Dear Neighbor,
Greetings from the House, where it’s been a week chock-full of House Republican action on top priorities we share with Minnesotans. The top bills we have authored are now moving through the initial steps of the process and we hope to get them to the floor soon for votes of the full body.
Here’s more from the House this week:
Return surplus dollars to taxpayers
Affordability is a major issue for taxpaying Minnesotans and I have co-authored legislation for a constitutional amendment that would guarantee future state budget surpluses are returned directly to citizens.
The bill (H.F. 4) would help us correct what went wrong with one-party in control spending the $18 billion surplus to increase state spending by 40 percent and raising taxes by $10 billion as the clincher.
People want to know where the surplus went. They know they didn’t get a check in the mail and their taxes sure didn’t go down, so where did it go? The sad fact is one-party control used it to fuel a spending spree, and we need to make sure that never happens again.
That’s why we put this bill forward. It establishes the Minnesota tax relief account, with the legislature appropriating funds each biennium into this fund to return excess tax collections back to taxpayers via refunds. Any projected revenues that go over 5 percent of projected expenditures according to the last biennial budget forecast will be used to fund the account.
We owe it to the citizens of Minnesota to be careful stewards of their hard-earned money. Unfortunately, our state has a history of straying from that mission with reckless spending and needless tax increases. This bill will help keep the state in check and protect taxpayers.
Bill to address sex trafficking
Click on the above image for video of me presenting my bill on sex trafficking.
Legislation I authored to expand criminal background checks on license applications for massage services received a House hearing this week and remains in the mix for passage.
Sex trafficking has been a major issue in our area, including at a Waite Park massage parlor. Current Minnesota law allows law enforcement agencies to conduct only a state criminal background check. My bill expands the scope, allowing national searches to take place so local units could learn if a person had a previous arrest in another state that would have disqualified the applicant from receiving a massage license in Minnesota.
Bipartisan support has been expressed for my bill (H.F. 286), which is good to see after a Senate conference committee stripped similar legislation of mine from an omnibus bill last biennium. I will keep working to get this across the finish line this year as part of a broader push from House Republicans to protect those who are victims of sex crimes.
Keeping men out of women’s sports
Polls show 80 percent agree that biological sex should determine participation in sports, and that those born male at birth should be excluded from women’s sports.
I am among House Republicans authoring H.F. 12, which says: “Only students of the female sex may participate in an elementary or secondary school athletic team or sport that an educational institution has restricted on the basis of sex to women or girls.”
And President Trump recently issued an executive order entitled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” to uphold fairness and safety for female competitors.
We’ll see where House Democrats stand on this issue when it comes up for a vote. Will they vote to support the vast majority of people, or will they side with the other 20 percent? The Minnesota State High School League already is siding with the 20 percent, stating it intends to not to comply with President Trump’s executive order. I joined House Republicans by signing a letter sent to the MSHSL Director expressing concern over that organization’s position. You can read the letter here.
Office visitors
Thanks to the St. Cloud prison staff who came to St. Paul to discuss with me issues they face. We need to make sure they have the resources they need to do their important public safety jobs.
 New fraud committee gets going The new committee House Republicans set up to crack down on fraud, waste and abuse in our state had its first official hearing this week. The meeting focused on the state’s lack of oversight of state-funded grants to nonprofit organizations. State officials outlined systemic issues in grant management and oversight by state agencies. This committee certainly has a lot of work to do with so many reports of fraud, waste and abuse continuing to surface in our state. The good news is, after this issue was ignored for far too long, House Republicans are giving it the serious attention taxpayers deserve. On a related topic, House Republicans have sent a formal request to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging the Department of Justice to launch a comprehensive investigation into fraud and mismanagement that has cost taxpayers over $610 million. The request follows years of documented mismanagement and significant losses to fraudsters in human services programs and other state-run programs. Despite numerous reports from the Office of the Legislative Auditor detailing oversight failures, legislative Democrats have refused to hold a single hearing on the issue in six years. |
Helpful House links
Here are some links you may find helpful in following the latest goings on at the Capitol:
Please Contact Me
It’s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. You can call me at 651-296-6316, or email me at rep.bernie.perryman@house.mn.gov. I am here to serve you!
Bernie
