Friends, Last Friday marked the first committee deadline at the Capitol. By this point, bills needed to have moved through committees in both the House and Senate to stay alive. It’s a big checkpoint in the session, and it should be about getting real work done for Minnesotans. Just like last year, the House is split evenly with both parties having 67 members. Because of this, neither party can pass bills without at least minority support from the other side. That being said, this is not a reasonable excuse to stall good ideas. When there are practical solutions on the table, we should be taking immediate action to move them forward. Over the first half of session, my focus has been on improving things that fell by the wayside in recent years: public safety, responsible spending, and making sure our communities have what they need and that the priorities of northern Minnesota are heard loud and clear. I’m continuing to work on proposals to strengthen security in our schools and public facilities, especially in Greater Minnesota, which all too often gets left out of the conversation. These are common-sense steps to help protect students, staff, and families. We’re also working to improve cybersecurity so schools and local governments aren’t left exposed. Accountability in state government is another area where we absolutely have to make serious changes. We’ve all seen headline after headline about fraud and waste. That money belongs to you and I, and I’m tired of seeing it wasted or funneled into the pockets of fraudsters. I strongly support strengthening oversight, extending the time we have to prosecute fraud, and making sure agencies are held responsible when problems are ignored. My colleagues and I have rolled out a series of proposals to do just that, but we need support from at least one member of the opposing party to join us if we are to pass it this session. The same can be said about addressing affordability across Minnesota. Proposals that would eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, ease the tax burden and mandates on small businesses, and make a much-needed reduction to the cost of car tab fees – all have the full backing of our caucus but need just one vote from the other side. I’ve also been working with members of the legislature and local officials to address the growing number of unfunded mandates. Local governments, schools, and small businesses are being asked to do more without the funding to back it up. That simply places too much pressure on communities like ours. We need to start rolling those back and making sure we’re not shifting costs onto people who can’t afford it. Many of you have seen the consequences of this when looking at your property tax bills. On workforce and labor issues, I am focused on making reasonable changes to policies like Paid Family and Medical Leave. Small businesses with just a handful of employees should not be treated the same as large corporations. Businesses like Amazon can survive policies like these while the smaller employers struggle to comply and are lucky to keep their doors open. If we want small businesses to survive and grow, we need to make sure these policies are workable and realistic. Outside of committee work, I’ve been meeting with constituents and local leaders to on top of the priorities of our district. There are solid, straightforward bills ready to move that would improve accountability, affordability, public services, and overall quality of life for all Minnesotans. Holding those up for political reasons doesn’t help anyone. If you have any questions about what’s happening at the Capitol at this stage of the legislative session, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you for your support and have a great week. Bidal |