"B" is for Budget... and Billions and Billions.

We spent a significant portion of this week - late into the nights - to complete the 'debate' on ten different DFL Omnibus funding bills. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything that actually resembles "debate" as the Speaker organized the DFL majority to block ANY discussion of amendments by ruling almost all of them to be out of order for one reason or another. This behavior vastly changed the custom and usage of the Rules of the House and serves only to continue to reveal their authoritarian mindset and fear of any input or discussion from voices from all over the state of Minnesota that have a different perspective.

Minnesota is currently sitting on over $1.6 billion in over-collected taxpayer money. That is on top of another $2.4 billion dollars of over-collected money that is sitting in a special reserve fund here in St. Paul. In addition to this, the federal government is showering Minnesota with another $8 billion in funds from the American Rescue Plan.

Even with all of this over-collected taxpayer money, Democrats still want to raise taxes on Minnesotans by another $1 billion. My colleague and New House Republican Caucus Leader, Representative Drazkowski, spoke against the tax bill on the House floor. In this video below, Representative Drazkowski addresses the insatiable appetite that Minnesota Democrats have for your money.

Social Studies Standards Amendment

I have heard from a LOT of you expressing your concerns about the direction that Social Studies Education Standards seem to be going. Believe me, I share those concerns. Representative Miller authored an amendment to the Omnibus Education Bill that would require the legislature to approve the social studies standards set by Walz’s Department of Education.

This group has previously proposed to remove World War I, World War II, and the Holocaust out of the social studies standards. Representative Miller’s amendment would provide for the legislature to check these standards before they would become approved. The amendment was defeated on a voice vote.

I will definitely keep you up to date on further legislative activities in this area.

Award for Conservative Excellence

The American Conservative Union annually reviews the voting records of each state legislator across the country. For the fourth straight year, they have awarded me, and several others in Minnesota, for having proud conservative records.

Convention of States

This morning, I had the pleasure of being on a panel with fellow award-winning conservative legislators, Representatives Mekeland, Lueck, Lucero, and Senator Mathews, to discuss a convention to propose amendments to the federal constitution. 

Convention of the States is an organization proposing three amendments be drafted:

1. Balanced budget
2. Term limits
3. Federal overreach.

I enjoyed taking the interaction with the audience to answer their questions.  One of the most pointed questions was, “what assurances can you give us that this won’t go awry”.  There were no guarantees in 1787 and the only guarantee I can make today is this: if we do nothing, in very short order, we the people will have nothing.

Choose Freedom,

Cal Bahr
State Representative, 31B

Coming up Next Week

• We are now in the 'waiting time' since I am not appointed to any conference committees for the various omnibus bills, we won't have as much going on until the leadership of the House & Senate negotiate the various aspects of what will come back to us in the Conference Reports.
• I have received a lot of calls and emails from my community about HF 604 - the mask mandate. Let me assure you that I do not support the mandatory wearing of masks and will be voting against any bill that would require you to wear one.

Contact:

We are still attempting to provide regular contact remotely regardless of our COVID-19 restrictions so If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us - please email my Legislative Assistant, Barbara, at barbara.smith@house.mn.

Watch the Minnesota House on Public TV

Video: Streaming Website. Also you can watch committees and Floor Sessions on YouTube.