News – Page 23 – Minnesota Senate Republicans

March 22, 2024

Gruenhagen: Teachers should be able to intervene to prevent destruction of school property

Friends and neighbors – For months now I have been highlighting the Democrats’ misguided 2023 school resource officer (SRO) law that has jeopardized teacher and student safety. To recap: Last session, Democrats and Gov. Walz…

March 22, 2024

Senator Bruce Anderson’s legislation to address business fraud receives committee hearing

Friends and neighbors, This week marked the Minnesota Legislature’s first and second committee deadlines. Each year, lawmakers introduce thousands of bills, but far fewer receive enough support to become law. Deadlines are in place to ensure bills…

March 22, 2024

Senator Westrom: Senate GOP propose bill to put local schools back in charge of funding and waive new mandates for three years

On Tuesday, March 19, Senate Republicans presented a bill to give local school districts more options with state funding. “Our schools are being crushed by the costly and unfunded mandates that were passed by Democrats…

March 22, 2024

Senator Dornink: Getting back to bipartisanship

Friends and neighbors, I am writing to you as I prepare for Thursday’s committee hearing. At this point in the session, we are hearing omnibus bills, which are large bill packages made up of numerous…

March 21, 2024

Senate Democrats overwhelmingly vote to block bill increasing penalties for illegal gun purchases by straw buyers

ST. PAUL – Today, Senator Julia Coleman (R-Waconia) made a motion on the Senate floor to move SF 733 from committee, where it has sat for nearly a year, to the Senate’s General Orders, making it eligible…

March 21, 2024

Housley bill enhances healthcare infrastructure – addresses critical needs in local hospitals

This week the Senate Health and Human Services committee heard legislation authored by Senator Karin Housley (R-Stillwater) that seeks to address infrastructure needs of smaller hospitals. The bill’s language would allow hospitals with a licensed…

March 21, 2024

Howe bill looks forward to America’s 250th Anniversary

This week Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) brought forward a bill that looks ahead to the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution. This legislation creates a commission that will focus on outreach throughout the state that…

March 20, 2024

Senate GOP proposes bill to put local schools back in charge of funding and waive new mandates for three years

Watch the press conference On Tuesday, March 19, Senate Republicans presented a bill to give local school districts more options with state funding. Many schools across the state are facing budget shortfalls since the funding…

March 20, 2024

Jasinski bill to help more Minnesotans obtain their CDL receives first hearing

Legislation aimed at helping more Minnesotans obtain commercial driver’s licenses to fill critical workforce shortages got its first hearing Wednesday in the state Senate’s transportation committee. The bill co-authored by Sen. John Jasinski (R-Faribault) would…

March 19, 2024

Senator Rasmusson’s legislation to help more Minnesotans obtain their CDL successfully receives a hearing

On Wednesday, March 13, the Senate Transportation Committee heard legislation, authored by Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls), to help more Minnesotans obtain their commercial driver’s license (CDL) and enter high-demand and high-paying careers. SF 4169 would remove a…

March 19, 2024

Pratt responds to Governor’s supplemental budget

Yesterday Governor Walz announced his supplemental budget, which spends over $225 million in fiscal years 24-27. Included in this number is an increase in spending of $26.6 million in FY 25-27. This will increase the structural…

March 19, 2024

Kreun responds to Governor’s supplemental budget

March 18, 2024

Koran: SRO Fix and Local Update

Friends and Neighbors, I had the opportunity to meet with many local organizations this week at the capitol complex! From social services and educators to medical groups and trade unions, I met with as many…

March 18, 2024

Sen. Lang responds to Walz proposal for $16 million in EMS funding

Senator Andrew Lang (R-Olivia) released the following statement responding to Gov. Walz only including $16 million for Emergency Medical Services in his supplemental budget: “This summer we heard how rural communities are struggling to find…

March 18, 2024

Senator Dornink presented legislation to empower more educators to become Special Education licensed teachers

On Wednesday, March 13, the Senate Education Policy Committee heard legislation authored by Senator Gene Dornink (R-Brownsdale) to make it easier for teachers to transition to a Special Education specialty. This legislation, SF 4219, modifies the Special Education (SPED)…

March 18, 2024

A Solution to the SRO Issue

Last year, the Education Omnibus bill contained controversial language that fundamentally changed the way School Resource Officers (SROs) were able to operate on school grounds. It caused a lot of concern for schools and law…

March 18, 2024

Creating a Zero Tax Bracket

I’ve authored an important bill that I want people to be aware of. As we know, families are struggling with inflation – costs everywhere keep rising, and instead of addressing those concerns, policies keep getting…

March 16, 2024

Jasinski: A back-door gas tax increase on Minnesotans?

Friends and neighbors, The Senate Transportation Committee recently held a hearing on a controversial new bill that would adopt so-called “Clean Transportation Fuel Standards” in Minnesota. In layman’s terms, this legislation would grant the Minnesota…

March 15, 2024

Senator Westrom: Democrat proposal to ban egg hatching in Minnesota schools is a bad-hatched idea

What came first, the chicken or the egg? If certain Democrats have their way, our students will never know. A bill introduced this session, SF 4702, seeks to ban the hatching of all birds in Minnesota…

March 15, 2024

Senator Coleman: Senate passes bipartisan fix to last year’s school resource officer law

On Thursday, March 14, Senator Julia Coleman (R-Waconia) voted in favor of a bipartisan fix to last session’s school resource officer (SRO) law. This legislation has the support of Minnesota law enforcement and eliminates the overly restrictive…