Legislative Update
Friends and Neighbors,
Our community was shaken this week by the devastating crash on Highway 95 in Princeton Township. Four people lost their lives, including three members of the Geisler family, and 18-year-old Janessa Geisler was taken to North Memorial with life-threatening injuries.
In a close-knit community like Princeton, these aren’t simply names appearing in a news report. They’re family members, classmates, church members, coworkers, customers, and neighbors. A tragedy of this magnitude touches nearly everyone in one way or another.
Marytina and I extend our deepest condolences to the Geisler and Marshall families and everyone mourning this terrible loss. We’re praying for Janessa, her loved ones, and the entire Princeton community in the difficult days ahead. We’re also grateful to everyone who responded and offered support during this tragedy.
An Unconscionable Pardon
There’s no natural transition from a tragedy like this, but there are several important developments at the state level that I also need to address.
The Minnesota Board of Pardons, which includes Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, recently pardoned Tou Lue Vang, who was convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl.
The decision was indefensible when it was made, and the continued effort to justify it is even more disturbing. Rather than acknowledge that pardoning a convicted child sex offender was a serious failure of judgment, Gov. Walz and Attorney General Ellison continue to defend the board’s decision.
They’ve pointed to the passage of time and claims of rehabilitation. Those factors may be considered as part of the process, but they don’t override the state’s responsibility to protect the public and maintain accountability for the most serious crimes.
A victim’s personal decision to forgive deserves respect, but government officials have a separate obligation to act in the public interest. Setting aside a conviction for the repeated sexual assault of a child falls far outside that responsibility.
Federal officials ultimately revoked Vang’s legal status and removed him from the country. Instead of asking whether their decision reflected the values and safety of Minnesotans, Gov. Walz has continued questioning whether his removal made anyone safer.
That response shows just how far removed this decision was from common sense. There are crimes that demand lasting accountability, and repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10 year old child is unquestionably one of them. Minnesotans deserve leaders who’ll put children, victims, public safety, and the public interest ahead of an ideologically driven stance on immigration.
Paid Leave Needs Honest Scrutiny
Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program has now been operating for six months, and the early results raise serious questions.
The state reports that approximately 75,000 Minnesotans have been approved for benefits and nearly $600 million has already been paid out. However, only $344 million was collected through employer and worker payroll premiums during the first quarter. One-time startup funding is helping cover the program’s costs, and another quarter of premium payments is due, but Minnesotans deserve a clear and honest accounting of where the program is headed.
The program is funded through a 0.88% payroll premium that’s generally divided between workers and employers. State law also allows that rate to be increased to as much as 1.1%. That means the consequences of poor planning will eventually land on workers’ paychecks and employers’ bottom lines.
Supporting parents, caregivers, and people facing serious medical conditions is a worthwhile goal. But a worthwhile goal doesn’t excuse a poorly designed or unnecessarily expensive government program.
As a small business owner and farmer, I know the effect these mandates can have. A large corporation may be able to shift employees between departments or hire temporary help. On a family farm, at a local repair shop, or in a small Main Street business, losing one employee can mean losing a significant portion of the workforce. The paperwork and uncertainty only add to the burden.
We also continue to hear from Minnesotans who’ve experienced delays and difficulty receiving benefits for legitimate claims. If workers and employers are required to pay into the program, the state has a responsibility to administer it fairly and efficiently.
As lawmakers, we need to examine the program’s finances, protect it from fraud, improve its administration, and provide greater flexibility for small and seasonal employers. We should have the humility to recognize problems when they become apparent and work together to fix them before taxpayers are asked to pay even more.
Keeping Minnesota Affordable and Accountable
These issues are all connected to a larger question: Is state government working for the people who pay for it?
Families are already paying too much for groceries, housing, energy, insurance, property taxes, and transportation. State government shouldn’t make life more expensive through higher payroll taxes, unnecessary mandates, or programs that aren’t properly managed.
At the same time, the fraud uncovered across Minnesota government has shown what happens when agencies spend taxpayer dollars without adequate safeguards. Every dollar lost to fraud was first earned by a Minnesota worker, farmer, family, or business.
Our priorities should be straightforward: lower the cost of living, protect essential services, stop fraud before money leaves the door, recover stolen taxpayer dollars, and hold the people responsible accountable. Government doesn’t need to be involved in everything, but it must competently perform the responsibilities entrusted to it.
A Final Note for the Summer
Because this is an election year, the rules governing official legislative communications require members to stop sending unsolicited mass email updates after the post-session deadline. As a result, this will be my final legislative newsletter until after Election Day.
Those rules limit when I can send these emails, but they don’t prevent me from hearing from you or working on your behalf. My office remains open, and I encourage you to continue contacting me with questions, concerns, or ideas.
It’s an honor to represent our communities at the Capitol. Thank you to everyone who’s taken the time to write, call, visit, or speak with me at events throughout the district. Those conversations help keep my work focused on the people and communities I was elected to serve.
Please continue to keep the families affected by the Princeton tragedy in your thoughts and prayers. Take care of one another, have a safe remainder of the summer, and stay in touch.
Have a great summer,
Representative Bryan Lawrence
House District 27B