By Rep. Ben Davis, R-Mission Township
Minnesota Democrats have majorities in the House and Senate and control the governor’s office, a trifecta of power resulting in passage of numerous extreme bills to start the 2023 session.
This includes Democrats approving legislation making abortion, already legal in Minnesota, available at any time during a pregnancy and with no guardrails. Democrats now are moving a second, even more extreme abortion bill, which includes repealing the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.
House Democrats also passed a bill moving our state to 100 percent carbon free electricity by 2040 at a cost of $313 billion, or nearly $3,900 per family per year, with returns projected to be negligible at best.
And, House Democrats passed a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain the same Class D Minnesota driver’s license as Minnesotans who choose not to apply for Real ID or an enhanced driver’s license. There are no safeguards in the bill to prevent fraudulent use of the license, threatening our election process and creating potential abuse of state government programs.
There are many more of these out-of-touch Democrat bills in the works and, as if those weren’t enough, another Democrat – President Joe Biden – got in the act by placing a 20-year moratorium on mining in northern Minnesota. This will cause communities in our state to lose thousands of potential jobs from future mining projects, billions of dollars in future investment in northeast Minnesota, and billions of dollars in revenue that would support students through Minnesota’s School Trust Lands.
I joined fellow members of Minnesota’s Iron Range Delegation sent a letter to Biden urging him to reverse his administration’s shameful decision. I will continue to support our mining industry and its workers. A bill (H.F. 603) I authored declares Minnesota to be a mining-friendly state.
To be clear, I have spoken against each of the aforementioned House Democrat bills and voted “no” at every turn. These extreme, metro-centric liberal policies do not align with the people of District 6A or with my own positions. However, I personally have authored numerous bills that do reflect our will and I continue working to move them through the process. This includes:
- H.F. 666 ensures a patient may choose to have a support person present while receiving care or services. It was a travesty to see people on their death bed during the pandemic deprived of having loved ones at their side as they took their final breaths. We should never allow this to happen again, and my bill makes sure it won’t.
- H.F. 667 is a resolution memorializing Congress to call a convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution to impose fiscal constraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress. The scope of our federal government gradually has grown, to the detriment of state powers, and it is time to restore order.
- H.F. 668/607 are two bills I have authored providing specific tax relief, something that should be a top priority with the state’s nearly $18 billion surplus. H.F. 607 provides a tax holiday on the purchase of firearms and fishing equipment leading up to hunting/fishing seasons. H.F. 668 provides a tax holiday on the purchase of school supplies before students head back to class. These proposals are simply in addition to other major sources of tax relief – such as income, Social Security and property – that should be headliners.
People in our area also are strong supporters of the Second Amendment and I am proud to be authoring numerous bills on that subject, especially providing permits to carry without expiration and Stand Your Ground/Castle Doctrine legislation.
Thank you for the continued support and I welcome input on these or other issues of importance to you.
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