Friends and neighbors,
We are all aware of the rising inflation rates, spike in crime in our communities, and effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our students. To address these central issues, my Senate Republican colleagues and I have focused on working to help Minnesota be on the right track.
Helping Minnesotans afford everyday life:
After years of economic strife and COVID shutdowns, Minnesotans are struggling to afford everyday life in light of growing inflation.
To ensure Minnesotans keep more hard-earned money in their pockets to spend on their needs, Senate Republicans passed the largest permanent tax cut in our state’s history — $8.43 billion in relief over the next three years and into the future. Not just a one-time Walz check. The landmark tax cut bill includes an income tax rate cut along with elimination of all taxes on Social Security income.
Senate Republicans also led the way in passing a three-year extension of the successful Minnesota Premium Security Plan, known as ‘reinsurance.’ This program helps keep health care costs low, improves access, and stabilizes the insurance market, especially for those with pre-existing conditions. With families already facing historic inflation rates, it’s critical they are not also hit with high health care premiums.
Senate Republicans have also been pushing this session to immediately pay off the state’s $1.2 billion in Unemployment Insurance debt and have passed the bill to do so over a month ago. This would pay the accruing interest, replenish the trust fund, protect employees’ benefits and help businesses survive.
Paying off Minnesota’s UI debt is just good government, and Senate Republicans continue to urge the governor and the House to work with us to solve this problem.
Ensuring safer communities and justice for crime victims:
This legislative session, Senate Republicans are also prioritizing investments in public safety to keep our communities safe. And recently, the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee passed the comprehensive public safety bill.
This bill provides support for law enforcement recruitment and retention; toughens penalties for criminal activity; and increases transparency and accountability in judicial and prosecutorial actions.
Law enforcement agencies across Minnesota are struggling with staffing. To address this, the comprehensive public safety bill includes retention, hiring, and recruitment bonuses for law enforcement to ensure we have enough officers to keep communities safe.
This bill also responds to growing instances of violent criminals becoming repeat offenders and frequent decisions by prosecutors and judges to go easy on criminals. Key provisions are included to improve transparency for the decisions that lead to early releases and failures to charge to the fullest extent possible.
Finally, the public safety bill will toughen penalties for criminal activity in response to our state’s dangerous upsurge in violent crimes. Several‘tough on crime’ provisions are included to increase penalties for repeat offenders, carjackers, organized retail theft, and violent crimes involving firearms.
Empowering parents to put kids on the right track in schools:
The closure of schools due to COVID has been an eye-opening experience for parents across the state, and many parents have a new perspective on school curriculum due to distance learning.
To encourage schools to view parents as partners in education, we passed language to support parents’ right to see curriculum. Parents have ultimate responsibility and play a central role in their child’s education, and we must strengthen this.
Last year’s record education budget provided significant support to our students by putting more than $1.1 billion additional funding into local schools. With kids now back in school, it is critical to get back to basics and address the learning loss that occurred during the pandemic.
For this reason, Senate Republicans have prioritized the most basic part of learning: literacy/reading. With 40% of students unable to read at grade level, it’s imperative we invest in programs to raise reading scores. And as the legislative session further progresses, I will continue to push for these kinds of investments in education that put our students back on the right track.
Contact me
As always, if have questions or concerns on any legislative topic, feel free to contact me any time. You can call me at 651-296-5655 or send me an email at sen.mary.kiffmeyer@senate.mn. It is a privilege to serve as your state senator.
Sincerely,
Mary