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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jeff Dotseth (R)

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Legislative update

Friday, January 20, 2023

Dear Neighbor,

Some concerning news to report from St. Paul this week: House Democrats on Thursday approved legislation that would make abortion, already legal in the state, available at any time during a pregnancy and with no guardrails.

House Democrats have taken an extreme stance on abortion with this bill, plain and simple, and are completely out of touch with everyday Minnesotans. Their bill threatens the health and safety of mothers and unborn children by putting our state’s abortion laws along the order of radical regimes such as North Korea and China.

The bill fails to even ensure that a woman seeking an abortion receives one in a safe or licensed facility. And, according to the bill, second- or third- term abortions do not need to take place in a hospital, despite posing medical risks.

This bill is completely over the top and I will continue to support our unborn and voiceless Minnesotans. Unfortunately, despite strong opposition from House Republicans – who all voted “no” on the bill – House Democrats passed it on a party-line vote. This bill is now in the hands of the Senate, which is our last hope to stop this bill before it’s sent to the governor to sign into law.

While Democrats have been pushing controversial bills through the House, I continue to focus on issues that are most important to the people I represent and that we all can get behind. That approach has been helpful and is keeping me centered on our priorities. We have a great workforce and bountiful amenities in our region and the sense of unity gained by working on behalf of all the people I represent in District 11A is productive and rewarding.

The first bills I have drafted this session as the chief author are with constituents firmly in mind, including legislation to appropriate funding to improve Highway 73 south of Cromwell, as well as for a Cloquet Fire Dept. project. I also have signed onto bills declaring Minnesota to be a mining-friendly state and to help farmers combat wolf and elk depredation.

From a broader constituent perspective, I am the chief author of another to eliminate once and for all the state tax on Social Security, ending our state’s status as an outlier that still taxes this income. Minnesotans deserve their money back from the surplus revenue and my proposal is just one tool to help people keep more of their money at a time we have seen prices soaring across the board.

There has been bipartisan agreement to take this action and, with a state revenue surplus of around $18 billion, the time is right. But it’s only a start to the permanent tax cuts we need to enact to stop the year-after-year overtaxing of Minnesota families.

I touched on these subjects in a legislative column I sent to newspapers in District 11A, so please check our local publications or click here for that.

Until next time, have a good weekend and please stay in touch.

Sincerely,

Jeff