File 601 would establish an arbitrary deadline for reporting lost and stolen firearms and House File 4300 would require ammunition and firearms to be stored separately.
The first bill would put the onus on the victim of a crime to file a report to law enforcement within the government’s definition of “reasonable” time. If you are the victim of a firearm theft, and the perpetrator of that crime commits another criminal act with your stolen property, you may be held responsible.
The second bill would prescribe how firearms and ammunition must be stored inside your home—further limiting your ability to defend yourself and your family.
While the cards continue to be stacked against us on these issues due to the Democrat Trifecta here in St. Paul, I will nevertheless fight tirelessly to make sure your 2nd Amendment rights are upheld and protected. As lawmakers, we should be focusing our efforts on holding criminals responsible for their actions instead of inventing new ways to harass and prevent law-abiding Minnesotans from exercising their rights.
February Budget Forecast
On Thursday, state economists released the annual February budget forecast. Once again, the forecast shows a looming deficit for the next budget cycle.
Make no mistake, this is a Democrat Deficit.
It is truly remarkable to see where we’ve come in the last 12 months. This time last year, the state was looking at the largest budget surplus in Minnesota history at $17.5 billion. Instead of giving that surplus back to you, the hardworking taxpayers, Democrats spent the entire surplus, raised taxes by nearly $10 billion, and grew overall government spending by 40%.
Now, the state is facing a looming budget deficit.
You, your family, and your family budget deserve better.
School Resource Officer Update
Positive news to report as an agreement has been struck between Republicans, Democrats, and law enforcement on a fix to return School Resource Officers (SROs) to schools that had removed them following a change in the law last year.
This is an important step in cleaning up a huge mess created by Democrats during the last legislative session. I would expect the bill to come to the House Floor for a vote this coming week and for Governor Walz to sign it in the very near future.
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