Dear Neighbor,
It was good to see so many people show up at the Capitol for the March for Life rally on Tuesday. I am a strong pro-life supporter and was pleased to join in the cause at the event. It also helped me gain a sense of redemption after car problems and bad weather last weekend forced me to miss for the first time in seven years the pro-life rally in Park Rapids. Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make both events a success and for continuing to deliver such an important message that we support life starting at conception. Your efforts are very much appreciated.
As for news from the Capitol, I was among a number of House members who sent a letter to Congressional Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Leader Chuck Schumer this week urging them to work with President Trump and Congressional Republicans to secure our Southern border and end this unnecessary partial federal government shutdown. Here is a sample from the letter:
“Minnesotans are hurting from the impacts of the shutdown; federal workers are missing paychecks, and the interruption of numerous funding streams threaten the operation of federally-funded services and programs.
Thankfully, Minnesota has taken steps to mitigate the impact of the shutdown, but the longer the shutdown drags on, the more painful the consequences will become.
You can end this shutdown tomorrow by putting forward a good-faith proposal to adequately fund a border wall and security measures on our Southern border. It should be a bipartisan priority to put an end to the flow of illegal drugs, human trafficking, and unlawful entry of individuals into our country – we urge you to reach an agreement with the President and Republicans in Congress to end the shutdown and improve the safety and security of the nation.”
On another note, I am eagerly awaiting a report from The Office of the Legislative Auditor, which has been investigating how the Minnesota State Arts Board has been allocating and monitoring Legacy funds. The Arts Board is the state’s largest recipient of Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund dollars and I am curious to see what the legislative auditor has discovered. I will get back with more once the report is made public.
-Steve