Dear Neighbor,
Brace yourself. As the Minnesota legislature returns to session on Monday, Democrats have made it crystal clear – they’re not slowing down.
Last year, they blew through a $19 billion state budget surplus, spending it down to the last penny. Not content to stop there, they raised taxes by $10 billion. Overall, they increased the state budget by 40% during a time of stifling inflation.
Worse, they passed reckless policy from the extreme fringe of the radical Left. They led off by ending unborn lives up to the very moment of birth. They stripped parental custody rights from moms and dads of kids suffering from gender dysphoria. And they banned energy production from sources which make up 80% of our current power grid.
This year, the death dealing continues. A committee hearing has already been held on “assisted suicide,” a scheme which we know has resulted in the abuse and disposal of vulnerable people wherever it has become law. They also plan to make Minnesota a sanctuary state for illegal immigration, after passing “drivers licenses for all” last year.
Democrats also are now pushing legislation to make Minnesota a so-called sanctuary state, making our state a haven for illegal immigrants – at a time we face a crisis at our nation’s southern border. Democrats spent last session setting the table with driver’s licenses for all, automatic voter registration, incentives to NOT go to work. Now, they want to prohibit any employee of state or local government from cooperating with federal immigration agencies to further entice the resettlement of illegals in Minnesota.
Last year, Democrats in Minnesota made life easier for criminals and more difficult for law-abiding gun owners. This year, they plan to do it again. Confronted by a threat, your choice when they're done will be: break the law, or lay down and die. A recent Minnesota Reformer preview of the agenda for public safety indicated we'll be revisiting an insane bill requiring you to store your firearms in such a way that you'll never be able to use them when needed.
In the glorious Democrat-led future, prisons will house political dissidents for such crimes as using their child's given name or defending themselves with a firearm, while street criminals are capped at five years of probation and provided free education and housing.
On a final important note, I have enjoyed the opportunity to discuss a variety of education issues during numerous personal meetings and forums this legislative interim. We’ll take a deeper dive into issues related to this subject as the session plays out but, today, I want to say enough of the education tail wagging the dog. Let’s focus on empowering parents in their children’s education. Let’s focus on upholding the values of our communities, which expect open discussions, value minority perspectives, and encourage its members to engage actively and thoughtfully in matters of policy and governance.
Look for more thoughts on education another time. For now, let’s get the 2024 legislative session underway. We could start off Day 1 by fixing the state law Democrats broke last year which resulted in school resource officers being removed from schools all around our state. Reasonable, common-sense, solutions should be attainable if we uphold our foremost responsibility to keep our children, teachers and staff safe. This should not be a partisan issue … and therein lies the rub.
Until next time, be well and please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Walter