Dear Neighbors, I wanted to provide you an update on the status of the Minnesota House, and the work I’ve been doing in our community and around the state - as well as a heads up on our upcoming town hall. Last Friday, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the House Republican attempted power grab of the last few weeks violated our state constitution. Every GOP action, including the election of a fake Speaker and appointment of fake committees, was unlawful and illegitimate. In November, voters elected an equal number of Democrats and Republicans to represent them in the House. Now, it’s time for the GOP to start working together with Democrats to develop a fair power-sharing agreement so we can return to the Capitol to govern as Minnesotans intended. In addition to honoring the will of the voters across the state, Republicans also must respect the results of the election in Shakopee where voters elected DFLer Brad Tabke to represent them. Instead, Republicans are refusing to seat him, which would disenfranchise 22,000 voters. I would never stand for your votes being disenfranchised, and I won’t allow that to happen to another community in our state. The reason they want to do this is simple: to empower them to advance their extreme agenda, including taking away reproductive freedoms, eliminating paid family leave, rolling back progress to address climate change, and ending free school meals for kids. My DFL colleagues and I will not allow Republicans to overturn an election simply because they can. Never before has a legislator been kicked out when they have done nothing wrong, and to do so would gravely subvert the free and fair elections Minnesotans expect. Rep. Tabke won on election night, won in a recount, and won in court. DFLers look forward to returning to the Capitol once we have an agreement with Republicans that respects the will of the voters. Until we have such an agreement, I’ve been doing my job as your State Representative from our community, and I’ve been fulfilling my duties as the DFL Chair of Capital Investment by visiting communities throughout the state. While I wish we were able to be in St. Paul right now, I’ve enjoyed talking with neighbors about how to improve our district, and meeting with leaders all over Minnesota on how we can improve our state. |