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Dear Neighbor,
Welcome to another week at the Capitol where Democrats continue to play the jealous boyfriend who decides that if he can’t have her, nobody can. I described this dynamic in last week’s newsletter, and unfortunately we saw more examples of it again this week in St. Paul.
Let’s start with what happened during a House Taxes Committee hearing Wednesday. Democrats voted in unison to block federal tax conformity language that would save Minnesota job creators money at zero cost to the state. To repeat: this legislation would cost the state nothing, but it would immediately reduce costs for Minnesota businesses, allowing them to invest more in jobs, production, and research and development. It’s economic expansion at no cost to the state, yet Democrats still voted “no.”
Why? Because Orange Man bad.
A similar situation unfolded when House Republicans proposed a way to provide local school districts with an infusion of real revenue. Again, without costing the state a single penny. Under a new federal program, individuals can receive a tax credit of up to $1,700 for donating to nonprofit scholarship organizations. These nonprofits then provide scholarships to help K-12 students cover education expenses such as tutoring, transportation, technology, or homeschooling costs.
Here’s the catch: the federal program is not automatic. Minnesota must choose to participate. House Republicans have introduced a bill allowing the state to opt in, but because this federal policy was supported by President Donald Trump, Democrats are refusing to let Minnesotans reap the benefits.
Governor Walz could unilaterally opt Minnesota into the program, but he has chosen not to despite his affinity for executive orders. Meanwhile, legislative Democrats are hyperventilating to oppose the mere thought of Minnesotans benefiting from something connected to President Trump.
At the same time, local schools are facing budget deficits, teachers are being laid off, and programs are being cut. Many people will be shocked to learn that we could provide meaningful new funding for schools almost immediately – at no cost to the state – but Democrats are standing in the way.
Their opposition makes Minnesota an outlier, even among blue states. States like Colorado and Connecticut may not be fans of President Trump either, but they’re still willing to take advantage of policies that benefit their citizens.
Yet here in Minnesota, the opposition has become so political that even public sector unions are repeating the same talking points. Education Minnesota has come out against this free-to-the-state funding opportunity for schools. So has SEIU, which testified against the bill.
In other words, organizations that claim to represent teachers and school employees are opposing a proposal that could help fund the very paychecks their members depend on.
Let’s look at a simple example from St. Michael-Albertville, a school district serving some 6,696 students. If we estimate roughly 4,000 families in the district and assume just 25 percent of them used the $1,700 tax credit, that would generate about $1.7 million for STMA schools.
Think about that: if only a quarter of families participated, it could produce $1.7 million overnight to help support students and programs in local public schools, all without costing the state a dime.
And yet Democrats and union leaders are saying “no.”
What’s even more remarkable is that they aren’t really arguing against what the program actually does. Instead, they claim it’s a voucher system that takes money away from public schools and sends it to private schools. That simply isn’t true.
Their argument assumes that families would suddenly donate their tax-credit dollars to private schools instead of their own local schools. But that requires believing that parents and community members who already volunteer, attend events, and support their local schools would suddenly choose to redirect their support elsewhere. Really?
It also suggests a lack of confidence in public schools and in the communities that support them.
At the end of the day, opponents aren’t debating the program on its merits, they’re misrepresenting it in order to build opposition. When legislators, union leaders, or agency officials present those arguments, they’re saying things that simply don’t match reality.
Minnesotans deserve an honest conversation about policies that could benefit our students and communities.
Sincerely,
Walter
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