Dear Neighbor,
The House Democrat legislative shutdown ended Thursday after 23 days when, on Wednesday, they agreed to House Republican terms for conducting business this biennium.
The big takeaways are:
- There will be a Republican Speaker of the House for the first time in six years. As Speaker, Rep. Lisa Demuth will be the second-most powerful elected official in Minnesota.
- Republicans will chair the new House committee we established to investigate fraud in state government programs for two years and have a 5-3 voting margin over Democrats.
- Republicans have committee chairmanships and majorities on all committees for the entire five-week period leading up to the March 11 special election in District 40B (Roseville).
- We will return to a split committee roster and co-chairs IF the Roseville seat returns to Democrats.
- Even if the House returns to an even 67-67 split, Rep. Demuth remains the sole Speaker of the House.
It’s unfortunate it took so long for Democrats to finally show up for work. The agreement we arranged with them allowing the House to officially come to order is not perfect in my mind, but it’s the best result for Minnesotans going forward. It also ensures Republicans have a true seat at the table to protect against Democrat excesses such as what we suffered the last two years under one-party control.
I do have concerns about the precedent that was set, where a 67-66 minority can bring the legislature to a screeching halt by simply not showing up for work.
On the other hand, I am pleased with the precedent we set by upholding Rep. Demuth as Speaker because it reflects the will of the body; it’s how the vote would have turned out had House Democrats shown up for work when the session started Jan. 14.
It is good the House is in order, and we finally can make official progress on priority issues House Republicans share with Minnesotans. Here’s more:
Minnesota Tax Dollars for Minnesotans
 The House Republicans’ Minnesota Tax Dollars for Minnesotans package is designed to prioritize Minnesota citizens in state-aid programs, while also end current policies which allow immigrants who are violent offenders to remain in Minnesota. House Republicans conducted a press conference to share more about this proposal, including the two main features: - Ensuring state-funded benefits go to legal residents: This measure prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving state-funded financial aid, grants, subsidies, or other taxpayer-funded assistance, including programs such as the North Star Promise college tuition program and MinnesotaCare.
- Banning sanctuary cities and strengthening immigration enforcement: This legislation prevents local and state government entities from enacting policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. It also mandates reporting illegal immigrants arrested for violent crimes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ensuring that criminals who are here unlawfully are held accountable.
Look for more from the House soon, especially as we work hard to make up for time lost this session during the House Democrat shutdown. Setting a new state budget for the next two-year cycle starting in July is our top responsibility for this session. It’s time to get our state finances back in line after Democrats in full control of the Capitol recklessly raised Minnesota’s spending by 40 percent two years ago, spending the $18 billion surplus and unnecessarily raising taxes by $10 billion. Sincerely, Harry |