Interim Update Friends, One of the most basic lessons we teach students is that choices have consequences. The same is true in state government. When lawmakers impose new costs without fully considering their effect, when leaders make decisions that defy common sense, and when fraud is allowed to drain public resources, Minnesota families are left paying the price. Minnesotans aren’t asking for a larger or more complicated government. They want costs brought under control, taxpayer dollars protected, and leaders who’ll exercise sound judgment with the authority they’ve been given. Making Minnesota More Affordable The cost of living continues to be one of the most pressing concerns I hear from families across our area. This session, we made meaningful progress by passing roughly $400 million in tax relief, including $125 million in property tax relief and $250 million in reductions to vehicle tab fees. That relief helps, but it doesn’t erase the pressure Minnesotans are still feeling. We must continue building on these accomplishments by reducing unnecessary costs, controlling state spending, and looking carefully at the financial impact every government proposal will have on the people expected to pay for it. Paid Leave Comes at a Cost As I talk with people across our communities, concerns about Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program continue to come up. In its first six months, Minnesota’s Paid Leave program approved benefits for about 75,000 Minnesotans and paid out nearly $600 million. That works out to roughly $23 million in benefit payments each week across the program. For most employers, the program is funded through a 0.88% payroll premium that’s generally divided between employers and workers, reducing employee paychecks and increasing costs for businesses. Supporting families during major life events is a worthwhile goal, but the benefits of the program must match the cost being imposed on Minnesota workers and employers. Leadership requires the humility to admit when a program, plan or idea has flaws and then be willing to fix them. Earlier this year, I introduced HF 4569 after working with residents and employers in Scott County to address a practical problem in the Paid Leave law. The bill would’ve made the program more workable for seasonal employers and the employees who depend on those jobs. It was one of several reasonable improvements House Republicans brought forward after listening to the people directly affected by the program. Every Republican on the committee voted to advance my bill, while every Democrat present voted against it. You can see my introduction of this bill in the video below.  Unfortunately, that’s been the pattern. Rather than acknowledge obvious problems and work with us on improvements, House Democrats have repeatedly shut down Republican proposals and defended the program as written. As Paid Leave continues, lawmakers must closely examine its finances, protect it from fraud, and have the humility to recognize where improvements are needed and welcome cooperation so we can better support Minnesota workers and employers. A Pardon That Defies Common Sense Minnesotans recently learned that the Minnesota Board of Pardons erased the first-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction of a man who admitted to repeatedly sexually abusing a 10-year-old child. Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison supported the pardon. Their decision is simply indefensible and completely out of line with the priorities and values of Minnesotans. It’s especially difficult to reconcile this decision with repeated claims from Walz and Ellison that they have no problem removing dangerous criminals who don’t have a legal right to remain here. This is precisely the type of individual they claimed to be talking about, yet they used the extraordinary authority of the pardon process to erase his conviction. Our political divisions have grown wider, but there still must be room for common sense, common good, and common ground. Protecting children and holding violent offenders accountable cannot be a controversial stance in Minnesota. Looking Ahead on Fraud We’ve been raising concerns about fraud and weak oversight for a long time, and this session we passed a number of reforms aimed at finally getting ahead of the problem. Those changes will be consequential, but they won’t fix everything overnight. Agencies still need tighter controls, better communication, and a willingness to act quickly when something doesn’t look right. Government can’t keep ignoring warning signs simply because acting on them would mean admitting failure. There’s still a lot of work to do, including making sure new programs don’t repeat the same mistakes. That applies to Paid Leave as well. Claims and spending need to be watched closely, weaknesses need to be fixed right away, and lawmakers need honest information about how the program is performing. Minnesotans have already paid too much for weak oversight, and we shouldn’t allow it to happen again. Thank You for Staying Engaged Because this is an election year, House rules require unsolicited legislative email updates sent through official accounts to end 60 days after the regular session adjourns. As a result, this will be my final update of the summer and my last through this account until after Election Day. My office remains open, and I’ll continue working to make Minnesota more affordable, protect taxpayer dollars, and bring greater accountability to state government. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, or anything else I can help with. Have a great summer,  |