School Resource Officers
On Monday of this week, the House passed a bill to fix the problematic School Resource Officer (SRO) change that became law last year. House Republicans worked very hard to come up with a solution to the problem that involved law enforcement in the process and would get 100% of SROs back into schools, and by all accounts we have done that. The bill now needs final approval in the Senate.
February Budget Forecast
Last week, Minnesota Management and Budget presented this year's February forecast. The forecast still shows that we're on the verge of a deficit, with the state spending more money than it's taking in by nearly $1.5 billion.
Even with the economy growing, there still isn't enough tax revenue to meet the Democrat majority's spending demands, and Minnesota families and small businesses are overtaxed and overburdened by the state.
Last session, Democrats spent the entire $17.5 billion surplus and raised another $10 billion in taxes on Minnesotans to fund a massive 40 percent growth in government. Now, we need to cut wasteful spending and bring the budget under control instead of trying to maintain last session's reckless spending.
Defending Religious Liberty
A broad and diverse coalition of religious groups has come forward with serious concerns about the lack of protection for religious liberty in changes to the Minnesota Human Rights Act. This coalition includes the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition, Agudath Israel of Minnesota, and the Islamic Center of Minnesota.
Republican efforts to provide an amendment to restore the religious exemption in the MHRA and protect religious organizations and faith-based schools against discrimination was voted down in committee on party lines. The exemption ensures that religious organizations and faith-based schools can, among other things, hire teachers and ministers consistent with their mission and values.
The removal of this protection from the Human Rights Act breaks decades of precedent in an attack on Minnesota's religious communities and is the bedrock of our United States Constitution's First Amendment - Freedom of Religion and Speech.
I am honored to serve.
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