By Rep. Shane Mekeland
District 27A residents continue expressing concerns to me at both the state and federal levels as the Minnesota Legislature prepares to start the 2024 session Feb. 12 in St. Paul.
The flood of illegal aliens crossing our nation’s southern border is a chief concern among many, particularly as it pertains to public safety. This situation has been allowed to fester too long under the current administration and people are demanding action.
There is some relevance to this simmering public safety issue at the state level, where we return to the Capitol with the school resource issue in Minnesota unresolved. A change in law Democrats enacted last year caused SROs to be removed from districts throughout our state, jeopardizing the safety of students, teachers and staff. We need to fix this problem as soon as possible, with real solutions allowing SROs to use their full training to de-escalate volatile situations.
Another top concern I am hearing from constituents is the unsustainable path of taxing and spending Democrats in full control have created for Minnesota. Last spring, Democrats spent the $17.5 billion surplus and raised taxes by $10 billion to grow government spending by 40 percent.
Meanwhile, the Democrats’ $730 million renovation of the State Office Building near the Capitol has broken ground. At $730 million, the Democrats’ Extreme Makeover: Bureaucrat Office Edition is eight times the cost to taxpayers as the new Senate building, which was constructed within the last decade for $90 million.
We need to better respect the taxpayers’ dollars. Higher prices across the board already are forcing Minnesotans to make do with less. Reports indicate, in the Biden-Walz economy, we need nearly $13,000 to afford the same standard of living we had just a couple of years.
Let’s restore balance in St. Paul so we can eliminate wasteful government spending and deliver permanent tax relief so people can better afford groceries, gas, and other everyday essentials.
Assisted suicide is another issue that has surfaced leading into the new session after House Democrats held a hearing to discuss a bill of theirs allowing this practice to occur in Minnesota. It’s sick how intent they are on creating new ways for Minnesotans to end life, whether it’s by establishing some of the world’s most extreme abortion laws in Minnesota or, now, by pushing assisted-suicide legislation.
Where does this go next? Remember how hard Democrats resisted against providing additional funding for our ailing nursing homes last spring before finally giving in to Republicans who delivered $300 million?
The subject of protecting life brings us back to public safety. I cherish the 2nd Amendment and will continue working to support it at every turn. This is even more important where at least some county attorneys seem more interested in prosecuting law enforcement officers than hardened, repeat offenders. If law enforcement is continually undermined, a person’s duty to protect themselves and their family may become an even more crucial recourse.
As a member of committees on energy throughout my time in the House, this also is a subject I will remain close to, advocating for affordable, reliable and accessible power. It is unfortunate to see Democrats drive federal and state policies that take us the opposite direction. This includes major incentives to pull major numbers of acres out of agricultural/food production in favor of wind mills and solar farms. And last year’s “Blackout Bill” enacted by Minnesota Democrats will only make power more unaffordable, unreliable and dangerous.
Please stay in touch regarding these issues and more this session. I appreciate the feedback and remain honored for the continued support from District 27A residents.
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