Dear Neighbor,
Democrats have the trifecta of power in St. Paul, but the people of Minnesota still expect us to work together and get things done.
People in our district care about tax relief, public safety, eliminating fraud in public programs, supporting out veterans and helping our students get back on track and that is where I continue channeling my efforts.
We owe it to Minnesotans to make every effort to give back these over-collected tax dollars and I am working this session to return as possible. Prices are up across the board and we should put these surplus dollars back in the pockets of families with permanent and meaningful tax cuts to help pay for groceries, energy bills, and other everyday essentials.
On the other hand, the first bills House Democrats have introduced this session clearly reflect a different set of priorities. You could start with the extreme legislation they passed on the House floor Thursday removing all existing guardrails on abortion.
House Democrats are looking to put our state’s abortion laws on par with radical regimes such as North Korea and China. Their extreme stance on abortion is out of touch with average Minnesotans and threatens the health and safety of mothers and unborn children. Some of the most concerning aspects of the bill House Democrats approved include:
- A woman can get an abortion at any time throughout her pregnancy.
- Failing to ensure that a woman seeking an abortion receives one in a safe or licensed environment. Second- or third- term abortions do not need to take place in a hospital, despite posing medical risks.
House Republicans offered reasonable, common-sense amendments to this bill that would provide protections for women and children, but House Democrats blocked each one. Refusing to license abortion facilities or protect a child from being aborted in the third trimester – even with the exceptions of rape, incest, or health of the mother – is extreme and not supported by the vast majority of Minnesotans.
The Democrats’ abortion proposal isn’t the only extreme bill they are pushing through the House. Other bills House Democrats introduced first this session include proposals related to driver’s licenses for all and energy policies that would make power less reliable and more costly. They also are looking to effectively create a gun registry that would burden law-abiding citizens while likely doing little to hinder criminals.
All this is happening while work to convert the state’s $18 billion surplus to maximum tax relief remains on the back burner. Public safety investments, fighting waste and fraud in our public programs, supporting veterans and helping students catch up from learning loss also should be general priorities in the Legislature this year.
These all are issues where we should be able to find common ground and bipartisan agreement but, as with tax relief, there is little progress to report as Democrats continue focusing on the more controversial, divisive subjects. Hope that changes soon.
Sincerely,
Matt