Hello from St. Paul,
Legislation that would have moved articles of impeachment against Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison were heard in the House Rules Committee this week.
The resolution to impeach Walz is based on his failures to address fraud in this state, and Ellison’s resolution focused on a few topics.
The efforts failed on a tied vote, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against. I serve on the committee and voted yes without a second thought.
SCHOOL SAFETY PROPOSAL STALLS IN COMMITTEE
This week, House Republicans moved a measure that would improve safety in our schools. It called for increased funding for safety measures in public, nonpublic, and tribal schools, expanded access to student mental health services, and flexible options for anonymous threat reporting and school safety planning. It also included reforms to student discipline policies to better protect teachers, staff, and students in the classroom.
The concepts behind the plan were not partisan; they reflected a shared goal of keeping students and teachers safe. The provisions were shaped by ongoing feedback from superintendents, teachers, students, and parents across Minnesota. Many elements have previously received bipartisan support.
Despite this, when the proposal was brought to a vote on April 14, it split strictly along party lines. Every Republican supported it, while every Democrat opposed it, leaving the measure one vote short of passage.
Our schools deserve better.
LARGE FEEDLOTS UNDER ATTACK
This week, a proposal was heard in our agriculture finance committee that would require feedlots with more than 1,000 animal units to pay a decommissioning fee. This would have a tremendous negative impact on farmers, whether it’s through hurting their operations or our roads through the increased transportation of livestock. It’s frustrating that Democrats refuse to acknowledge the efficiency of our larger feedlots.
HYPOCRISY IN THE DNR
This week, our environment committee heard from a private property owner who needs a 50-foot-long easement to go over DNR property in order to access his property. The DNR strongly opposes this. Essentially, it wants to prevent private citizens from accessing their land.
On the other hand, the DNR never has any problem demanding access to private property if it somehow stands in the way of state land and will take people to court if necessary to get exactly what it wants. It’s a total double standard and allows the DNR to bully private landowners into submission, but if a citizen tries to do the same thing, he or she needs the legislature to approve a bill and have the governor sign it into law in order for that to happen. And you wonder why people get frustrated with government.
OFFICER GARY SCHROEDER HIGHWAY DESIGNATION BILL HEARD MONDAY
My bill that would rename a portion of Highway 58 in Zumbrota after former city police officer Gary Schroeder will be debated on the House floor Monday. I will let you know how the vote turns out.
TAX DAY
April 15 was Tax Day, and hopefully you completed your income tax forms. Please know House Republicans are trying desperately to allow you to keep more of what you earn, as you’ll see below.
KEEP IN TOUCH
As always, my door is always open. If you ever have any legislative questions, please contact me. I can be reached at rep.steven.jacob@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651.296.2273.
Have a good weekend,
Steve