Legislative Update Dear friends and neighbors, We’re officially closing the book on week four of the legislative session, and if you thought the surprises were slowing down… think again! The week kicked off with the Walz Administration continuing what appears to be their ongoing accountability hiatus. When the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee convened Monday morning to ask some fairly straightforward questions about fraud in state programs, DHS simply… didn’t show up. Last week, they at least sent staff to the Judiciary Committee. Unfortunately, those staffers couldn’t answer questions about the extensive redactions in the Optum fraud report. This week, they tried a different approach: send no one at all! Now, normally that might raise some eyebrows—but here’s the part that really deserves a slow clap. The very same DHS staffers who apparently couldn’t make time for the Fraud Committee hearing showed up in the exact same committee room just minutes later… this time to testify before the Ways and Means Committee to ask for more taxpayer funding. So just to recap: No time to answer questions about fraud.
Plenty of time to ask for more taxpayer dollars. It’s amazing how calendars suddenly open up when the topic switches from oversight to appropriations. I suppose you could call that one way to avoid difficult questions. Putting Affordability Back on the Agenda If there’s one thing I hear about more than anything else when I’m back home in the district, it’s this: things are getting too expensive. Groceries. Childcare. Housing. Insurance. Energy bills. Property taxes. It seems like just about everything costs more than it did a few years ago—and for many families, the paychecks simply aren’t keeping up. Unfortunately, a lot of the policies passed during the last legislative trifecta only made things worse. Democrats piled on billions in new taxes and fees, including the now-infamous retail delivery fee, a new payroll tax, and dozens of unfunded mandates on local governments. When the state pushes costs onto cities, counties, and schools, those costs don’t disappear—they show up on your property tax bill. That’s why House Republicans have made affordability one of our top priorities this session. We’re focused on practical solutions that help lower costs and make the American Dream more attainable for families across Minnesota. Here are just a few of the proposals House Republicans are advancing this session: Lower health insurance costs by making Minnesota’s reinsurance program permanent (HF 3388 – Rep. O’Driscoll) Expand affordable healthcare options through a Direct Primary Care program (HF 1724 – Rep. Gillman) Require the state to pay for new healthcare mandates so they don’t drive up premiums (HF 400 – Rep. Perryman) Create a Property Tax Commission focused on long-term solutions to reduce property taxes (HF 3396 – Rep. Davids) No tax on tips or overtime pay so workers keep more of what they earn (HF 3524 & HF 3525 – Rep. Robbins) Repeal the retail delivery fee, end the tax on Social Security income, and stop automatic gas tax increases (HF 5 – Rep. Joy) Lower boat registration fees (HF 3669 – Rep. Schultz) Reduce vehicle tab taxes (HF 3562 – Rep. Patti Anderson) Return a portion of future budget surpluses back to taxpayers (HF 4 – Rep. Wayne Johnson) Reduce property taxes by allowing schools and local governments relief from unfunded state mandates (HF 957 – Rep. Kresha; HF 1593 – Rep. Murphy) In an election year, Democrats are suddenly trying to rebrand themselves as the party of “affordability.” But Minnesotans have long memories—and the record tells a different story. Just look at the policies they continue to push: A Climate Superfund-style proposal (HF 3945) that would drive up energy costs, fuel prices, and everyday goods More than a dozen new health care mandates that will make insurance premiums even higher A new fifth-tier income tax (HF 2591) that takes even more from Minnesota families Continued defense of the retail delivery fee and automatic gas tax increases Opposition to lowering vehicle tab taxes, which were dramatically increased in 2023 Continued support for unfunded mandates that are fueling record-breaking property tax increases New payroll taxes and business mandates that inevitably get passed along to workers and consumers And let’s not forget what happened just a couple of years ago. During the 2023–2024 session, Democrats burned through an $18 billion surplus, raised taxes by $10 billion, and expanded government spending by 40 percent. Minnesota’s affordability crisis didn’t happen overnight—and it certainly didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of policy choices that made life more expensive at nearly every turn. House Republicans are working to change that. Our focus is simple: lower costs, responsible budgets, and policies that help Minnesota families get ahead—not fall further behind. That’s the kind of work I came to St. Paul to do, and I’ll keep fighting for it every day on your behalf. As always, thank you for staying engaged. The best conversations happen when you share your thoughts, so keep reaching out—I’m listening! Until next time, — Representative Joe McDonald |