Greetings,
If we haven't met, my name is Tom Sexton and I am serving my first term in our State House of Representatives.
Our legislative session begins! In preparation, we set clear priorities reflecting the needs and values of our community. First, we are dedicated to rooting out fraud in government. Every taxpayer deserves to know that their hard-earned dollars will be spent wisely. By strengthening oversight, ensuring the implementation of checks and balances, and eliminating wasteful practices, we can ensure that resources are directed to programs and services that truly benefit Minnesotans. Two of our priority bills, House File (HF) 2 and 3, establish requirements for fraud reporting, implementation of audit recommendations, and stronger internal controls. Without these protections, we will continue to see hundreds of millions of Minnesota taxpayer dollars go to programs and agencies riddled with fraud. We must prevent future fraud! Minnesotans deserve better!
Second, we will advocate for lowering everyday costs. One way that we are reaching this goal is through HF9. This bill ends our moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants from over 30 years ago. By the way, we have been safely operating two nuclear power plants here for over 50 years. Ending the new nuclear construction moratorium does not mean that construction will start immediately. However, it will allow our electric utility service providers to submit proposals for future nuclear plants, if nuclear power will meet our future energy needs. All Minnesotans deserve reliable, safe, and inexpensive energy to promote our way of life and future business opportunities. By providing a greater number of clean energy alternatives, we will create a more stable future, promote economic growth, and help to lower energy costs.
Next, we are determined to alleviate the burden of mandates on schools, municipalities, and small businesses. One way to achieve this is to re-evaluate the implementation timeline of the paid leave law. Last session, a paid leave law was enacted with a relatively short-fused implementation timeline. This law universally applies to all employers regardless of business size or number of employees. Without flexibility, the paid leave mandate disproportionately affects small businesses, causing undue stress, and significant fiscal and administrative burdens. Our HF11 seeks to delay the implementation of the policy so that we can design a better system and avoid a ‘one-size-fits-all’ program that reduces competitiveness and hurts our business climate. A prudent delay creates additional time for businesses to adjust their economic model to fit the new requirements. In addition, it allows our schools and municipalities to adjust their workforce and tax structure to account for these requirements. Finally, it provides opportunities for conversations in our communities in order to prepare for a changing competitive environment for both our employers and their very important employees.
Together, we will continue to build a stronger, fairer Minnesota—that values hard work, honors service, and promotes sustainable growth. I look forward to collaborating with you as we work toward meaningful change in Minnesota.
Representative Tom Sexton
District 19B