Dear Neighbors,
The 2024 legislative session ended last night, and its chaotic ending is a lasting reminder of how badly we need balance in St. Paul beginning next year.
To be clear, no one “won” last night. Democrats have had complete control of state government for the last two years and months to finish their work on time. Instead of working on priority bills earlier in session, we went weeks without any meaningful pieces of legislation reaching the House Floor for votes.
Just this week, they brought bills to the Floor for votes that had no chance of becoming law due to lack of support in the Senate. On Saturday, the Senate sat idle for more than 10 hours as a single Senator went AWOL, grinding the entire body to a halt.
Instead of collaboration, we saw division. Instead of democracy, we saw dysfunction. Instead of statesmanship, we saw partisanship.
Minnesotans expect and deserve better from their government. We are supposed to reflect the values of you, the people we represent. Instead, we saw a hyper-partisan and chaotic end of session where the majority shutdown debate and rammed through a 2,800 page omnibus bill minutes before the midnight deadline.
This is no way to govern, and it is my hope that some badly needed balance and collaboration will return to the legislature beginning next January.
Please stay in touch and do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or concerns. Contact me by phone at 651-296-4936 or via email at rep.spencer.igo@house.mn.gov.
Have a great week,
Spencer