Dear Neighbors,
Sunday is Father’s Day and I’d like to wish you a joyous day celebrating the fathers in your life.
Fathers play an important role in the lives of their children. Here are some important statements to remember when honoring fatherhood:
"The greatest mark of a father is how he treats his children when no one is looking."
"No man I ever met was my father's equal, and I never loved any other man as much."
"A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father."
"Every great achiever is inspired by a great mentor."
Special Session Begins
On Monday, the Legislature returned to St. Paul for the start of what may be a weeks-long special session. This session was required by state law because Governor Walz once again extended his emergency powers for another 30 days. In addition to the emergency powers extension, which I voted to end for the 19th time this week, we must also approve and pass a state budget before July 1st to avoid a state government shutdown.
I am disappointed to report that, once again, the vote to end the emergency powers failed on a largely party-line vote of 64-68. It’s frustrating that House Democrats won’t accept that the emergency is over and join us in stripping these powers from Governor Walz.
Here are some priorities we have during the special session:
- Ending the Governor's Emergency Powers: Case counts and positivity rates are at record lows, and the emergency is clearly over. It's time to end the emergency powers and restore the legislature's role as a co-equal branch of government.
- Stopping Health Care Costs From Skyrocketing: Democrats are pushing for harmful policies that would cause health care rates to skyrocket and reduce health plan choices for thousands of Minnesota families. I am working to stop Democrats from raising health care costs for the second budget in a row.
- Safety in our Cities: Crime in the Metro area is skyrocketing as a result of Democrat leadership that is more focused on villainizing law enforcement than tackling the spike in murders, carjackings, and other crimes. I will always have the backs of our law enforcement and work hard to stop any anti-police bills from passing this year. We need to focus on tackling rising crime and making sure Minnesotans feel safe in their communities.
Special sessions and budget negotiations are usually fluid and things can change quickly. Nevertheless, I am committed to keeping you informed of what’s happening in St. Paul and will plan to send updates as they become available.
In the meantime, please be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-6746 or via email at rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn.
Have a good day,
Sondra