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Dear Friends,
I hope everyone?s 2024 is off to a great start! We are now officially in an election year, and I would encourage everyone to get involved. Some key upcoming dates include:
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February 27: Precinct Caucuses. You can find the location of your precinct caucus using the Secretary of State?s Caucus Finder starting February 7. Learn more here.
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March 5: Presidential Primary. You can learn more about voting in the primary here.
Local parties will also be holding conventions later in the spring, so now is the time to get engaged with your BPOU so you don?t miss your opportunity to get involved.
During the interim, I have really enjoyed being back at my day job as a middle school principal. Working with students, teachers, staff, and parents gives me so much inspiration and energy as I prepare to head back to St. Paul when the new legislative session begins on February 12.
There are many important issues that we must address next session. From ensuring all SROs are back in schools to curbing government spending so we don?t have a budget deficit next biennium, I?m ready to get back to work at the Capitol. Some of my top priorities next session will be addressing the burdensome mandates on local school districts and supporting your family budget.
Last session, Democrats approved over 65 mandates for school districts across Minnesota. These mandates cut into district budgets and make it more difficult for teachers and staff to meet the needs of the students in their community. We need to roll back these mandates so that schools have the funding and flexibility they need to ensure every student can thrive.
I am also very disappointed that despite a $17.5 billion surplus, Democrats raised your taxes by $10 billion last year to pay for their 40% state budget increase. Prices for every day essentials continues to climb, but Democrats failed to pass any permanent, meaningful tax relief. Instead, they focused on their out-of-control spending priorities, like the $730 million renovation to the State Office Building to build their own palace for politicians. We need to restore balance in our state government so we can put families first and rein in spending.
In the weeks ahead, please reach out to me with your questions, concerns, and ideas related to state government at [email protected]. Your voice is so important to me as I represent our community.
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