The Minnesota legislature is, in theory, a part-time one. But thanks to Gov. Walz’s ironclad grip on emergency powers, we have effectively been in a perma-session since the beginning of 2020. Thankfully, that is finally over. We adjourned the 2021 special session on June 30, with a comprehensive state budget and the end of emergency powers.
End of Gov. Walz’s emergency powers: The biggest news coming out of this session is that we successfully ended Gov. Walz’s emergency powers. Republicans have worked on this for a year, but in the closing days of session we finally convinced House Democrats to agree with us. Never again should one person have so much power for so long.
Update on California car rules: Commissioner Laura Bishop of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (PCA) resigned suddenly on July 6. It was the right decision. She was was responsible for the governor’s attempt to unilaterally adopt expensive California vehicle rules here in Minnesota. Many of my colleagues and I were ready to remove her from her position because she consistently put her own personal political views ahead of the wellbeing of Minnesotans, and advanced her own agenda instead of interpreting existing rules. Minnesotans deserve a commissioner who will fight to protect them and work on their behalf, not someone who prioritizes his or her own agenda.
Tax relief: The marquee bill in our 2021 budget is the $944 million tax bill aimed at jumpstarting the economy and helping workers and small business owners recover from COVID-19. The bill does not include any of the significant tax hikes proposed by Gov. Walz or Democrats in the House of Representatives, both of whom proposed raising taxes by over $1 billion, including the creation of a fifth-tier income tax.
The bill empowers Minnesotans and encourages economic growth with two top priorities for workers championed by Senate Republicans all year: full conformity to federal tax rules for the forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans many businesses used to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, including deductions for expenses, and full conformity for federal pandemic unemployment benefits up to $10,200.
Public safety and support for law enforcement: Republicans have long prioritized public safety and law enforcement. Look at what is happening around our state since talk of defunding the police has escalated. One suburban police chief said he’s never seen things this bad. Our Public Safety budget provides significant support for first responders through pay raises for law enforcement officers and investments in training programs to help Minnesotans in the field. To keep Minnesotans safe, there are expansions included for the Violent Crime Enforcement Teams, which investigate serious crimes such as gangs and drug trafficking.
The bill also includes a provision I co-authored called ‘Matson Strong’, named in honor of Officer Arik Matson, the Waseca police officer who was nearly killed in the line of duty last January. It strengthens state criminal penalties for individuals who are convicted of assault that causes great bodily harm to a police officer, judge, prosecutor, or correctional officer.
Contact me
If you have any questions about any of these issues, please feel free to contact me any time at sen.julie.rosen@senate.mn or 651-296-6996. It is a privilege to serve as your Senator!