Dear Neighbor,
As we approach this Memorial Day weekend, let’s start today’s newsletter with a salute to our true American heroes who gave everything to defend our nation. I hope you are able to get out and attend any of the various Memorial Day events that will take place this weekend.
As for official business, the 2023 legislative session adjourned Monday and it will be most remembered for a Democrat trifecta treating a paper-thin majority as a sweeping mandate for passing a far-left agenda.
The new two-year state budget Democrats approved will increase spending by more than 40 percent, from $52 billion to $72 billion. The plan also hikes taxes by almost $10 billion despite a $17.5 billion state surplus. This includes raising the state’s gas tax by 3.5 cents per gallon and tying it to inflation, increasing license tab fees, adding a 50-cent delivery tax, applying a new payroll tax that will hit employers and employees alike, and more.
It is clear this new Democrat budget has far more to do with income redistribution than actually balancing a bottom line. That’s the only way you can explain Democrats raising taxes by almost $10 billion at a time the state already is swimming in surplus revenue. People are being crushed by higher prices but, instead of seizing this opportunity to provide historic relief, the Democrat trifecta went the opposite direction by adding to the tax burden – and gave government a 40-percent raise in the process.
Meanwhile, Democrats failed to provide a full elimination of the state’s Social Security tax despite nearly universal support for that move. And, after Gov. Tim Walz began the session by supporting $2,000 surplus rebates for joint filers, Democrats ultimately approved just a fraction of that amount – $260 per person, or $520 per couple, with an arbitrary income threshold of $75,000/$150,000. This will be far outweighed by the Democrats’ $10 billion tax increases.
Aside from state finances, Democrats enacted several highly controversial, partisan policy measures. This includes adopting some of the world’s most extreme abortion policy, enacting a state-funded speech registry that could undermine First Amendment rights, and declaring Minnesota a sanctuary state for transgender healthcare – for children. In addition, a Democrat provision will end electronic pull tabs as we know them, dealing a major blow to local charitable organizations.
In our state’s history, we have never seen such radical, unconstitutional legislation as we saw this year. It will only change when We the People take our God-given ordination declared in our constitutions to hold our government accountable. Our state truly is at a crossroads and the question is whether enough common-sense Minnesotans will rise and defend our way of life, or if we will sit back and succumb to the ever-looming threat of tyranny under a Democrat trifecta in St. Paul.
Democrats in the final days of the session also approved an omnibus bill with gun-control measures related to universal background checks and red flag confiscation orders. The governor has since enacted the bill into law.
As a strong Second Amendment supporter, I firmly oppose these measures that will create strict and impractical hurdles for law-abiding Minnesotans seeking to exercise their constitutional rights. Criminals will not follow the complex new laws and they will do nothing to stop the flow of firearms among bad actors.
On the other hand, Republicans scored a big win for nursing homes by successfully negotiating for $300 million more than Democrats had proposed providing them. This added funding will help that industry at a time nursing homes have been forced to close and families have been left scrambling to find care for their loved ones.
Another positive development is I was able to get an amendment that makes paying people to harvest ballots a crime included in the state government bill which has been enacted. I will take a closer look at this subject in an upcoming newsletter.
The session may have ended, but I will continue working to serve the people of our district during the legislative interim. In fact, I look forward to spending more time back at home and meeting face to face with people I represent. We’ll see you around 6A and your input always is welcome.
Sincerely,
Ben