Dear Neighbors and Friends,
The 2023 legislative session ended late Monday night and with it brings an end to the most partisan and radical session in recent memory.
The result is a new state budget that grows government spending by 40% and raises taxes by nearly $10 billion despite the state’s record-setting $17.5 billion budget surplus.
It will take a while for Minnesotans to fully assess the wreckage of the five-month-long storm of socialism, but the tax and fee increases will be felt quickly.
Missed Opportunities
What Minnesotans wanted, and expected, with a record budget surplus was significant and permanent tax relief. Instead, very few will receive a measly, one-time rebate that might pay for a week’s worth of groceries and a slew of state policy changes that range from questionable to downright embarrassing.
In addition to unprecedented growth in government budget, size, and scope, Democrats imposed numerous burdensome mandates and tax increases on every employer and worker in our state. They also raised the gasoline tax and failed to follow through on their campaign promise to eliminate the tax on Social Security for all Minnesota seniors. Electronic pull tabs as we know them have also been eliminated, which is expected to have a devastating impact on local charities, the VFW, Lions Club, and youth organizations that benefit from the charitable gaming proceeds generated by them.
Overreach and Power Grab
Aside from spending and taxes, Democrats enacted several controversial and partisan policy measures. This includes adopting some of the world’s most extreme abortion policy, enacting a state-funded speech registry that could undermine First Amendment rights, declaring Minnesota a sanctuary state for transgender healthcare – for children, and adopting gun-control laws that will do more to burden law-abiding citizens than thwart violent criminals.
These policies further underscored Democrats’ intentions to legislate to a select few in their radical activist base instead of promoting policies that will benefit the whole of the state.
Fighting for You
Despite my concerns about the negative impacts that the state budget will have on Minnesota’s future, I am pleased to see that a handful of bills I authored and co-authored will soon be signed into law.
I drafted the legislation that provides funding for a new regional public safety training center in the former city maintenance facility. This public safety center will train first responders serving the south metro and will include physical and virtual training areas, tactical training rooms, a range, classrooms, and more. This will be an incredible public safety asset for the entire region and help keep all of us safe.
A second bill that I chief authored that will soon be signed into law funds a much-needed freight rail car turn style and storage facility in the Airlake Industrial Park.
This issue has long presented substantial safety concerns for residents, including rail cars being shuffled between tracks for storage and loading purposes, which often block entrances and exits to neighborhoods. This creates transportation issues for residents, first responders, school buses, and anyone traveling in the vicinity. The project will create more economic opportunities for the businesses in and around the industrial park.
Other provisions I authored that have been included in final budget bills include:
- A pilot program to provide equine mental health therapy to first responders suffering from job-related trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This program has already proven to help local police and fire personnel! Click here or the photo below to watch a video to learn more about their powerful work.
- Veterans’ designation driver’s license bill that allows retired National Guard or Reserve members to have a designation showing that they’re former military.
- A bill streamlining instructional hours for kindergarten students with a disability, so all kindergarten pupils have the same minimum instruction and funding. This is an important fix related to education funding and reduces paperwork for school districts.
- Provision in the Jobs Bill that when awarding competitive grants to give priority to programs or organizations that focus job training in high-wage, high-demand careers.
- Funding to invest in Minnesota manufacturers for the state’s small business growth acceleration program.
Thank You for Your Support
I’d like to offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to all of you for your support and words of encouragement this year. I won’t give up advocating for our communities and values, in fact I’m convinced that the effort we lead is more important than ever! Thank you for backing me.
While the session is over, our work doesn’t stop. Do not hesitate to contact our office, my assistant Cyndy is fabulous, if we can be of any assistance to you or your family. I look forward to seeing many of you throughout the district soon, like we did on Tuesday.
In Liberty,
Jon Koznick
State Representative