Dear Neighbors,
The legislature returned to St. Paul today for the start of a special session to wrap up work on a new state budget. As of Monday afternoon, several budget bills are unfinished and many issues are still unresolved.
Also, today marks the 458th day living under emergency powers and House Republicans once again brought a motion to the floor to end the peacetime emergency. In fact, this was the 19th time that we have officially taken a vote to remove the Governor’s powers.
It’s clear that the pandemic is over and the need for emergency powers has long passed. Everyone except one person, Governor Walz, recognizes that the emergency is over.
As a member of the minority party in the House, I am frustrated to report that we have not been involved in negotiations on specific components of the budget bills that will come before the legislature during the special session.
The good news is that Republicans appear to have been successful in stopping all of the billions in Democrat tax increases. Additionally, thanks to Republican efforts, businesses, and unemployed Minnesotans won't be hit with tax increases on their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans or unemployment benefits.
Here are some other 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.
I will keep you updated as more information becomes available. In the meantime, please reach out to me to share your thoughts, concerns, and ideas. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4333 or via email at rep.josh.heintzeman@house.mn.
God bless,
Josh