Dear Neighbors,
This week I had the opportunity to meet with a local student spending the week at the Capitol with the High School Page Program. Kadrin Dwyer, a junior at Rosemount High School, has been working as a page here this week, and we had a great conversation about what's going on here in St. Paul!
You can learn more about the High School Page Program here.
On Thursday, we debated a bill that would require the state to move to 100% clean energy by 2040. This bill sped through the committee process without enough scrutiny, and would cost each Minnesota family an estimated $1,600 per year just in higher energy costs. Other related costs could push that total to close to $4,000 a year for each family. Additionally, this bill does nothing to ensure the state would have a safe and reliable energy grid, which could result in widespread blackouts and brownouts - in a state that frequently sees below zero temperatures and heavy snow for large parts of the year, this is an extremely dangerous direction for the state's energy policy to move.
Finally, the Governor announced his full two-year budget proposal this week, including significant tax increases on things like license tabs, and a 25% increase in government spending. He also backed away from the full social security tax cut that is a priority for many people across the state, going only partway for some people instead of ending the tax completely. Instead of spending gimmicks and half-measures, our state budget needs to be responsible and in line with what Minnesotans want.
If you have thoughts or concerns about issues coming before the legislature, please don't hesitate to reach out.
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