Hello from St. Paul,
The week following our Easter/Passover holiday break will be known as the “just one more vote” week, as a handful of common sense provisions received votes on the Minnesota House floor. All of them received unanimous support from 67 Republicans. But every Democrat voted against them, and because of this, none of them moved forward because 68 votes are needed for approval.
With “just one more vote,” we could have addressed three significant proposals:
WITH NO DEMOCRAT SUPPORT, PRESERVING GIRLS SPORTS ACT FAILS
Should athletes who were born as boys be prevented from playing in girls sporting events?
The State of Minnesota is currently being sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for violations of the federal Title IX law which ensures fairness and safety for female student athletes. To rectify this problem, the Minnesota House of Representatives recently voted on the Preserving Girls Sports Act, which would prevent biological boys from participating in girls’ athletics and uphold the protections included in Title IX.
Specifically, the Preserving Girls Sports Act states that only students of the female sex may participate in an elementary or secondary school athletic team or sport that an educational institution has restricted on the basis of sex to women or girls.
This bill does nothing to stop kids from going out for a sports team. But it does recognize that allowing a boy to play in girls’ competitions is sex-based discrimination and a clear violation of Title IX.
The bill received a full vote of the Minnesota House on April 7. All Republicans voted for the proposal, and all Democrats voted against it.
With nearly 80% support of Americans nationwide, prohibiting boys from playing in girls sports is a safety and fairness issue and should not be partisan, which is why I’m so disappointed with the very partisan results of this vote.
DESPITE UNANIMOUS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT, VEHICLE TAB FEE REDUCTION PROPOSAL STALLS
Not long ago, I shared some of the unbelievable vehicle tab costs that are being seen across Minnesota. Where some are now paying more than $1,000 for their tabs in our state, Wisconsin is charging a flat fee of $85 for that same vehicle. The new high prices are the result of Democrat actions when they controlled the legislature and the Governor’s Office in 2023, as they voted to change the vehicle tab fee formula and effectively raised your rates by 20%.
On April 9, the Minnesota House considered a bill that would have brought Minnesota’s vehicle tab fees on newer and older vehicles back to pre-2023 levels. Doing so would have provided nearly $1 billion in tax relief for drivers, and likely hundreds of dollars in savings to you. All Republican supported the measure. All Democrats voted against it.
This week, I also signed on as co-author on this tax relief proposal. It’s my hope that the more attention we can bring to this problem, the better. As residents are struggling with rising costs, this is one area where the legislature can make a positive difference. We can pass legislation that provides drivers with some relief, and I hope we will strongly consider doing so before session ends.
UNANIMOUS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT NOT ENOUGH TO PROVIDE ONE TIME PROPERTY TAX REFUNDS
Property taxes are skyrocketing, due in part to the excessive number of unfunded mandates a DFL-led legislature and Governor Walz passed on to counties during the 2023-2024 biennium. Counties have no other choice but to pass those costs on to property taxpayers to meet the state’s demands.
On April 9, the House considered legislation that creates a one-time, statewide property tax refund for taxes payable in 2026. The refund is a single statewide percentage tied to the amount of eligible property taxes paid, and would be directed to the taxpayers who actually face the property tax bills. The $4 billion tax relief proposal even includes a built-in “no one gets left behind” feature: if nobody applies for a property’s refund, the bill requires the state to convert that amount into a 2027 property tax credit on the property.
To me, this was a program that helps the people who always seem to fall through the cracks: the middle class. But not every lawmaker saw it that way. All Republicans voted for giving you property tax relief, and every Democrat voted against it.
MORE FRAUD: MORE INELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS RECEIVING STATE FUNDING
You can’t go a week without a new fraud being uncovered in this state. This week, we learned about fraud happening within the Minnesota Promise Act, which was passed by the Democrat-led legislature in 2023. It is a $100 million grant program designed to support businesses impacted by civil unrest and racial discrimination, and apparently has few guardrails as recipients can access up to $50,000.
A KSTP report found “several recipients appear to be operating miles outside of eligible neighborhoods, and that other businesses may not be operating at all.” State officials are refusing to release the grant applications, so investigative journalists are left to analyze public records in order to connect the dots. As recently as a month ago, the Democrat author of the bill assured the public there was no fraud in the program.
Yet another example of your money being thrown away with zero accountability.
To view Channel 5’s story, click here.
Have a good weekend,
Tom