Dear Friends and Neighbors,
March 20th this week marked the official start of Spring which coincided with beautiful weather! Lets hope Winter doesn’t go out of March like a lion!!
Rep. Lucero meeting with STMA teachers this week in the continued fight for equity in education funding to ensure maximum educational opportunities for our children!
GOV. WALZ DEMANDS TAX INCREASES
Democrat Gov. Walz is continuing his One 'Expensive' Minnesota agenda demanding massive tax increases on the backs of hardworking Minnesotans by touring communities around Minnesota pushing a 20-cent per gallon gas tax increase in addition to a continuation of the 2-percent sick tax set to expire at the end of the year.
The state currently has a $1 billion surplus and independent audits reported in recent news headlines confirm millions-upon-millions of taxpayer dollars are being squandered to waste, fraud, and abuse. Democrat demands for tax increases in a time of budget surplus completely defy logic! Clearly, Minnesota does not have a revenue problem but instead has a spending priorities problem. I’m among the Republicans pushing for greater accountability and efficiency over the spending of taxpayer dollars and prioritizing the needs of Minnesotans such as roads and bridges transportation without raising taxes and lowering healthcare costs through free-market reforms.
Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer visiting with Reps. Lucero and O'Neill this week at the House Public Safety Committee meeting.
UNEMPLOYMENT RISES
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) this week announced Minnesota lost 8,800 seasonally adjusted jobs in February resulting in Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to rise. This is the first month of annual job decline since July 2010.
It is very difficult to start or grow a business in Minnesota due to costly and burdensome government over-regulation. Employers are responding by leaving Minnesota and taking good paying jobs with them. Despite this fact, the vast majority of the bills working their way through committees in the Democrat controlled House seek to further Minnesota’s already hostile business climate.
Now is the time when we should be working together to advance legislation to ease the burden on Minnesotans, but unfortunately priorities of the Democrat majority seek to increase control over the lives of individuals. I continue my commitment to fight back working to protect our Constitutional Rights and Individual Liberty!
Rep. Lucero had a successful hearing in the House Transportation Committee this week on his bill HF 2499 which seeks to increase weight restrictions on septic trucks responding to emergency situations of septic backups due to freezing or flooding, for example, which leads to health, safety, and damage urgencies.
HEARING ON SEPTIC TRUCK BILL
Seasonal temporary weight restrictions prevent trucks from driving on weight restricted roads unless a temporary permit is obtained, typically through the local municipality. Certain types of heavy vehicles such as garbage trucks are permitted to surpass weight restrictions without first having to obtain a permit.
Current law does not extend special exemptions to septic pumping trucks to drive on weight restricted roads despite the fact Minnesota has approximately 500,000 septic systems across the state. When a home, cabin, or business suffers a septic failure or frozen ground or flooding causes sewage to back up, current law delays septic pumping trucks from being able to respond to the emergency until after a weight restriction exemption permit can be obtained. Delays responding to emergency situations such as a septic back up can result in health risks and increases damage to property.
Last year I chief authored bipartisan language that passed both the House and Senate but was unfortunately vetoed by then Gov. Dayton.
Rep. Lucero joined by colleague legislators State Rep. Tim Miller and State Sen. Dan Hall this week visiting with members of Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators (MÂCHÉ) & Minnesota Association of Christian Schools (MACS).
STAYING IN TOUCH
Each and every day I’m continuously humbled at the opportunity to represent and fight for the values and priorities of our great community!
Please contact me to share any issues, concerns, or feedback you have to 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.
Sincerely,
Eric Lucero
State Representative
District 30B
Albertville, Hanover, Otsego, Saint Michael, and the Wright County portion of Dayton