Dear Neighbors,
Minnesota’s mask mandate will end today as Governor Walz is set to follow guidance from the CDC stating that vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear masks or social distance inside or outside.
This is good news and another important step towards normal.
The 2021 legislative session is set to end on May 17th, and yet again it appears that we will not finish our work on time. This is largely due to Democrats’ insistence on raising billions in taxes at a time when the state has a multi-billion-dollar budget surplus.
There are also issues in negotiations regarding Governor Walz’s emergency powers as he continues to refuse giving them up.
As long as he has emergency powers, Walz has complete authority over how the state spends its allocation of federal COVID relief dollars.
This week we found out that he has already been spending some of these federal dollars on wasteful things like:
- Nearly $100,000 to a non-profit which specializes in providing abortion doulas.
- $12,500 payment to a radio station to broadcast the Governor’s press conferences.
- $275/hour contract with a New York public relations company.
- $50,000 to a non-profit to establish talking circles, complete with $20 gift cards to incentivize participation.
- Nearly $20,000 to a non-profit to recruit volunteers to put together “wellness bundles” including tea and non-traditional health supplements.
This wasteful spending is further evidence that the peacetime emergency MUST end, and that the legislature needs to be consulted on how the state spends these federal dollars.
Stay tuned as I will do my best to keep you updated on what’s happening the final weekend of the legislative session.
Staying in Touch
That’s all for this week’s update. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me to share any thoughts, concerns, or questions you may have. I can be reached by phone at either 651-296-4929 or 701-361-1909. I can also be reached via email at rep.jeff.backer@house.mn.
Have a good day,
Jeff
8.7.3