Dear Neighbor,
Greetings from the Capitol, where we head into the final full two weeks of the 2024 session with a backlog of the Democrats’ biggest bills of the session. Here’s a look at my latest notes:
Ice rescue bill moves along
Here’s some good news from this week: A bill I authored to reimburse county sheriffs and other local law enforcement agencies for search-and-rescue operations related to recreational activities on ice received preliminary approval from the House this week as part of an environment package.
The bill (HF3796) I authored will bring some common sense and consistency to search-and-rescue efforts. The state currently provides local law enforcement agencies with partial reimbursements for water rescues but does not, however, reimburse those same agencies for rescues on ice.
It’s been nice to achieve bipartisan support on this issue and I will keep an eye on this provision in the hopes we can get it to the finish line this session.
Anti-2A bills
House Democrats this week approved three anti-gun bills which will do more to make criminals out of law-abiding citizens than crack down on violent criminals.
As a refresher, the three bills include new rules on firearm storage (H.F. 4300), requirements for reporting stolen firearms (H.F. 601), along with a new “trigger activator” definition that may impact some commonly used guns and render them illegal (H.F. 2609). (Here's a quick clip of me discussing the lost/stolen firearms bill on the House floor this week.)
These latest proposals follow last year’s changes Democrats enacted regarding universal background checks and red flag confiscation orders. A better approach would be for our state to step up efforts to enforce existing laws, with prosecutors who are willing to fully charge violent criminals and courts that stop turning dangerous people back out on the street with a slap on the wrist.
We can’t keep burying our heads in the sand, acting like law-abiding citizens or guns themselves are the problem. New laws on storage or reporting might help Democrats sleep happy, but they won’t do a lick of good deterring cold-blooded killers. These bills are more of the Democrat attack on law-abiding gun owners, pure and simple.
After passing the House along party lines, the three bills are now in the hands of the Senate, where Democrats have a one-seat majority. That means a senator who is facing first-degree felony burglary charges could cast deciding votes on bills undermining people’s ability to defend themselves during a home invasion.
National Day of Prayer
It was great to see so many people participate in this week’s National Day of Prayer in St. Paul. God bless America!
Palace for politicians
As of this week, Minnesota taxpayers officially are saddled with the first payment on the Democrats’ extravagant $730 million State Office Building remodel. House Republicans conducted a press conference Tuesday to reinforce the position we should not be making life harder and more expensive for Minnesotans so legislators can have fancy offices and a bigger building.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Republicans offered numerous proposals to take more cost-effective approaches and put the dollars saved to more pressing issues for Minnesotans. Unfortunately, the House majority rejected these efforts and now Minnesotans are forced to pay.
Time will tell how these issues and others unfold. I will do my best to keep you in the loop as developments occur. In the meantime, your input is always very much appreciated, and it helps me continue doing my best to represent the wishes of people in our area.
Sincerely,
Ben