Dear Friends,
I want to wish every mom a very happy Mother?s Day. I know I am so grateful for my mom and my wife who do so much for our family, and I look forward to celebrating them this weekend.
This week we have slowly started voting on Conference Committee Reports as the House and Senate have reached agreements on our new state budget. Despite a $17.5 billion surplus, I am disappointed that these bills are set to raise taxes by $10 billion. Keep reading for more information on where these bills stand:
Higher Education Omnibus Bill
On Tuesday, the House passed the Higher Education omnibus bill. I am disappointed that this bill came back from conference committee with a major change. The Senate added a provision to provide students with free college for families who make less than $80,000. We should not be investing over $100 million for a program that was never vetted in the House.
Enrollment has been declining at the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State for the last decade. Minnesota State?s enrollment is down 27.9% systemwide since 2013. Additionally, we are facing an enrollment cliff in 2025 because of declining birth rates.
This will not stop the decline in enrollments. In order to pay for this program we are cutting funding for other programs that have a proven track record, like funding for workforce development scholarships which help students studying in high-demand fields. By holding institutions accountable, we can support students to ensure college is affordable. I voted no on this bill.
Education Omnibus Bill
The Education omnibus bill is still being negotiated. However, I am very disappointed to report that the Senate?s amendment to remove the PSEO statement of faith has been added back in. This policy is blatant religious discrimination. I encourage you to reach out to members of the Education conference committee and urge them to remove this provision again from the bill. ??
Gun Provisions in Public Safety and Judiciary Bill
On Wednesday, the all-DFL Public Safety Conference Committee adopted gun control provisions that will threaten your Second Amendment rights. These provisions were posted publicly just 14 minutes before the hearing. No debate or discussion occurred.
Democrats are adopting the Red Flag and Universal Background Check provisions. These policies threaten the Second Amendment right of every gun owner. The Majority has little regard for your voice. They are shutting Republicans out of key conference committees, and they are pushing through their extreme policies that have little support outside the metro.
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