Let's bring common sense back to our state legislature. My pledge to you is to ensure that we spend the taxpayer's money wisely and efficiently.
One example is education spending. Despite funding level increases touted as historic last session, school districts have to deal with over 60 unfunded or underfunded mandates while about three quarters of their budget has been restricted by state and federal government to be used for the stated purpose. This has made education funding extremely unadaptable to the changing needs of each local district.
The state legislature should provide more flexibility to local school districts while actually fully funding the areas that are mandated.
Above, from left: Warren Linner, GOP Senator from Senate District 37; KT Jacobs, GOP Endorsed Candidate for House District 39B; Dalia al-Aqidi, GOP Endorsed Candidate for Congressional District 5, Alec Beck, MNGOP CD 5 Chair; Kim Rich, GOP Endorsed Candidate for HD 46B; John Nagel, GOP Endorsed Candidate for HD 46A
At the Minnesota State Capitol, for the Senate Committee meeting to discuss pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Minnesota.
Education- Under Democrat control the state has taken away decision-making power from local educators and school boards and removed parents from the process. There are currently 65 new mandates on schools – many without any funding. Local schools no longer have the flexibility to use the funding they do receive in ways that work best for them. We need to set goals, then get out of the way for them to do their job!
School districts need to return to academics and prepare students for the transition to adulthood and the job market, or to higher education, whether trade schools or college.
Many of the academic shortcomings - but not all - are exacerbated by the high number of immigrant students entering our school districts, further taxing the system with the need for ESL teachers and programs paid for one year in arrears. And remember, schools are not allowed to operate in the red!
Rather than needs-based funding, we now provide free breakfast and lunch to ALL Minnesota students, regardless of a family's income, many of whom could well afford to bear the cost. The money saved by returning to needs-based funding could be targeted to ensuring the food we are providing is the freshest and healthiest available, not overly processed 'filler'.
Taxes and Government Spending- Democrats have a spending problem; in the past few years, our legislature managed to spend the bulk of a $17 BILLION surplus, but that wasn't enough. They went on to add another $10 billion to our already top-heavy tax burden. Minnesota households cannot thrive, let alone stay above water, when their tax burden increases with each swipe of the legislative pen. The $2000 refund promised by Governor Walz ended up with an average of $260 - decidedly less than promised, as the Democrats found 'better' ways to spend your money.
Businesses and Employment- Minnesota is losing when it comes to big business. Why? We have the highest corporate tax rate in the country at 9.8% and legislation that makes it difficult to sustain doing business in our state! We also have one of the highest income tax rates and we are reliant on that money as the mainstay of our budget revenue. The Democrats continue to focus on the middle class - and not in a positive way - which has left us with higher prices, lower paychecks and a daily struggle to make ends meet! When the Democrats are faced with cutting spending or raising taxes, they inevitably raise taxes.
Health Care- Democrats have added insurance mandates that increase the cost of health insurance premiums, placed more burdens on hospitals increasing their operating costs and ultimately costing us more to maintain our health. We need price transparency and expanding health plans. Proactive health care, finding the root causes of growing chronic diseases rather than treating the symptoms alone, should be prioritized. Annual coverage rates for those with complex needs are 4 times higher compared with all U.S adults; the proportion of U.S. adults with 3 or more chronic conditions is 28%.
Crime and Public Safety- Democrats continue to choose criminals over law enforcement, moving to allow shorter/lighter sentencing in the courts, early release, probation vs. incarceration, allowing sentence reduction post-conviction, cutting funding for police and incarceration facilities, expunging criminal records, eliminating funding for police departments and police training. Democrats want Citizen Oversight Councils with broad disciplinary and subpoena powers over officers, often resulting in less policing and more crime.
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Legal Immigration- Those among us in the United States illegally should not have access to drivers licenses, free healthcare, free college and free housing. Minnesota was built upon the hard work of legal immigrants from around the world, and only once a person has followed the proper steps to citizenship should they be able to enjoy those benefits. This includes the privilege of voting in local and federal elections.
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Energy- In 2022 Democrats passed the 'Blackout Bill' making energy less affordable, less reliable, and less safe. This legislation would require the state's electric utilities to have carbon-free electricity sources by 2040. These unreliable sources include wind, solar, hydropower and biomass, entirely eliminating the use of coal and natural gas. Without necessary subsidies for homeowners, the conversions remain expensive and unachievable for most. Unfortunately, the Biden administration has banned local mining for the very materials needed to provide this energy, leading utilities to source these products from overseas countries with few environmental and child labor regulations. We need to become energy independent.
Abortion-Recent legislation legalizes abortion with no restrictions. Restricting access to all procedures under extreme circumstances is not feasible. We must protect our daughters, sisters, and all women whenever possible. Safeguards should be implemented such as parental notifications for minors, personal protection from additional abuse by providing confidential access to mentors, licensed clinics, and consistent rules for all states.
Democrats want to expand availability to all at a most extreme level, with little if any oversight for compliance. This is dangerous and jeopardizes the women’s health. Creating a pathway to a future through common sense should be a priority.
What does all this mean for you looking forward?
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$730 MILLION for the Palace for Politicians amid multi-million dollar fraud scandals, billions in tax increases, and record Inflation we haven’t seen in 50 years! All this amid tax surpluses and budget increases of 40%; Increased taxes to the amount of $20 Billion in the next 2 years!
Our current representative has done much for many, but what has she done to improve the fiscal stability and quality of life for this District? Do her personal agendas reflect yours?
The incumbent Sandra Feist openly and on the record admitted to being excited about writing more bills – she “loves to write bills”, it's her thing! With her history in just the past 2-year term, she authored 81 of 312 authored bills. 50% of what she wrote created or increased government spending! Feist has neglected her district while focusing attention on immigration and authoring expensive bills that increase our tax burden. Much of what the DFL Trifecta has passed is not long-term sustainable and they don’t care. “Free” is their operative word without regard to any individual affordability. We have been left with higher taxes, smaller paychecks, and struggling to make ends meet!
It is time for a balanced government. We need to return our focus to the community members electing their representatives and stop selfish behavior and political sabotage!
Kt