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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Sondra Erickson (R)

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Legislative Update from Rep. Sondra Erickson

Friday, March 18, 2022

Dear Neighbors,

All of us are feeling the squeeze on our budgets as inflation has soared to levels not seen in 40 years, energy prices are high, and gas prices continue to rise. We may notice prices going even higher thanks to House Democrat inaction on replenishing the state’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund. The Fund currently has a deficit due to the historic number of Minnesotans that applied for unemployment insurance over the last two years.

This fund needs to be refilled to its pre-pandemic levels, otherwise, employers will face massive tax hikes. Unfortunately, it looks like this will become reality after Democrats refused to approve bipartisan legislation to fix this problem in time for this past Monday’s deadline.

The frustrating part of this, beyond the unjust tax hike on employers, is that legislation to fix the problem is supported by Governor Walz, Senate Republicans, House Republicans, and most Senate Democrats. It is only the House Democrats that are derailing this process.

Additionally, state government is sitting on more than $10 billion in budget surplus and federal aid. We have more than enough resources to get this done.

Now that House Democrats let the deadline pass, employers across Minnesota will see their taxes rise. One recent article quoted a Greater Minnesota employer saying they face tax increases in the tens of thousands of dollars next year, in one case a 130% increase which translates to a $21,000 spike.

Main street businesses in our community cannot afford this type of tax hike and it is unconscionable that House Democrats are inflicting this hardship on Minnesotans.

Freedom Fund

I recently became co-author of the Bail Abatement Non-Profit Exclusion (BANE) Act (H.F. 4252). This bill would crack down on non-profits, like the Minnesota Freedom Fund, from registering in the state of Minnesota for the purposes of providing bail for violent criminals.

The Freedom Fund received millions of dollars in donations from Democrats, including Kamala Harris, and Hollywood celebrities in the wake of the George Floyd death. It has since gone on to bail out defendants from Twin Cities jails who were arrested for murder, sex crimes, and other violent felonies.

They have a record of making bail payments for criminals who commit other crimes following their release. In fact, one criminal supported by the Minnesota Freedom Fund was an alleged domestic abuser who murdered a man following his release on bail. 

Our state has a crime problem that is only being exasperated by organizations like the Minnesota Freedom Fund which seek to return violent criminals to our streets. The purpose of bail is to ensure the reappearance of the accused on their court date—not to serve as a “get out of jail free” card. The BANE Act will stop organizations, like the Minnesota Freedom Fund, who support dangerous criminals so our communities can stay safe and secure.

Unemployment Insurance Fraud

On Wednesday, a legislative auditor's report was released that found Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has done little to refer unemployment insurance (UI) fraud cases to law enforcement.

It is troubling that in one month alone, DEED suspended payments on 2,500 unemployment insurance accounts. Yet over the past few years, DEED only referred two dozen cases to law enforcement.

Fraud is a crime and DEED should treat it as such in every instance when someone is trying to scam the system. As lawmakers, we need to review how DEED is handling fraud within the UI program to make sure criminals are being punished and taxpayer dollars are being protected.

Staying in Touch

Please be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-6746 or via email at rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn.

Have a good day,

Sondra