Dear Neighbors,
I hope you had a blessed Easter weekend and were able to spend time with family and loved ones. The legislature returned to St. Paul on Tuesday following our annual Easter break. With about 6 weeks to go until the end of the 2024 legislative session, there are still many issues that remain unresolved, and my work representing you, your family, and our communities continues.
Last week, Gov. Walz gave his annual “State of the State” address. This year, he took the show on the road and held the speech in Owatonna. Over the years, less and less attention and news coverage has been given to this speech. This year was no different.
In his speech, Gov. Walz painted a rosy picture of Minnesota—about how everything is going so well, education is flourishing, families are benefiting from his economic policies, and much more.
The speech could not have been more detached from the real-world experiences of Minnesotans. Here’s the reality that he doesn’t seem to understand:
- Life is still unaffordable for too many families who are struggling with inflation and the billions in tax increases passed by Democrats last legislative session.
- School districts across the state are struggling to cope with the dozens of mandates Democrats imposed that are forcing budget cuts and layoffs. Governor Walz offers distractions about so-called book bans that don’t exist while half of our students can't read at grade level and reading scores have dropped ten percent during his time in office.
- Crime remains too high, and our law enforcement officers are not feeling supported by state leaders as Democrat prosecutors coddle criminals while demonizing the heroes working to keep our communities safe.
Those facts represent the actual "state of our state", but he can’t afford to tell you the truth, because it would mean admitting that it’s his fault.
Meanwhile, House Republicans offer an alternative philosophy to governing our state compared to the one being rammed through by Democrats. Ours would put more money back into the family budgets of every Minnesotan and invest in the things that matter most to you like safe roads, strong schools, affordable healthcare, standing up for the brave men and women of law enforcement, and putting our God-given rights and freedoms first.
Balance is badly needed in St. Paul to get our state back on track before it’s too late.
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 good weekend,
Brian