Dear Neighbors,
It was another busy week in St. Paul with many bills making their way to the House Floor for votes on several omnibus supplemental budget bills and a few controversial gun control bills. As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. My contact information is at the end of this newsletter.
Gun Control Bills
On Monday and Thursday, two separate gun control bills were approved by the Minnesota House of Representatives. As a supporter of the 2nd Amendment, I refuse to support any bills that restrict law-abiding Minnesotans’ ability to freely exercise this constitutional right that we all have as Americans.
Unfortunately, these bills do exactly that—they place new barriers on law-abiding gun owners instead of holding criminals accountable for their actions.
The first bill will criminalize gun owners for failing to report a stolen firearm if they do not do so within a subjective timeframe. Most, if not all, law-abiding gun owners report that a firearm has been stolen as soon as they find out. The ones who don’t report these thefts are those who probably weren’t supposed to have a gun in the first place.
The second bill will govern how citizens must store their firearms inside their private residences, making it harder for individuals to protect themselves and their families in a home-defense situation.
Both bills will criminalize law-abiding gun owners instead of going after the criminals who are making our neighborhoods less safe. Minnesota would be a much safer place if Democrats spent a fraction of their time and energy enforcing our existing gun laws, of which there are many, stopping the anti-law enforcement rhetoric, and holding criminals responsible for their actions instead of proposals that place new burdens on law-abiding Minnesotans.
State Office Building Update
On Wednesday, the very first $11 million payment for the unnecessary and extravagant $730 million "Palace for Politicians" was made.
Remember, while you and your family struggle to pay for the rising costs of food, gas, electricity, and more, Democrats in the House are building themselves a massive new office building that we do not need.
Throughout the week, we offered several amendments on the House Floor to strip the funding for this unnecessary project and instead re-allocate it towards more pressing needs like roof repairs for schools across the state, addressing the childcare crisis and more.
I will continue fighting to make sure that your tax dollars are used wisely and that we do more to lessen the financial burden on Minnesota families who are struggling.
Staying in Touch
A group of students from VandenBerge Middle School recently visited St. Paul.
I am a proud alumnus of VBMS and it was great to meet with current students and teachers. It's been almost 50 years since I toured the capitol as a student, and I encouraged students to think about their future possibilities.
Make sure to reach out to my office if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. It would be great to chat with you. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4237 or via email at rep.paul.novotny@house.mn.gov.
Have a good day,
Paul