Dear Neighbor,
This week was great for the Second Amendment, roads and bridges, and tax relief!
Rep Lucero meeting with pro-Second Amendment supporters at the Capitol.
PRO 2ND AMENDMENT – STAND YOUR GROUND
Many pro-Second Amendment supporters were at the Capitol this week when the Stand-Your-Ground bill HF 238 successfully passed out of the Public Safety Committee.
Stand-Your-Ground means: If threatened with great bodily harm or death to oneself or another there is zero duty to retreat before exercising authorized use of deadly force in self-defense.
Retreating is always a wise course of action if possible, but a DUTY to retreat should NOT be a prerequisite for a law-abiding citizen to protect ANYBODY against great bodily harm or death.
Stand-Your-Ground has passed in many other states and it’s important legislation that needs to pass in Minnesota as well to continue advancing Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens. As a strong pro-Second Amendment supporter myself, co-author of the bill, and member of the Public Safety Committee, I proudly voted yes!
Rep. Lucero with Albertville and Saint Michael Mayors and Chair of the I-94 Corridor Coalition.
PRIORITIZING ROADS & BRIDGES
I’m a strong proponent of roads and bridges funding over cost-inefficient light rail trolleys and trains. As such I’ve chief authored and co-authored multiple bills supporting roads and bridges.
This week Albertville Mayor Jill Hendrickson, Saint Michael Mayor Kevin Kasel, and I-94 West Corridor Coalition Chair Steve Bot joined me at the Capitol to testify in support of my bill HF 385 to continue the next phase of the 3-lane expansion of I-94 from Saint Michael to Albertville.
Also this week the Minnesota Road & Bridge Act passed off the House Floor and includes Corridors of Commerce funding which I chief authored. The Minnesota Road & Bridge Act provides new funding for transportation by redirecting existing transportation-related funding streams and continues $12.5 million per year funding toward local projects for cities with fewer than 5,000 residents. The next step for the bill is to go to a Conference Committee to rectify differences with the senate transportation bill.
Rep. Lucero and Sen. Kiffmeyer meeting with constituents in Saint Michael.
TAX RELIEF
The Republican tax-cut bill passed off the House Floor this week containing more than $1.35 billion in tax relief over the next two years to keep money in the pockets of hardworking middle-class taxpayers. Among provisions included in the bill are $270 million to reduce the state tax on social security income, modifications to the child and dependent care credit, expanded subtractions and credits for families saving for college with 529 Savings Plans, tax credits for student loan payments, and much more. The Republican tax-cut plan provides long overdue relief to families, small businesses, farmers, seniors, and college graduates.
WELFARE WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE
Friday last week the non-partisan Legislative Auditor released a report that confirmed the obvious. The results of an audit concluded some of Minnesota’s welfare programs lack sufficient controls to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Taxpayer dollars are being redistributed to people who do not qualify.
A Pioneer Press news article reporting on the Legislative Auditor’s findings stated the audit discovered "significant error rates in the Temporary Assistance For Needy Families program, which provides cash and other benefits to low-income families with children...the audit found eight of 24 families it reviewed weren’t eligible for benefits they received."
Government confiscating money from hardworking Minnesota families and businesses to be redistributed to a sample set eight in 24 who do not qualify for the benefits they received equals an error rate of 33%.
This week the Star Tribune reported Fridley resident Fozia S. Dualeh, mother of eight, had charges filed against her for receiving more than $118,000 in taxpayer funded welfare over a mere 18 months for benefits she did not qualify to receive. $118,000 / 18 months = $6,500 taxpayer funded welfare doled out to Ms. Dualeh per month.
Republicans are working to bring much needed reforms to Minnesota’s error ridden welfare programs but Gov. Dayton continues to stand in the way of saving taxpayer dollars.
STAYING IN TOUCH
As always please contact me to share any issues, concerns, or feedback you may have that will assist me best represent you. The best way to reach me is by email at Rep.Eric.Lucero@House.MN or by phone at 651-296-1534.
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Eric Lucero
State Representative
District 30B
Albertville, Hanover, Otsego, Saint Michael, and the Wright County portion of Dayton