Dear Friends,
My daughter came to the Capitol this week to take me to lunch for an early Mother’s Day celebration. She is such a delight to my heart. God has blessed me with a gem. I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sunday!
Conference committees continued meeting this week, and we passed a handful of conference committee reports. I am disappointed in the lack of transparency in this process. Republicans have been shut out of key conference committees, and most of the negotiations have been taking place behind closed doors.
Keep reading for more information on how Minnesota’s $17.5 billion surplus is being spent on more government programs, instead of permanent, meaningful tax relief for our hardworking families.
Higher Education Omnibus
I was shocked when the Higher Education omnibus returned from conference committee with a provision the House never heard. The Senate added language to provide free tuition to students whose families make less than $80,000 a year.
Nothing in life is “free.” This new program, that was never vetted, will cost the taxpayer $100 million. Free college could promote financial irresponsibility because the recipient has no skin in the game, and it will reduce state programs in other essential areas. For example, funding for workforce development scholarships is cut from the budget. This funding has been helping students who are studying in high-demand fields.
This program will not address issues with declining enrollments at the University of Minnesota or Minnesota State. Republicans are focused on putting students first. By holding institutions accountable, we can ensure that college is affordable and that state resources are going to students. I voted no on this bill.
Controversial Public Safety and Judiciary Bill
The Public Safety and Judiciary omnibus bill has been fraught with controversy as far-left activists continue to push extreme provisions into the legislation. This bill is about anything but public safety. It includes a wish list of provisions that protect criminals and not law-abiding citizens.
Republicans have been shutout of the conference committee process as Democrats refused to name any members of the minority to the committee. Last week, with only 14 minutes notice before the hearing, both Red Flag Laws and Universal Background Checks were added to the bill. Democrats refused to discuss or take public testimony during the hearing. Making fundamental changes to your Second Amendment right with no regard for public input is shocking.
Democrats also removed a Republican provision from the bill that would ensure pedophiles were not considered a protected class under the Human Rights Act. They have replaced this provision with broad, vague language that could easily be exploited by a bad actor as a defense in court. As the Republican Lead on the Judiciary Committee, I met with the Judiciary Chair and Human Rights Commissioner to try to correct this issue. I am disappointed that the concerns of the Republican Judiciary team have not been addressed.
This bill does nothing to hold violent criminals accountable. Instead of addressing the rise in criminal activity across our state, this bill prioritizes taking away the rights of law-abiding gun owners and watering down our Human Rights Act.
Veterans Omnibus
Finally, I am pleased to report that the Veterans omnibus bill was unanimously approved this week. The Veterans omnibus bill will provide bonuses for Veterans, construction of new military and museum facilities, a new Army Fitness Field House, and staffing for three new Veterans Homes.
Supporting Veterans is one of the most important things we do at the legislature, and I am glad that we could deliver a great bipartisan bill for those who have sacrificed so much to defend our freedoms.
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