National Police Week

This week is National Police Week, where we commemorate all of the officers we've lost in the line of duty, and we thank all those who've done the job and those still protecting our communities.

Uber/Lyft Bill Passes House

This week the House passed a bill that will regulate transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft. This bill, while backed by good intentions, will result in skyrocketing prices for passengers and fewer choices for Minnesotans. It is estimated to make some Minnesota cities the most expensive in the country for rideshare and app-based food delivery, which will no doubt drop demand and result in more drivers out of work.

I had an amendment to increase penalties for assault against drivers to the same as bus drivers, which was fortunately adopted. Violence against drivers is a major problem and I was glad to see this amendment go on the bill.

Session Wraps Up

This session has seen a number of extreme bills pass, including extreme abortion measures that put Minnesota on par with China and North Korea, a bill that will increase the cost of energy and the likelihood of power outages, and a 40% increase in government spending. On top of that, the majority is in the process of spending our entire $17.5 billion surplus and raising taxes over $9 billion on top of that.

The Public Safety omnibus included two provisions that infringe on Minnesotans' Second Amendment Rights. The first is?the expanded background checks for gun sales and transfers. Because of the record keeping requirements in the bill, if you sold or transferred a firearm and then misplaced the transfer record within the next ten years, you could be criminally charged.?The other provision the red flag law, which could be weaponized to target legal gun owners, and result in confiscating firearms without the opportunity for the targeted person to defend themselves.

It has also been reported that the tax bill will include an automatic gas tax increase and an additional fee on deliveries, both of which will raise the cost of living on the people who can least afford it.

Unfortunately, many things have so far been left undone. There is speculation that the majority party will not fully eliminate the tax on social security for seniors, even though many of them pledged to do just that before the election. In public safety, the root causes of violent crime are left unaddressed, the education bill makes it harder for some teachers to become fully licensed, and nursing home funding falls catastrophically short of what is needed to keep many of them, especially in Greater Minnesota, running.