Dear Neighbor,
Greetings from the Capitol, where it’s been another week of House Republicans working hard, House Democrats shutting down the legislature and new reports of fraud. Here we go:
Make Minnesota Affordable
Minnesota House Republicans have drafted a package of bills to make Minnesota a more affordable place to live, work, and raise a family. This is a much-needed change in course after we suffered two years of reckless spending and unnecessary tax increases imposed by Democrats in full control of the Capitol.
 The House Republican bills are part of our “Make Minnesota Affordable” initiative, which focuses on lowering energy costs, reducing the tax burden, and ensuring budget surpluses benefit hardworking Minnesotans. Bills in the House Republicans’ Make Minnesota Affordable package include: - Modernizing Minnesota’s renewable energy policies by expanding the state’s definition of eligible renewable energy to include hydroelectric capacity. It also delays standards for electric utilities which are unrealistic, protects reliable energy sources, and ends the state’s nuclear moratorium. These reforms will help stabilize energy costs and secure a balanced energy future for Minnesota families and businesses.
- Delivering sweeping tax reforms, repealing the controversial retail delivery fee and ending the tax on Social Security income once and for all. By requiring a comprehensive analysis of tax policies, this bill ensures a fairer system for Minnesota taxpayers. This represents a commitment to economic growth and reducing financial stress for families and seniors alike.
- Ensuring future state budget surpluses are returned to the people of Minnesota. By proposing a constitutional amendment, this bill codifies the principle that taxpayer money belongs in the hands of those who earned it. The measure guarantees that Minnesota families, not government bureaucracy, benefit from the state’s financial successes.
This package gets us on the right track after Democrats ran our state into the ditch, catering to the radical left while completely disregarding taxpayers in our state. They turned an $18 billion surplus into a 40-percent state spending increase, raising taxes by $10 billion along the way. That’s why it’s so important that House Republicans have restored balance at the Capitol and are taking a common-sense approach to help ease the burden for Minnesota families and businesses. More work will need to be done, but we have to start somewhere, and these bills would provide immediate benefits for all Minnesotans. More fraud |
 In my last newsletter, I touched on House Republican efforts to root out fraud in Minnesota. There’s more to report on that subject this week, after a new KSTP report revealed some of the top recipients of Child Care Assistance Program funds were cited for dozens of licensing violations while receiving millions in state funds, including one that had their conditional license status lifted in 2024. The investigation also raised concerns that some of the state's largest CCAP recipients may be fraudulent, with no evidence of children or employees present during repeated visits despite receiving millions of dollars in CCAP funds for children purportedly currently enrolled in the program. Gov. Walz and his fellow Democrats have allowed this problem to go unchecked far too long and House Republicans will demand new measures to tighten controls and enhance accountability in CCAP. Minnesota taxpayers pay more than enough already. The least we can do is make sure our government isn’t handing their money over to crooks. Until next time, have a good weekend and please stay in touch. Your input helps me continue doing my best to represent the people of our district! Sincerely, Jimmy |