Committee Hearings

This week has been full of committee hearings. Each of my committee hearings has included three to four bills to discuss, amend, and vote on. These bills are swiftly moving through the process, often moving too fast.

It is important that we give these bills the discussion and scrutiny they are due, so that we don't have any unintended consequences due to ill-thought out policies being passed.

One of the bills I am keeping tabs on this session is the expansive new Paid Family Leave bill. This bill has been through five finance committees now, and still has no fiscal note to tell us how much the program would cost. This bill is a massive new mandate for employers, a huge new tax for employees, and a staffing disaster for many businesses. As a small business owner myself, I am seeing firsthand how these changes will impact businesses, and I?ve heard from many others in our district that his could have disastrous consequences.

Other notable bills that are moving through the process now are numerous unreasonable gun control bills, including?universal background checks with egregious requirements, like limiting private transfers and requiring records to be kept for 20 years even by private parties, with penalties if those records are accidentally lost or destroyed.

Constituent Visits

Numerous groups and constituents have been coming through my office to talk about their issues and respective bills. Thank you all for your time and willingness to fight for your values and issues that are important to you.

This week I attended the St. Cloud Chamber Evening at the Capitol, welcoming 85 people from the St. Cloud area. I also met with people from St. Cloud Interact and Rotary, attended a Parents Rights rally in the Capitol Rotunda, and met with constituents here for Cancer Week with the American Cancer Society.

Stop By and Visit!

If you find yourself near the Capitol this session, please reach out and visit my office! I love hearing from the people of our districts about their concerns and thoughts about what is happening at the Capitol.