LEGISLATION HIGHLIGHTSSTUDENT RESOURCE OFFICER ISSUE STILL UNRESOLVED Democrats came down on the wrong side of the Student Resource Officer (SRO) issue last session, and now they are scrambling to fix it. By allowing the anti-law enforcement radicals in their caucus to approve this legislation, numerous officers were pulled from the schools, decreasing safety for students and teachers. Since then, the public has spoken. One poll found that 90% of students want SRO’s in schools. I am proud to be serving with Representative Jeff Witte, a former law-enforcement and school resource officer, and Representative Ben Bakeberg, a principal from Jordan schools. We have a bill and language that will fix this problem for Minnesota. The only question is will the Democrats actually reach across the table and allow us to help? To date, the answer has been no, as they have not sought any Republican input as they try to fix the problem they solely created in the first place. IS MINNESOTA BECOMING A SANCTUARY STATE? As some of you may have heard, Democrats held a press conference recently to unveil legislation that would turn Minnesota into a sanctuary state. Why not? They have embraced every other bad idea that has failed in other states and are now trying to push it on us here. However, they obviously getting some negative feedback from the public on the issue because the double talk has begun from Democrat leadership. Don’t be fooled. The Democrat powers-that-be would never have allowed a press conference on the topic if the support wasn’t there on yet another far-left demand. A NEARLY BILLION DOLLAR PALACE FOR POLITICIANS Finally, the amount of money that was wasted last session is truly appalling. You’ll recall Democrats spent a $20 billion surplus, raised taxes by an additional $10 billion, and increased government spending by 40%. On Monday, lawmakers were greeted by giant hole on the Capitol grounds. This is the location of the Democrat-approved new state office building, which carries a staggering $730 million price tag.  Actually, it’s just an addition. The Democrats’ gross misuse of your tax dollars is truly appalling. Learn more by clicking here. PREPARE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR MORE “CLEAN” ENERGY Perhaps you’ve heard an old tale that goes something like this: one day the sun and wind challenged each other to see which could force a man to remove his coat. The wind went first, trying to blow the jacket off the man’s body with overwhelming gusts. It didn’t work. The sun then gently shined light down on that man, who went from clutching his coat to taking it off as the warmth of the sun persisted. Moral of the story: you can often accomplish more with a delicate, not overpowering approach. In Minnesota, many are concerned about unreliable and costly energy choices being forcibly inflicted upon them. Last session, Governor Walz signed a bill into law that mandates carbon-free energy (in other words, eliminating coal and natural gas) in Minnesota by the year 2040. The cost: $313 billion. Because the energy infrastructure does not currently exist in Minnesota to meet this mandate, energy producers will be forced to update and replace what is currently in place. Anyone who knows anything about business understands that this increased cost will ultimately be passed back to the paying consumer through higher energy bills. In this scenario, the $313 billion amount translates to nearly $3,900 per family, per year. Starting this month a new Democrat-approved law will give you a $2,500 rebate if you purchase an electric vehicle (EV). With the average price of a new EV ranging from $50,000 to $70,000, who among us will take advantage of this rebate? Clearly, it’s not low-to-middle class income drivers, which means the government is now using your tax dollars to entice rich drivers to buy expensive EV’s. In addition to our state government picking winners and losers in the new car sales game, there is the major problem that the State of Minnesota simply does not have the infrastructure to charge a large amount of EV’s. Over a recent cold snap in Chicago, we all watched as travelers were stranded next to their vehicles because the weather conditions didn’t allow EV stations to work. The same will eventually happen here, just more often, as our cold snaps last significantly longer than they do in Chicago during normal winters. This session, it’s expected that the Walz administration will adopt California’s “Clean Transportation Standard.” Doing so will raise fuel prices by at least 50-cents per-gallon and will cost southeastern Minnesota’s families between $400 to $600 more each year. Not only will these tax increases disproportionately hurt the working poor but will also hurt our economy and hammer border businesses. There’s no doubt in my mind that people in Red Wing will drive over to Hager City, Wisconsin to fill up if that means saving $10 each time they refuel. We all should have the same goals: clean, reliable, affordable, and smart energy. So how do we get there? Nuclear. More specifically, other proactive countries and states are choosing new small modular nuclear technologies. Remarkably, nuclear is about as clean and reliable of an energy source that is available. New technology nuclear is forward thinking versus embracing wind and solar which is costly, inefficient - especially in Minnesota’s long, dark winters - and replacement is needed every 10-20 years. Did you know solar panels and wind turbines are not recyclable? Does that sound very “green” to you? Yet, elected Democrats last session voted against an amendment that would finally remove the moratorium on nuclear energy. By doing so they’re not allowing Minnesotans to explore best energy options. Our state is making reckless energy decisions that put us at risk of upsetting our energy grid and causing rolling blackouts. Many Minnesotans are financially hurting and didn’t ask for and do not want increases in additional gas taxes at the pump and excessive energy costs on our monthly statements. While clean and efficient energy policies should be a priority, Governor Walz could learn a thing or two from the tale of the sun and wind. Forcing unprecedented, unreliable, dangerous and expensive energy legislation onto the people of Minnesota is only making many residents clutch their jackets tighter. Your voice matters. Contact the Walz administration and demand accountability and balance in these crucial legislative decisions. STAY INFORMED I am excited to be back here and to be working for the people of my district and for Minnesota. Please make sure you are following along with me on my social media, as I am quite certain, you’ll get more news than you’re hearing in the Minnesota media. We are the silent majority, and we need to take back our state. |