By Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Silver Township
The 2023 session is in full stride and one thing already is quite clear: The adage about legislators consuming information from a fire hose is true.
House members have been taking in a high volume of material on a vast array of subjects to start the session.
One thing I am doing as I start my time in the House is to focus on the issues that are most important to the people I represent. That approach has been helpful and is keeping me centered on our priorities. We have a great workforce and bountiful amenities in our region and the sense of unity gained by working on behalf of all the people I represent in District 11A is productive and rewarding.
The first bills I have drafted this session as the chief author are with constituents firmly in mind, including legislation to appropriate funding to improve Highway 73 south of Cromwell, as well as for a Cloquet Fire Dept. project. I also have signed onto bills declaring Minnesota to be a mining-friendly state and to help farmers combat wolf and elk depredation.
From a broader constituent perspective, I also am supporting one bill to assist first-time homebuyers and am the chief author of another to eliminate once and for all the state tax on Social Security, ending our state’s status as an outlier that still taxes this income. Minnesotans deserve their money back from the surplus revenue and my proposal is just one tool to help people keep more of their money at a time we have seen prices soaring across the board.
There has been bipartisan agreement to take this action and, with a state revenue surplus of around $18 billion, the time is right. But it’s only a start to the permanent tax cuts we need to enact to stop the year-after-year overtaxing of Minnesota families.
Other statewide top priorities for me this session include improving public safety, fighting waste and fraud in our public programs, and helping students catch up from learning loss they suffered the last couple of years.
Democrats in the House majority said they supported these goals last fall, particularly expressing support for eliminating the state tax on social security and increasing investments in public safety. While I hope those words will be followed by action this year, House Democrats started the session by focusing on a series of more divisive, controversial proposals on other subjects.
The first bill House Democrats introduced this session – House File 1 – is an extreme proposal which makes abortion, already legal in Minnesota, available at any time during a pregnancy and with no guardrails. It would make our state an outlier, with abortion laws on par with radical regimes such as North Korea and China. For example, the House Democrat bill allows for partial birth abortions and does nothing to ensure that a woman seeking an abortion receives care in a safe or licensed environment.
House Republicans offered numerous common-sense amendments to provide safeguards, but the majority blocked them all. This extreme stance by House Democrats is out of touch with everyday Minnesotans, threatening the health and safety of mothers and unborn children.
I will continue working on behalf of District 11A residents to oppose bills such as this and other divisive, controversial proposals House Democrats also are preparing to bring to the floor for votes of the full body.
It has been a pleasure to already this session welcome numerous visitors who traveled from this area to visit the Capitol and discuss a variety of issues with me. My door always is open to the people I represent, and you can call my legislative office at (651) 296-4308 to set up an appointment.
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