Dear Neighbors,
I hope you can spend time with family, friends, and loved ones this holiday weekend as we come together to celebrate Independence Day! We are blessed to live in the greatest country in the world and this weekend is always a great time to remember the freedoms and liberties granted to us by our creator. Keep that in mind this weekend as we celebrate.
Special Session Ends
Special session officially came to an end early Thursday morning with the legislature approving the remaining finance bills needed to avoid a government shutdown. I am pleased to let you know that included in the final budget deals was a provision that officially ended the governor’s emergency powers.
Thank you to all the citizens who wrote, called and emailed Gov. Walz. Your engagement helped keep the pressure on the Governor. Without the hard work of citizens, this never would have happened. Thank you!
Despite this win, I know that we need to make permanent changes to the Chapter 12 Emergency Powers statute to rein in the Governor and make sure future governors can't abuse emergency powers. This will be a top priority during next year’s session.
As for the finance bills, while I was unable to support all of them, I ultimately was pleased that most of the controversial provisions included in the first round of bills were removed during negotiations with the Senate. With divided government, we must understand that neither party is going to get everything they want. Compromise is key, and it appears that significant compromise took place to get the budget completed.
Wins for the Northland
When I was elected last November, I wanted to come to St. Paul to fight for the Northland and help bring our best days to reality. This included working hard to make sure the interests of our communities were well represented in the legislature.
I am pleased to let you know that we were able to secure several wins for the Northland during this year’s legislative session. They include:
- A provision I authored in the tax bill that provides incentives to bring more than 150 well-paying jobs to the community with the construction of a 800,000 square foot wood manufacturing plant. I have been working with Huber Engineered Woods, Itasca County, the Iron Range Delegation in the House and Senate, and the IRRRB to secure the funding needed to bring this project to Cohasset.
- Transportation funding to improve roads and bridges in and around Cass and Itasca Counties.
- Legislation I authored, that originated in Grand Rapids, to convene a working committee to establish standards to streamline 911 and emergency telecommunications across the state of Minnesota.
I remain committed to working hard for our district in the coming months and years to come and will always fight to bring our best days to reality.
Staying in Touch
The frequency of my weekly newsletters will likely slow now that the legislative session is over. Nevertheless, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have. I can be I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4936 or via email at rep.spencer.igo@house.mn.
Have a great day,
Spencer