Dear Neighbor, Once again, there is a lot of ground to cover from the Capitol. But, before we get to my latest notes from St. Paul, I would like to encourage people from District 16A to check out my official State Representative Scott Van Binsbergen Facebook page. It’s one more way to keep up with things at the Capitol. In other news: Pause light rail This week, House Republicans brought to the floor a bill (H.F. 14) which places a moratorium on funding for light rail projects. This is in response to persistent cost overruns and delays that have plagued light rail projects for years. Minnesotans have already paid more than twice the original cost of the Southwest Light Rail, which has ballooned from $1.25 to $2.9 billion and is nearly a decade behind schedule. Now, the Blue Line Extension’s costs have already tripled before construction has even begun. Initially estimated at $999 million with a 2022 completion date, the project is now projected to cost $3.2 billion and won’t be operational until at least 2030. Unfortunately, House Democrats blocked this bill from passing this week, but it was tabled at the front desk so it can be reconsidered another time. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Council announced this week that the long-struggling Northstar Commuter Rail line between Minneapolis and Big Lake may be discontinued and replaced with bus service. According to a Star Tribune article, “Ridership on Northstar cratered by nearly 98% during the pandemic as workers transitioned to remote work, with an average of 60 weekday rides reported in April 2020 with a $116 subsidy per passenger.” The combination of declining ridership and soaring costs raise serious concerns, especially since Minnesotans are struggling with higher costs for everyday necessities. We need to focus our mass-transit resources on buses that are more adaptable at a fraction of the cost of fixed-rail trains.  It was a big ag week at the Capitol this week. I enjoyed meeting with Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership members Emily Dehn from Hector and Dustin Johnson of Montevideo (above), and FFA students (below).  Fraud note bill House Republicans continue working on bills to curb fraud, waste and abuse in Minnesota. One bill (H.F. 3), which helps assess the risk of fraud in proposed legislation, cleared its final committee hurdle and is ready to come to the full House for a vote. The bill facilitates “fraud notes” to provide lawmakers with insights into potential fraud vulnerabilities before new programs or policies are enacted. We need to hold agencies accountable and protect taxpayers, which is what this bill does and why it is important to pass. Worker tax increase We recently received news that the payroll tax rate for the new Paid Family Medical Leave program will be 25 percent higher than the Democrats’ 2023 enacting legislation included. This translates to a $300-$350 million tax increase on employers and employees – a grand total of $1.55 billion next year alone. This program guarantees Minnesota workers can take 12 weeks of paid family leave and 12 weeks of paid medical leave per year, capped at 20 weeks per year. Many employers don’t even know it is coming, much less the pain it’s going to cause with staffing and their bottom line. The unintended consequences likely will outweigh the benefits, making employment more expensive and less flexible across Minnesota. For example, the program is funded by a new payroll tax, reducing take-home pay for employees and increasing costs for employers. Businesses may offset this by lowering wages, cutting hours, or eliminating other benefits. This program simply is not ready to launch Jan. 1 of 2026 as scheduled. My position is that government should do no harm, but there is going to be a lot of government-induced harm if the legislature doesn’t step in and make some changes to PFML. My first choice would be to deep-six the whole program. At the very least, we need to delay the start date so some of the glaring problems can be addressed. House Republicans are working on alternatives that we may address in the coming weeks.  Girls sports The Preserving Girls Sports Act (H.F. 12) is designed to ensure girls have safe and fair competitions. It is on track for a vote of the full House on Monday and says: “Only students of the female sex may participate in an elementary or secondary school athletic team or sport that an educational institution has restricted on the basis of sex to women or girls.” A public rally will take place earlier in the day and we’re looking for a big crowd to come out in support of female athletes. Until next time, have a good weekend and please stay in touch. Sincerely, Scott |