Dear Neighbor,
The clock is ticking on Tuesday’s deadline for legislation to be enacted sparing Minnesota employers from suffering a significant tax increase at a time the state has a $9.3 billion surplus and price increases are impacting us all.
The issue centers on a March 15 deadline for the state to replenish an unemployment insurance trust fund that was depleted with more people out of work during the pandemic. Legislation is needed to restore this account, and, with a historic surplus, the state has the resources to do so.
It should be a slam dunk to pass a bipartisan bill that fixes this problem. The Senate approved one weeks ago on a bipartisan, veto-proof vote. The holdup remains in the House, where the majority has not brought this legislation to the floor, even though it's supported by Gov. Walz, House Republicans, Senate Republicans, and most Senate Democrats.
House Republicans made a move to declare urgency on the issue and bring legislation to fix this problem to the floor this week, but House Democrats blocked that effort. Now, the majority is flirting with the disaster of allowing this tax increase to take effect early next week, which would result in even more cost increases for us all more one way or another.
Public safety package
I mentioned in my last newsletter that House Republicans have unveiled our 2022 public safety priorities in response to an ongoing rise in violent crimes in Minnesota. Legislation I have authored to help Minnesota bolster its law enforcement ranks is in that package.
My Pathways to Policing bill (H.F. 3387) aims to attract people from nontraditional backgrounds into the law enforcement profession. Law enforcement agencies across the state are struggling to recruit peace officers. We need to tap into potential pools that we haven’t pursued or aggressively pursued to help mitigate the shortfall of officers so many jurisdictions face in our state.
The overall package focuses on three key areas: crime prevention and accountability for criminals; police recruitment and retention; and holding the criminal justice system accountable.
A growing number of Minnesotans are expressing concerns over public safety at a time the state is experiencing a historic surge in violent crime. That is an indication our government is failing at its most important responsibility: keeping people safe. There are many layers to this subject, so we are taking a straightforward, common-sense approach to address major public safety issues that have been identified. The people’s safety should not be a partisan issue and I hope this package of bills leads to meaningful discussions and real progress.
A significant rise in carjacking rates may be the most glaring example of why action is needed. Minneapolis police reported 655 carjackings last year alone – with only 91 related arrests. A measure in the House Republican public safety plan makes carjacking a new criminal offense with increasing penalties for the level of violence.
We need to make sure our law enforcement officers have the support and resources they need to get violent criminals off the streets. At the same time, our courts also must be willing to issue appropriate sentences. Data shows that judges throughout our state are departing from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines at troubling rates, issuing lesser sentences for more and more violent criminals.
House Republicans have included several bills in their package to increase transparency and to better understand why violent criminals continue slipping through the cracks of Minnesota’s criminal justice system.
Southwest Light Rail audit
The price of the Southwest Light Rail train project in the metro has nearly tripled from just over $1 billion to more than $2.75 billion over the last decade. This project is the epitome of government waste and now reportedly is costing an astounding $3,200 per inch to construct.
This rail line in the metro has suffered from countless setbacks, timeline delays, and all along the unaccountable and unelected bureaucrats at the Met Council keep rubber stamping votes to flush away Minnesotans' hard-earned tax dollars.
The House recently approved a bipartisan bill that will audit this project. I voted “yes” on the audit, along with supporting one amendment to freeze all spending on the project until the audit is complete, and another amendment to end this project once and for all. The latter two did not pass.
Have a good weekend and please stay in touch!
Sincerely,
Lisa