Dear friends and neighbors,

The Senate has a lot of work to do in March. Committee deadlines are approaching, meaning members have only a short time left to get their bills heard this session. Things are moving fast as the Senate works overtime to fit everything in by the end of the month. Here are the updates from this past week! 

Sunday liquor sales passes the Senate 38-28

Minnesota liquor stores are now allowed to be open for business on Sundays. The legislature repealed an 1858 ban on Sunday liquor sales this week. Many liquor store owners have encouraged this change in law, as it represents an opportunity to grow their business and better serve consumers. I’m glad the government is stepping out of their way and allowing them to decide how best to run their business.

Preserving Affordable Housing Communities  

Manufactured housing communities are the largest source of affordable homeownership in Minnesota. Most were established about 50 years ago, and now these communities are beginning to show their age. The infrastructure systems they are built on are failing, and nearby public amenities, parks in particular, are closing. Currently, there are no public resources to preserve these communities. I proposed a bill – S.F. 1215  – to provide a one-time monetary investment to fix the infrastructure and stabilize these neighborhoods. It also encourages homeownership by supporting housing cooperatives that allow folks an affordable rent-to-own path. These resources will improve the livelihood of the families that reside in these communities and maintain quality, affordable living options for our neighbors.  

Local Wet Land Credits to Allow Road Construction  

I’m happy to announce that a bill to improve transportation in our area has passed the Senate with bipartisan support! Senate File 326 gives our district immediate funding to continue local road construction projects that have been on hold due to a wet land credit deficit. It also would allow districts to trade wet land credits, so areas those that don’t need them can give them to areas that do. 

Our district is in a major wet land credit deficit, yet there is a pressing need to continue construction on local roads. This legislation will allow us to continue work to improve our roads and bridges, securing safe and smooth commutes throughout the area. 

Minnesota’s budget surplus grows to $1.65 billion 

Increases in personal income tax, corporate tax, and sales tax revenue have spurred a $20.5 million bump in the state surplus, bringing it to $1.65 billion. While this is good news for Minnesota, it only tells part of the story. Our state has a robust government bureaucracy with a huge surplus and a full savings account, but how is your family doing? Are you getting good value out of those tax dollars? 

The budget is expected to grow 7% on autopilot. Can you imagine getting a 7% raise every year regardless of your work performance, or any other factors for that matter? The Governor wants to increase spending by even more – 10%. That proposal is unsustainable. Republicans will spend the state surplus wisely, respecting your tax contributions and minimizing state growth to maximize economic growth. 

Last week, Senate Republicans released our “Advancing Minnesota” agenda, where we announced plans to develop policies and construct a budget that focuses on your priorities – healthcare, transportation, Tax relief, jobs, and prosperity. The state bureaucracy is doing better than expected, thanks for working families. Republicans at the legislature will reign in wasteful spending and create a prudent budget that concentrates spending to essential functions of government, while taking care of families and energizing our economy.  

Survey: Government growth and spending

With the February economic forecast out the legislature can now begin working on crafting a budget to advance Minnesota forward for the next two years. Despite a $1.65 billion-dollar budget surplus the legislature still has tough choices to make between balancing government spending and funding legislative priorities. With that in mind, I’d like to take a moment to let constituents provide some input on the direction that they’d like to see Minnesota’s budget move.

Would you support:

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Thanks for reading. Please stay tuned for more legislative updates!

Sincerely,