Dear Neighbors,
Today, Friday, is the 3rd and final committee deadline. This means that almost all our committee work is now complete for the year, and much of the action will now transition to the House Floor where large omnibus policy and some supplemental finance bills will be debated and voted on.
As always, I welcome any comments, questions, or concerns you may have. My contact information can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.
Here is a recap of a handful of bills that were voted on this week.
Environment Bill
On Monday, this year’s environment policy bill was approved by the House on a 72-58 vote.
As the Republican-lead for the House Environment Committee, I was unable to support this year’s bill because of concerns about the new rulemaking authority granted to the Board of Soil and Water Resources.
Despite this concern, much of the bill was largely noncontroversial and included some good things like updates to the DNR’s electronic license system (ELS) that will be available beginning in 2025.
The new, modern system will make it easier for hunters and anglers to buy licenses, register their harvests, and sign up for safety training. It also will improve processing for DNR agents and others.
There will be a supplemental environment budget omnibus bill in the weeks ahead, stay tuned for updates on that.
Protecting Your Tax Dollars
Monday was Tax Day and a sad reminder of the $10 billion in new taxes that Democrats approved last year that every Minnesotan will soon have to deal with.
Remember, this time last year, Minnesota had an $18 billion budget surplus and with it, the opportunity to provide historic tax relief to help you and your family deal with the soaring costs of everyday goods and services. Instead of providing you with that badly needed relief, Democrats blew out the budget, raised taxes by $10 billion, and have set Minnesota up with a deficit beginning in the next budget cycle.
If you’re feeling the pinch in your family budget, you’re not alone. According to data from Moody’s Ratings, the typical U.S. household is paying $1,069 more a month to purchase the same goods and services it did 3 years ago before the inflation crisis began. In total, inflation is up nearly 19% from where it was in January of 2021.
These numbers make clear that the reckless, irresponsible economic policies from President Biden and Democrats in St. Paul are driving family budgets off a financial cliff.
While you and your family deserve relief and continue to pay more in taxes, Democrats are still doing their best to turn Minnesota into a sanctuary state for illegal immigration. 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.
To the surprise of no one, the DFL refused to support this amendment and it failed.
I will always fight to put the interests of our communities and Minnesotans first.
Looking Ahead
There will be more news to come out of St. Paul as we enter the final month of the 2024 legislative session. Please continue to reach out to me to share your thoughts, questions, and concerns. In the meantime, I will do my best to keep you updated on what’s happening here in the people’s House.
I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4333 or via email at rep.josh.heintzeman@house.mn.gov.
Have a good weekend,
Josh