Legislative Update
Dear neighbors,
I’m going to skip the fluff this week and get straight to what’s on everyone’s mind. Tax Day was Wednesday, and if your experience looked anything like mine, it’s clear: Minnesotans are overtaxed, plain and simple.
Down at the Capitol, things are moving fast. We passed our first and second legislative deadlines last week, and the final deadline for bills was yesterday at 5:00 p.m. From here, committees wrap up, though the tax committee will keep working right up until the end of session on May 17.
I want to be very clear about one thing: I hear you. The frustration, the questions, the “how is this sustainable?” conversations—you’re not shouting into the wind. House Republicans have proposals (see above) ready to go that would ease the burden, rein in costs, and bring some common sense back to how we tax Minnesotans.
Now we just need the opportunity to get them across the finish line.
I’ll keep fighting to make sure your voice is part of that conversation every step of the way.
Safe Schools Should Not Be Controversial
On Tuesday, we rolled out our House Republican school safety proposal. This package has been months in the making, shaped in the wake of the heartbreaking tragedy at Annunciation Catholic School last fall; we have made it a top priority throughout the planning process, to have extensive conversations with the people who know our schools best: superintendents, teachers, parents, and students.
At it's core, this proposal is about making sure every student, no matter where they attend school, feels safe when they walk through those doors each morning.
So we built a proposal that actually meets schools where they are. Not a one-size-fits-all mandate, but a multilayered approach with tools schools can use right now. We prioritized more funding for school safety across public, nonpublic, and Tribal schools. As well as strengthening access to mental health resources, recognizing that early intervention can prevent crises before they happen. And giving schools more flexibility with tools like anonymous threat reporting and safety planning, so they can respond quickly and in ways that make sense for their communities.
We also tackled what’s happening inside the classroom—supporting discipline reforms that help restore order and protect both students and staff, while making sure teachers aren’t left to handle tough situations on their own.
And here’s the part that really shouldn’t be controversial: this wasn’t a partisan wishlist. It was a multilayered plan that pulled from ideas on both sides of the aisle, many of which have had strong bipartisan support in the past.
Unfortunately, this week House Democrats voted against the amendment needed to move it forward, and the proposal didn’t make it out of committee.
Instead of moving forward on solutions we largely agree on, the conversation stalled over broader policy debates that, while important, don’t need to stop us from taking action on school safety right now. We can do both. Minnesota families expect us to do both.
Here's the hard truth: delay is a decision.
Each day we wait is another day schools are left without resources they’ve been asking for. Another day teachers are left managing increasingly difficult situations without enough backup. Another day parents are left wondering if everything that can be done, actually is being done.
With about a month left in session, the choice is pretty simple—move forward on solutions we know can pass, or keep Minnesota waiting.
Minnesota families want action, and that’s exactly what House Republicans are ready to deliver.
Who Decides the Tax Rate? Local Voices or Statewide Mandates?
To tax or not to tax?
On Thursday, Our House Taxes committee heard a state tax policy that the Senate regularly considers and approves: allowing cities and counties to set what are called “local option sales taxes.”
Their agenda included 11 requests from local governments, stretching across the state from Roseau to Owatonna. These proposals seek to increase local sales taxes by 0.25% to 0.5% to fund construction or improvements for fire halls, jails, community centers, parks, sports facilities, and other local infrastructure.
At its best, this is a band-aid on an open wound—but for many communities, it’s the only solution they've got. It is also one of the closest things we have to a “we the people” tax policy, because it ultimately goes through a local referendum.
If you click on the photo above, you will hear the Chair of the Tax Committee, Rep. Aisha Gomez (D–Minneapolis), suggest that if cities want these improvements in their communities, then we need to implement, yet again, another statewide tax to achieve it. At a time when Minnesotans are feeling completely overwhelmed by rising costs, we cannot continue layering on additional burdens without serious consideration of the impact.
I really hope Rep. Gomez will reconsider her resistance to including measures like this in the final tax bill and recognize the importance of local control. I hear from many constituents who want to be the ones with the say—this gives taxpayers who are already feeling the squeeze a real voice at the ballot box.
Let's Stay Connected!
As always, I am so grateful for your continued support and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to represent you. As always, my door is open to you. Please feel free to stop by my office for a meeting or reach out via email at rep.paul.novotny@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651.296.4237.
I’m here to listen and work together for our community's success!
Sincerely,
—Representative Paul Novotny
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