Dear friends and neighbors, It’s been a tough week for our region, so I want to keep it somewhat brief this week. As many of you are probably aware at this point, Senator Eichorn was arrested earlier this week. I don’t want to get into the details too much out of respect for his family, but the charges are very serious and shocking. On Monday, I released this statement on the incident: While he is entitled to due process, given the seriousness of the charges, Senator Eichorn should resign. Resignation is the appropriate course while the legal process moves forward. I am praying for his family during this difficult time. I also want to offer prayers to the Eichorn family. I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for you but want you to know we’re thinking about and praying for you. I ask that the community will allow you privacy during this tough time. Legislative UpdateOn the legislative side of things, the House has returned to a 67-67 tie. As I’ve mentioned before, this will require that all bills moving through the House have bipartisan support and we are beginning to see what that looks like in practice. Keep in mind, that this is only the second time in state history the House has been tied, so this is new territory for all of us. I hope that we can get the work done that we were sent here to do and pass bills that prioritize Minnesotans over partisanship. One of the ways we’ve seen this in practice is with the Veterans Committee which I chair. Part of the agreement we reached with the Democrats earlier this year is that once the House was returned to a tie, parties would have equal numbers in committee and a chair from each party, rotating every other meeting who is in charge. It’s been a new experience, but thankfully, the Veterans Committee has always prioritized the men and women who served over politics. Democrat Co-Chair Xiong and I have agreed that getting a standalone veterans omnibus bill is a key priority for our committee. This will allow the general body to approve much-needed veterans policies, which almost always enjoy bipartisan support, without having to approve other politicized issues as has been done in the past. If policies have bipartisan support, there’s no reason we should be using veterans issues as political bargaining chips, and I’m happy that is something he and I agree on. There’s also been a change in how things go on the floor. Because bills need bipartisan support to pass committee stops, almost all bills that make it to the floor will be passed. On Monday, we heard a bunch of corrections bills that all passed with broad bipartisan support. Thursday, we did hear some policy bills, but they were all non-political issues that also passed nearly unanimously. Looking Ahead- We are starting to zero in on our budget targets and are working hard in the Veterans Committee to ensure that once leadership has negotiated the budget, we will be ready to act. With nearly a month lost at the beginning of session, Co-Chair Xiong and I agree that we have work to do and want to do that as efficiently as possible.
- Earlier this month, Democrats held a press conference outlining several gun control bills that would severely limit your Second Amendment right, including a bill that would ban semi-automatic firearms. These bills are not aimed at improving public safety, and, as we know, only affect law-abiding gun owners, not the criminals who use firearms for intentional harm. These bills have no place in Minnesota. House Republicans remain committed to protecting your Constitutional rights and will not allow these bills to advance through a tied House.
That’s all for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stay tuned as we navigate this historic session. |