Hello Friends,
I trust you had a good Easter/Passover Holiday season. I wanted to take a few minutes to bring you up-to-date on recent news at the state legislature.
Just Before the Easter/Passover Break:
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The DFL majority passed the supplemental spending bill authorizing over 300 million dollars in new spending.
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The DFL pushed hard and will now get their new, over $80 million dollar, Senate Office Building. I call it the new "Palace for Politicians"
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Also, the DFL majority pushed through the new minimum wage increase. This will have a long term negative effect on our economy. It will place a huge burden on job providers and will also reduce the number of entry level jobs in our state.
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The DFL pushed through the school "Bullying Bill". Not one Republican voted for this bill. Over 30 representatives spoke against this bill, for almost 12 hours straight. The Democrats prevailed. This bill tramples on the rights of parents and students.
Last week, during the Easter / Passover Break: 3 Day Coal Fact Finding Trip
Radical energy policies and laws have been enacted in the state's of Kentucky and Virginia. They are ahead of us on this oppressive time line. I traveled there to see what the future could hold for us, if we don't stand up to extreme environmentalism that's working to shutter Sherco and other plants that provide jobs in Minnesota communities.
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We adjourned Friday. Sunday morning I got up early and drove 14 hours to the state of Kentucky. I started at the capitol and worked my way across the state to Virginia.
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During those three days, I met with Kentucky state legislative leaders in the senate and house.
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I met with the Kentucky Attorney General's staff.
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I met with Kentucky County Commissioners.
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I met with Virginia state house legislators.
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I met with Virginia township supervisors.
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I met with Virginia Job providers.
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I met with Virginia community leaders.
I got first hand accounts of how the Federal and State Environmental policies and laws have affected the local communities and the area economies. We need to be fully informed and ready to do whatever it takes to defend our economic engine, the Sherco Power Plant.
The folks in the Kentucky and Virginia unanimously agreed. Shutting down coal power plants had a devastating effect in their local economies and communities. They are paying the price for environmental extremism.
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They lost 1000's of jobs.
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Their tax base has been stripped.
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They have been "left behind" by the federal government and the EPA.
My goal is to learn from them, and to equip myself to do the best job possible for EVERY person in our area of Minnesota.
Governor Dayton and the DFL controlled legislature are openly antagonistic to the importance of coal and the number of families that will be harmed if they continue with their plan to begin the shut down process of the Midwest's largest coal power plant in 2020.
The facts I gathered from this trip were many and should help us as we battle onward for our area, and for Minnesota!
Thank you all so much for your support and friendship.
God's peace,
Jim