Phenomenal turnout Wednesday of last week to the Sherburne County Housing Summit! As a member of the Senate Housing Committee and real estate professional myself, it was an honor to present as we all continue working hard toward housing affordability in and around our great community! Dear Friends and Neighbors, Last week I had the high honor of being invited to join the speaking lineup at the Sherburne County Housing Summit in Elk River organized by Molly Nadeau (Loan Officer and lead of the Molly Nadeau Mortgage Team at Treadstone Mortgage), Jessica Barthel (Economic Coordinator with Sherburne County), and Debbi Rydberg (Executive Director for the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce). We have a fantastic community with many working hard to innovate as our area grows. Unfortunately, it is the opposite of innovative thinking at the Capitol from the failed Democrat majority which continues wasting money and growing government. During the 2023 legislative session, the Democrat majority raised taxes and passed crushing new mandates using the false narrative “Minnesotans are asking for bigger, more expensive government.” Most bills passed by the Democrat majority squander money focusing on symptoms of challenges in society rather than actually addressing the root causes of pain Minnesotans are experiencing. The high-cost of housing is a perfect example. During the 2023 session, Democrats passed multiple new regulations which have already directly resulted in increased housing costs. In contrast to the Democrat approach of being symptom focused, I’m among the Republicans focused on root causes of Minnesota’s high cost of housing. When examining the graphic below, lawmakers should not only be asking why housing is expensive in Minnesota, but also asking why is housing SO MUCH MORE expensive in Minnesota than neighboring states. Minnesota shares the same weather as well as building material costs as our neighbors. What separates Minnesota from our neighbors is the number of expensive government mandates driving up the cost of housing, including building code, labor regulations, and the Metropolitan Council's influence on land development in the 7-County metro area. New government programs and higher taxes are not a solution because government is the root cause of why housing is so much more expensive in Minnesota than neighboring states. More houses need to be built in Minnesota and government is making it more difficult for builders to do so in a cost-effective manner. | Home ownership remains a vision of the American dream for young people, yet many young people believe home ownership is unobtainable. Housing First MN, a home builder trade association, recently polled Minnesotans on the topic and found a majority were correctly pointing to regulations as the source of high prices and expressed support for a wider variety of housing options. | Housing is just one aspect of the cost of living that we see increasing in Minnesota. Energy is another expense skyrocketing in price under Democrat control. At the local, state, and national level, Democrats attack efficient, affordable forms of energy, such as nuclear and hydro, in pursuit of government control over energy production to advance extreme environmental ideology. In Minnesota, Democrats passed the disastrous carbon free by 2040 mandate. It was very clear during debate Democrats are focused on windmills and solar panels despite other technologies able to produce clean, reliable energy at more affordable prices. Republican, common sense amendments were defeated and higher energy prices in Minnesota are the direct result of Democrats and their climate fear extremism. | Not only is life becoming less affordable in Minnesota, but we are failing to prepare young people to financially succeed. With complete control over state government, Democrats have made social engineering, indoctrination, and divisive race and gender issues their education priorities in the K-12 classroom. Moreover, young people are being fed the line attending a four-year institution as their main option after high school with no consideration of the cost, or how their education will help them get a job to pay off their loans. In many cases, young people are wishing they knew they had more affordable options such as two-year college or trade school. Recently, a young person from our great community, Albertville, was among three people profiled on this topic. As can be seen, she expresses frustration at the lack of being fully informed before spending tens-of-thousands of dollars on an education that is not providing a return. | To help Minnesotans financially succeed, the tax and spend policies of the Democrat majority must come to an end. Minnesota absolutely needs to cut taxes and regulations to allow businesses to thrive and provide Minnesotans high paying jobs, and stop inflating the costs of housing and energy. Additionally, we need to ensure our education system, both K-12 and higher education, is equipping the next generation to be successful rather than using the classroom for partisan activism. While Minnesota has been stagnating for years due to failed Democrat policies, we still have time to get the once great state of Minnesota back on track. | Senator Lucero with Chamber President Mindy Smith this week at the I-94W Chamber of Commerce annual social. | Senator Lucero along with Representative Novotny and Elk River school board members John Anderson and Mindy Freiberg this week at a social event in Otsego. | Senator Lucero meeting with Reverend Sam Dewald this week to discuss pro-Israel legislation. | Senator Lucero and Representative Novotny meeting with students from Elk River Classical Conversations this week during their tour of the MN Capitol. | Staying In Touch Each and every day I’m continuously humbled at the opportunity to represent and fight for the values and priorities of our great community! Please contact me to share any issues, concerns, or feedback you have to assist me best represent you. The best way to reach me is by email at [email protected] or by phone at 651-296-5655. Sincerely, Eric Lucero State Senator District 30 Rockford Township, Hanover, Saint Michael, Albertville, Otsego, Elk River, Nowthen, Western Oak Grove | Capitol Address 95 University Avenue W.
Minnesota Senate Bldg. 2413
St. Paul, MN 55155 651-296-5655 | |
