Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The first month of the 2024 legislative session is coming to a close and Democrats are continuing their efforts to destroy the Minnesota we love and turn it into a progressive utopia in the image of California and New York.
Despite the many challenges, I am pleased to report that a legislative fix to the School Resource Officer (SROs) issue has been approved by the House.
As you may recall, Democrats made a change in law last year that resulted in SROs being removed from many schools throughout the state.
It is because of the hard work of Republicans, law enforcement, schools, and other stakeholders that we were able to fix last year’s law in the House.
“Defund the Police” may play well with Democrats’ activist base, but parents and students want SROs in their schools, and I was proud to speak in support of law enforcement during Monday's debate. Click here or the photo below to watch my comments on the House Floor regarding SROs.
Religious Liberty Under Attack
Last week, House Democrats further destroyed Minnesota’s separation of church and state by saying that the state’s view on issues like gender identity trumps your religious beliefs.
Before last year, when gender identity was included within the Minnesota Human Rights Act’s definition of sexual orientation, the still-existing religious exemption for sexual orientation covered gender identity claims as well. When a new, separate definition of gender identity was created last year, there was no corresponding religious exemption added.
When faith groups first expressed concern over this issue, many assumed this was an oversight, and that the Democrat majorities in the House and Senate would support a fix to restore the status quo as it existed from 1993-2023. Shockingly, when a fix was proposed in the Judiciary Committee last week by Republicans, Democrats rejected the amendment.
This exemption is needed to make sure that religious organizations and faith-based schools can, among other things, hire teachers and ministers consistent with their mission and values. Already, at least one faith-based school is facing an employment complaint at the Department of Human Rights because of the removal of the exemption.
Democrats’ refusal to provide this exemption is the most brazen attack on religious liberty and freedom I have seen during my time in St. Paul.
I continue to fight for the values, liberties, and founding principles that have made America the greatest nation in the history of the world. But the fight is steep when Democrat majorities continue to trample over the concerns of the Republican minority and the faith community.
Debate in State Government Committee on Rainbow Flag Ban Prohibition
This week, Democrats heard a bill in committee that would prohibit towns, home rule charter and statutory cities, counties, school districts, and any other political subdivision from removing or banning the display of rainbow flags.
During the debate, I raised concerns about how this symbol is seen as political by many and that there are already prohibitions on certain political imagery in schools and other places.
If you’d like to read more about this bill and the committee hearing, I encourage you to read this article Alpha News wrote summarizing the debate, including quotes from me. Click here or the photo below to read the article.
More Tax Increases?
Finally, this week in the Taxes Committee, Democrats held a hearing to discuss ways to further increase corporate taxes. Minnesota already has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the entire nation, and if we want to be a place where businesses can grow, flourish, and provide jobs for Minnesotans, then we need to be looking at ways to lessen their burden, not make it worse.
I shared my thoughts in committee about the absurdity of the topic and reminded Democrats that if they continue to raise taxes on businesses, they will move to more welcoming states.
Click here or the photo below to watch.
Do not hesitate to share your concerns or if we can assist when dealing with a state agency.
Please share this Koznick Connection with neighbors who would be interested. They can sign up for future Koznick Connections here.
I look forward to seeing many of you around town in the coming days and weeks.
In Liberty,
Jon Koznick
State Representative