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Dear Friends,
Budget targets were released this week by the Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate Majority Leader. Leadership makes this agreement so that committees can set the new two-year state budget for their respective jurisdictions.?
Some of the key spending targets include $2.2 billion for Education, $1 billion for Housing, and $3 billion for Taxes, Aids and Credits. This does not mean $3 billion in tax cuts. The Taxes Committee could use these funds as ?spending? on refundable tax credits. Fully exempting the social security tax or providing permanent tax relief for all Minnesotans is not guaranteed.?
Minnesota has a $17.5 billion surplus. This budget would spend all the surplus and set our state on an unsustainable path. If we grow our state budget by 30% to $71.9 billion, we will face a budget deficit in the future. I will keep fighting against this irresponsible spending and ensure the surplus is returned to you in the form of permanent, meaningful tax cuts.
Finally, around 5am this morning, the House passed a bill to make Minnesota a sanctuary state for gender-affirming care. My number one priority is protecting kids. Because this bill had zero guardrail to protect kids, I voted no. Aspects of this bill include:
- It?fails to protect kids, who can be brought to Minnesota ?by one parent or a person acting as parent? and be given transgender health care. There are no age limits on how old children must be before getting these irreversible treatments.
- It creates a new definition of ?gender-affirming healthcare.?
- It undermines parents? long-standing Constitutional rights to direct the upbringing of their children.
- It puts Minnesota above the law by prohibiting our state from recognizing out-of-state subpoenas and our extradition statutes are amended to exclude acts involving gender-affirming health care.
Click my photo below to learn more about why I couldn?t support this legislation.
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