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From Surplus to Deficit
And the hits just keep on rolling. The last two years have been marred with spending problems in our state legislature. Just two years ago, our state had a $17.5 billion surplus. That means that we were all over-taxed by the state to the tune of nearly $20 billion. My Republican colleagues and I had planned to return that money to the taxpayers in the form of $2,000 checks to every eligible Minnesotan. Instead, DFL’s one-party-rule over the legislature spent the surplus in its entirety, added $10 billion in new government spending, increased the size and scope of state government by 40%, and only gave back a measly $260 of the $2,000 that was rightfully yours to begin with.
During the past two years, I’ve heard your concerns about the financial state of our country and our state. I agree that we have a problem. During times of major inflation and economic stagnation, keeping more of your hard-earned money is vital. You have necessary expenses like groceries, medications, childcare, and education that continue to rise in cost. I believe that you know best what to do with your money, not us politicians in St. Paul. Therefore, you should be able to keep as much of that as possible to put towards important expenses such as these.
However, during the last legislative session, the majority passed a new 1% metro-wide sales tax increase and a new delivery fee, adding to the financial burden of suburban families. Coupled with rising costs of insurance, property taxes, and more, these measures mean hardworking Minnesotans are paying more and getting less.
This year's legislative session continues to pose challenges for Minnesota's families. Of particular concern is the Governor’s transportation initiative, which seeks to raise gas prices by $0.40 to $0.50 per gallon. This regressive tax will not only strain individual budgets but also impact the affordability of everyday items for many.
The problems caused by irresponsible government spending will not go away until we either elect officials who will be responsible stewards of your hard-earned money or work together to create commonsense solutions that help Minnesotans more than they hurt. That’s why I’m proud to support the “Dollars and Sense Initiative” being pursued by the Suburban Solutions Caucus, of which I’m a member. This initiative is a four-point plan that addresses high costs in a variety of areas of life.
House File 3111 aims to lower car tab fees to levels comparable to neighboring states. House File 3263 seeks to reduce gas costs. These are practical measures to help manage your monthly expenses. Additionally, House File 4255, which, after filling reserves, would use any budget surplus to provide direct property tax relief, potentially offering nearly a $1,000 reduction for every property owner in the state. Finally, House File 4619 creates a framework to use surplus funds to provide immediate relief to Minnesotans through one-time rebate checks.
These bills are part of the Suburban Solutions Caucus's efforts in St. Paul. They are designed to make life easier for families by reducing their financial burdens. This means more of your hard-earned money can go towards essentials like groceries, school supplies, or saving for your child’s future education.
Gun Control Bills
This week, we heard three gun control bills on the House floor. I'll start by saying that I will always fight to protect our constitutional rights. Just going by their titles, these bills sound good and the authors probably had good intentions. While I agree with my Democrat colleagues across the aisle that we ought to find practical and commonsense solutions to gun violence, these bills do little to address the problem. Instead of going after criminals, these bills make everyday-law-abiding gun owners criminals and directly attack your 2nd Amendment rights. Rest assured that as your representative, I will continue to advocate for your rights while working to find reasonable solutions to the problems facing our state.
One such reasonable solution is Rep. Scott's (R-Andover) bill which bans straw purchasing firearms. A straw purchase is when someone who is legally eligible to purchase a firearm does so on behalf of someone who is not legally eligible, like a felon. This was how the man who shot and killed three first responders in Burnsville acquired his firearm. I voted for this bill because unlike the others, it goes after irresponsible people, not law-abiding gun owners.
 National Day of Prayer
In 1988, the Congress called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer, "on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals."
I concur with the importance of prayer in everyone’s lives, as well as the importance of beseeching the Almighty to bless our state and nation. I was proud to invite my lifelong friend and Pastor TJ Anderson as the Chaplain of the day conducting the invocation at the Minnesota House of Representatives.
God Bless Minnesota!
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Please Contact Me
Please continue to reach out if I can be of any assistance to you. You can reach me by phone at 651-296-4244 or by email at rep.mark.wiens@house.mn.gov.
Have a great weekend!
Mark
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