Above, I submit my first bill for introduction to the MN House of Representatives to fix a contaminated groundwater issue in Andover.
Dear Neighbor,
Greetings from the House as we hope for a January thaw this weekend just days after partisanship temporarily melted away on the House floor.
The House united on Monday to overwhelmingly pass, on a 132-0 vote, legislation paving the way for a smoother tax season by allowing state taxpayers to take advantage of numerous similar federal tax provisions.
This so-called federal conformity is needed in Minnesota to ease tax filing and to help industries that were hardest hit from pandemic shutdowns – especially restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment entities. I am pleased to have personally co-authored a key provision in the bill which rights a wrong by sparing venues the state shuttered during the pandemic from paying taxes on relief grants. Minnesota was the last state to resolve this absurdity and it is good we finally did.
The Senate also passed the bill this week and the governor signed it into law Thursday.
I hope we can apply this bipartisan spirit to other important issues, like fixing the contaminated groundwater in our district that has left some local residents unable to safely use water from their own wells. I continue talking with people who are impacted by this situation, along with state and local officials, in my work to remedy the problem. As noted above, the first bill I have submitted for introduction is on this subject and I look forward to the next steps in the process. Stay tuned for more.
Committee work has picked up this week after initial rounds of introductory sessions. The extreme nature of bills House Democrats are bringing forward has been a bit eye-opening – and so has the majority’s unwillingness to accept good amendments.
For instance, I sought to moderate a bill that would constitutionalize radical abortion legislation by adding reasonable language from the majority decision in Roe v. Wade. My amendment expresses the state’s important interests in safeguarding health, maintaining medical standards, and protecting potential life, which is appropriate since Democrats have argued this bill is essentially codifying Roe v. Wade. They voted down my amendment anyway.
My neighboring colleague, Rep. Peggy Scott, also offered an amendment to the same extreme abortion bill, seeking to clarify the fundamental right to abortion does not include partial birth or third trimester abortions unless it falls under one of the exceptions (life/health of the mother, incest or rape) and that the fundamental right does not prohibit the state from regulating abortion facilities. The majority voted down this reasonable amendment, too.
Then there was the “price gouging” bill House Democrats presented to the commerce committee I serve on. The proposal is punitive to Minnesota businesses and would make our state less welcoming to them. I offered an amendment to notify retailers if the attorney general were investigating them for price gouging and whether the investigation was leading to an action in court. Again, the majority wanted no part of language to improve their bill and voted down my proposal.
I will follow up on these and other items as things unfold at the Capitol. For now, have a good weekend, enjoy the relatively balmy weather in the forecast, and let me know how I may be of assistance.
Sincerely,
