Dear Friends,
This week members of the GOP Rural Caucus held a turkey burger cookout on the front lawn of the Capitol to support Minnesota's turkey farmers who have been devastated by the impacts of avian flu. It's important to remember that our food supply is safe, and that the best thing we can do to support our farmers is to keep eating turkey. I enjoyed helping out in supporting the turkey industry.
It was great to see legislators and staff from both parties, as well as a number of others come enjoy a turkey burger and enjoy the beautiful weather on Tuesday.
Transportation update
I'm fortunate to be serving as a member of the Transportation Conference Committee as we continue to negotiate and work out differences between the House and Senate plans. As you probably know, the two plans couldn't be more different; the House relies on existing funding from sales taxes on car parts, vehicle leases, and rentals, bonding, and a small portion of the budget surplus, while the Senate plan is primarily funded by a wholesale gas tax increase.
In order to come to an agreement on a long-term transportation plan, Minnesotans need to contact their legislators and members of the conference committee, and make their voices heard. I've heard from hundreds, perhaps thousands of people on this issue who have indicated they do not support a gas tax increase, and want us to find a way to fund roads and bridges without taking more of their hard-earned money.
The only way the Senate and the Governor will move off their gas tax plan is if they hear directly from their constituents. I'd encourage you to email your legislators and the Governor and share with them your thoughts on transportation.