The 2023 Minnesota Senate convened this week for the 93rd Legislative Session. With the start of Session came the traditional swearing in of Senators, new and returning, a discussion about priorities for the state, and a lively debate regarding the merits and traditions of the Senate Rules.
The Senate swore in all members on Tuesday, January 3, and I am honored to once again be serving the good people of District 11. It is a privilege to be back at the Capitol for my third term, representing the interests of the neighbors in my district, and I’m eager to get back to work on behalf of Minnesota. This year, I will be serving as the Republican lead on the Education Finance Committee and as a member of the Energy and Higher Education committees.
As it stands, this Legislature has a lot of work on the horizon: we have an unprecedented surplus of $17.6 billion, the potential for a looming recession, crime that must be addressed, and more. I’m hopeful we will be able to come together to solve the issues facing Minnesotans across the state.
The first day of debate on the Floor involved a discussion about the traditions of the Senate Chamber, and the rules we’ve set in place. Democrats made the decision to allow remote voting in perpetuity, which means Senators no longer have to be present to cast votes on legislation. I was extremely disappointed that they chose to move in this direction. Change can happen when done through the proper channels—we have a Rules Committee that reviews and vets these potential changes, yet this discussion bypassed that process. As a result, Senators are now permitted to vote remotely on all legislation going forward. This is a disservice to the people they were elected to represent. We have a duty to voters—they trust us to be here working on their behalf, and this short-sighted rule change undermines that process.
Another standard start of session procedure involves assigning each senator to committees. Leading up to Session, I spent several weeks chairing our caucus committee as we assigned members of our caucus to those committees. Working with my colleagues and reviewing the recent balance, I felt strongly that the initial ratios given by the Majority were out of line. Democrats have a one-seat majority, yet for certain committees, Republicans were out-numbered sometimes 2-1. On our second day of session, I stood strong the Senate Floor and made the case that the Majority was out of line for such uneven assignments. Luckily, the result is that the Majority has decided to work with me to ensure more spots for Republicans on committees. It’s important that each committee is fairly balanced.
As we move forward into future weeks, the top priority will be addressing the surplus. Such a shockingly high number is evidence of the constant over-taxation of people across the State. If left on the table, I’m concerned this surplus will be used to expand the size and scope of government in a way that does little to serve people across the state. Families are already struggling to balance their budgets, and they’re concerned about inflation and a potential recession. There’s no question—the surplus should go back into the wallets of taxpayers. This tax relief would be meaningful to families as they sit down to budget for the year ahead. I trust that Minnesotans are able to manage their own money better than the government could.
Ultimately, we have a large agenda ahead of us—portions of which are unfortunately left over from last year. I am committed to getting this work done for the people, and I encourage anyone in District 11 to reach out to my office if you have any thoughts, concerns, or opinions on the issues facing our district. Though my role has changed a bit from Majority to Minority member, I am confident that we will be able to come together and do great things for Minnesota.