Dear Neighbor,
Here are some quick jottings from the Capitol as we put the wraps on the first week of the 2020 session:
Honoring fallen guardsmen
The House began the 2020 session on Tuesday and, on that first day back at the Capitol, we honored the three Minnesota National Guard members who died in a helicopter crash near Kimball last December. The House paid tribute to the guardsmen honored Warrant Officer Candidate Kort M. Plantenberg, Chief Warrant Officer 2 James A. Rogers Jr., and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles P. Nord. House resolutions were read honoring the three heroes and House members from each guardsman’s district shared personal messages. Click here for a quick video recognizing these men who made the ultimate sacrifice serving us.
Roseau County strong on 2nd Amendment
Congratulations to Roseau County for becoming Minnesota’s first Second Amendment “sanctuary” county. I am proud we started the conversation regarding Minnesota counties defending our Second Amendment rights and now it’s starting to happen. Momentum is building on this and, earlier this week, I received a request from a county outside of District 15B asking for language it could use to become a Second Amendment sanctuary. I was happy to help and look forward to seeing this evolve. Click here for more about Roseau County’s decision, including the appearance of a name you may recognize (mine).
MCCL Student Day
Wednesday was Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life’s annual Student Day at the Capitol and it was great to see dozens of young people come to St. Paul for a day of pro-life education and an opportunity to learn about the legislative process. The students also were able to tour the Capitol and hear from pro-life elected officials. I was pleased to be able to catch up with four participants from the region (pictured above) and we visited the House chamber. Thank you to those four students and all the others who took the time today to come to the Capitol for the pro-life cause.
Surplus = tax relief
It might not be an official budget year for the Legislature, but a $1.3 billion state budget surplus means significant decisions related to tax dollars will be at stake this session. Let’s remember this surplus only exists because the state over-collected from taxpayers and tax relief should be a top priority this year.
We also need to work on reducing health care costs, overhauling the dysfunctional Department of Human Services and protecting our Second Amendment rights. And I will keep advocating for an all-of-the-above energy approach instead of following California’s ill-advised policies that would cause instability in our state.
Watch for more on these and other issues as we make our way through the session. As always, your feedback is welcome and let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.
Sincerely,
Shane