Dear Neighbor,
Hello from the House, where most of our efforts this week have focused on omnibus finance packages that will fund various sections of our state budget after legislative Democrats and the governor recently announced their plan to spend the state’s $17.5 billion surplus and still increase state spending by 40 percent.
Here are some news and notes from this week at the Capitol:
Transportation taxes
Despite that $17.5 billion state surplus, Democrats in St. Paul are committed to increasing numerous taxes, several of which pertain to transportation. For example, the House Democrat transportation bill raises taxes and fees by at least $4 billion - $1.71 billion in 2024-25, and by more than $2.2 billion in 2026-27. Here is a glimpse at just some of what they propose:
- License tab fee increases
- $10 surcharge on license tabs
- Motor vehicle sales tax increase
- ¾-cent metro area sales tax increase (for transit)
- 75-cent delivery tax (everything from Amazon packages to pizza delivery)
We’ll see how this plays out, but it’s difficult to see widespread support for these completely unnecessary tax increases when the state already is overtaxing state taxpayers way too much.
$17K per month for … RENT?
We recently learned Gov. Walz and family will be relocating to a $17,000-a-month lakeside mansion later this year during renovations at the St. Paul governor’s residence. It’s fair to expect the governor would receive nice accommodations while his official residence is uninhabitable, but more than $17,000 PER MONTH – at a total taxpayer cost of $329,581 – for a year and a half is completely over the top.
It really reveals how out of touch the governor is with Minnesotans who are struggling with rising interest rates and soaring prices on just about everything in the Biden-Walz economy.
Second Amendment
The House majority has buried gun-control bills in an omnibus finance package that also provides funding for law enforcement. In particular, language from H.F. 14 (universal gun registration and H.F. 15 (red flag confiscation orders) are included in the majority’s 312-page public safety omnibus bill.
Nearly 80 county sheriffs in Minnesota have signed letters objecting to these proposals. If the House majority disagrees with our experts in law enforcement and thinks these bills are what Minnesotans want, then let’s have those votes as stand-alone bills so the issues are clearly defined.
Regardless, these gun-control bills fail to get to the heart of the matter on this issue: mental health. I am proud to be co-authoring a package of four bills that actually does focus on core issues and the mental health of human beings. The bills are H.F. 3133, 3134, 3135, and 3136 Together, they are called the SAFER Act:
- Supporting Law Enforcement
- Accountability Resources for County Attorneys
- Facilities for Mental Health Care
- Education for Responsible Gun Ownership and Respect for Life
- Responsibility
The main objectives include increasing mental health and drug treatment centers, particularly in Greater Minnesota. Right now, if someone is civilly committed as a dangerous person, the only facilities that will take them are St. Peter and Anoka. It would be beneficial to add more bed space statewide. The package also increases criminal penalties for violent crimes to address a trend where violent offenders are released or sentenced too lightly for their offenses.
Support for nursing homes
House Republicans have called attention to the lack of funding for nursing homes in the House majority’s budget proposal, despite the ongoing long-term care crisis. Nursing homes around the state are closing because they can’t afford to stay open. It is the Legislature’s job to set the rates that nursing homes receive to hire and pay staff, care for residents, and cover their bills. They need our help today if we want them around to care for our seniors tomorrow.
Together with Republican legislators, nursing home providers are calling on the Legislature to take action and ensure our nursing homes have the investments they need to keep caring for our seniors. I will keep working on this subject so stay tuned for more as things unfold this session.
Have a good weekend and please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Jeff