Dear Neighbors,
The 2022 legislative session officially started on Monday as lawmakers from across Minnesota came to St. Paul for the beginning of what’s sure to be another busy year.
There is no shortage of issues that we will need to work through this year. Perhaps none is bigger than what to do with the state’s historic $7.7 billion budget surplus. This figure represents the largest surplus in Minnesota history.
Such a large budget surplus means that government is over-collecting from taxpayers and gives us an opportunity to deliver structural, permanent tax relief that Minnesotans deserve.
Unfortunately, while the government is flush with cash, far too many Minnesotans continue to struggle with the results of the Biden/Walz economy including inflation, stagnant wages, empty store shelves, higher gas prices, and spiking energy bills. This reality is even more reason to return this surplus to the people.
Back in 2017, House Republicans delivered historic tax reform for millions of Minnesotans including one of the largest tax cuts in history. I will be advocating for a similar, or larger, tax cut this year.
Ideas for tax relief include:
- Permanently ending the state tax on social security benefits.
- Stopping the unemployment insurance (UI) tax hike on Minnesotan businesses.
- Exploring ways to lower energy taxes and a gas tax moratorium.
- Income tax rate reduction.
These are just a few ideas and there are numerous other proposals worth exploring. The bottom line is that the government is collecting too much money, and Minnesotans deserve their money back.
Public Safety
Another top item that will be addressed this year is rising crime levels in the Twin Cities metro area. While this specific issue may be more concentrated in the metro area, many of us visit the Twin Cities regularly or have families that live in the cities and worry about their safety.
Either way, it’s clear that crime and public safety are top of mind for Minnesotans, and I am committed to working with law enforcement to make sure they have the resources they need to keep our communities safe.
Additionally, we need judges and prosecutors to hold criminals accountable and enforce laws that are already on the books. There have been numerous instances of heinous crimes being committed by individuals that were given lenient sentences from activist prosecutors and judges. This is completely unacceptable, and these individuals should prioritize victims over criminals.
We have been working for years to improve public safety only to be met with resistance from Gov. Walz and Democrats. I am hopeful that they will come around and work with us this year as we do our best to keep Minnesotans safe.
COVID-19
It’s hard to believe that we are entering year 3 of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, things have slowly been returning to normal as we are no longer in the acute phase of the pandemic.
With vaccinations widely available, improved therapeutics, and millions of Americans having obtained immunity through natural means, it is time to end the arbitrary and destructive restrictions that the government is putting on businesses and families.
This includes our schools. Parents should decide, not the government, whether their child should wear a mask.
I am working on legislation this year that would prevent local units of government from putting in place mandates for things like masks, vaccines, etc. These decisions should be left up to individuals and folks should be free to choose how they best protect themselves.
Staying in Touch
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me to share any thoughts or concerns you may have about state government or the job I'm doing as your representative. It would be great to talk with you. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-8237 or via email at rep.brian.daniels@house.mn.
Have a great day,
Brian