Dear Neighbor,
A little over one week remains to complete our work before the May 19 deadline to adjourn.
Democrats put us in a tight situation for the home stretch because they sat out the first 23 days of session. Now, they are holding things up further by insisting on funding “free” illegal immigrant healthcare and paying seasonal workers to not work.
Democrats also need to stop complaining about how, if not for Republicans standing in the way, they would just raise taxes again to cover up for the fact they turned an $18 billion surplus into a $6 billion shortfall. One DFL member said so on a PBS program (just after the 33:20 mark). Another one said it on the House floor. And still another said it during a press conference.
Those are the big challenges to resolve before we can pass a new two-year state budget. It can happen, but first we’re going to need a dramatic shift from the folks across the aisle on those aforementioned issues.
Here are some other notes from the House as we come down the home stretch this session:
Education rally
This week, House Republicans stood alongside students, parents, teachers, and faith leaders during a rally at the Capitol to show support for non-public pupil aid.
For years, Minnesota has helped cover the costs of important services like nursing, counseling, textbooks, and transportation for students in nonpublic schools – things that really make a difference in their education.
Every student deserves access to a great education, no matter what type of school they attend – public, private, religious, charter, or homeschool – and we’re committed to keeping it that way. School choice is good for our students, good for our families, and essential for the future of our state.
Click here to see a clip of me speaking in support of non-public schools at the rally.
Budget bills
Most of the House’s budget bills have received preliminary approval, with K-12 education, health and taxes still works in progress. The bills that have passed are the subjects of conference committees working to iron out differences between House and Senate language so votes for final passage can take place.
A package on labor is the most recent budget bill to pass the House, which happened just this afternoon. It includes placeholder language for a provision I’ve authored partially repealing the ban on noncompete agreements for workers in the state. Democrats banned noncompete agreements in 2023 and this could cause Minnesota companies to move research and development outside our state. This puts us at a significant disadvantage that I am working to fix.
Stay tuned for more from the House as we try to make up for the Democrats’ lost time and extreme positions that go against what most Minnesotans want on key issues. Until next time, good luck if you plan to go out for this weekend’s fishing opener and have a happy Mother’s Day.
Sincerely,
Harry