It’s a new year, we’re back in session, and things are off to a strange start. For starters, the Minnesota House has been in total chaos. Republicans hold a majority of seats because of a vacated seat, so Democrats were refusing to show up to work. They started session by abandoning their constituents and were not interested in showing up to work for the first few weeks. Though a deal was reached that will get Democrats back in the Capitol, the way they acted was a disgrace and does a disservice to the people they were elected to represent.

So far in the first three weeks of session, Senate Democrats claim they wanted to extend an olive branch and work with Republicans. While there has been some working together, they ended the power sharing literally minutes after seating the new Democrat Senator for SD60. In the House, up until this week, Democrats continued to boycott and refused to work for hard working Minnesotans. Again, a strange start. Despite our issues in the Senate, at least everyone has been showing up to work.

Another bit of news that people should note: the Governor released his budget proposal, and it’s terrible. For those who have been paying attention, many know that the Democrats’ priorities have been questionable. Over the last two years, they’ve prioritized things like growing government, throwing money at agencies, and ignoring fraud. It’s frankly insulting to Minnesota families that feel left behind and forgotten. It’s a recurring theme of “more, more, more.” It has to stop, but the Governor clearly wants to keep going, if his budget proposal is any indicator.

In 2011, Minnesota’s State budget was $35.7 Billion. In the 2023-24 biennium, it had bloated to $71 Billion. Also, don’t forget, we had almost a $20 Billion dollar surplus in 2023. That’s YOUR money. Walz promised to give it back if elected. He lied. In Walz’s current budget, he proposes a .075% cut to sales tax. That’s $7.50 per $10,000 spent. He had the audacity to claim it was a “tax cut” because he’s cutting the sales tax. That’s nothing. But it’s also irrelevant, because he also wants to increase taxes and fees on multiple services. It’s all just a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Minnesotans will save pennies on sales tax, but your taxes will be going up in other areas.

Again, as a reminder, we just had an $18 billion record surplus a few short years ago. The Governor is proposing increased taxes and fees because our state is now looking at an over-$5 billion deficit in the near future. Governor Walz doesn’t want to cut anything, he just wants people to pay more. That’s wrong. He is putting the burden back on taxpayers and failing to take accountability for what damage the Democrat trifecta has done.

So what is Walz cutting in his budget? He is cutting spending for the elderly and people with disabilities. We had to FIGHT to get just a little relief in the last budget, and it was a bipartisan effort. I have received numerous emails and phone calls from individuals that have parents in nursing homes and assisted living. I have been hearing from those with children with disabilities who are living in assisted living. I have heard from workers in these facilities. Everyone is very frustrated that Walz does not care about them. These Minnesotans that have paid taxes their entire lives and now need help from the state, yet Walz wants to leave them in the dark.

When he was unveiling his budget, he even had the audacity to claim things like long-term care and special education services were the reason for the deficit. He claimed the Democrat Trifecta’s spending of the entire surplus is not what’s leading to the deficit. I beg to differ. $18 billion was spent through in two years. A lot of that went to one-time spending, unvetted nonprofits, and extreme initiatives. Yet there’s no accountability. They got us into this mess, and now they’re blaming our state’s most vulnerable for their own missteps. It’s disgusting behavior.

We need to help people, and that means cutting taxes, and getting things back on track. We want families to be able to afford to live here, because right now they can’t. People are hurting – they are struggling to pay their bills and get food on their tables. Democrat priorities are driving them out of the state. We need to fix this before it’s too late.

Also see here and here

We are back at the Capitol and Session has begun. The House has sworn in its members, the Senate has adjusted committees to have more parity reflecting our numbers, and yet one thing was obviously absent during the first days: the entire House Democrat caucus.

Members of the Senate showed up to do the work we’re elected to do. It is our duty to our constituents to be at the Capitol working on their behalf. Senators from all corners of the state showed up on Tuesday to get things started. Yet somehow the Democrats in the House could not be bothered. Instead, they engaged in what can only be called a “temper tantrum,” and they decided they didn’t want to work. They are literally getting paid to not show up, and they are the only ones who chose not to show up on day one. What a start.

I find this whole situation disgusting. It sets a bad precedent, and it makes a mockery of the institution built to serve the people of our state. These people were elected to come to the Capitol and work on behalf of their constituents, yet somehow they can’t be bothered. This is nothing but a political stunt.

It’s also incredibly clear through this whole situation that Democrats are uninterested in following election law or state statutes. This problem started because they chose to put up a candidate who was not eligible to serve the seat he was running for, and they had another candidate whose race was decided by 14 votes, though 20 ballots were destroyed. To make matters even worse, Democrats violated state law by swearing in all Democrat House members on January 12^th, instead of on the first day of Session. This is malfeasance and total corruption on full display.

At the end of the day, Republicans are the ones who showed up. Again, we were sent here to do a job. Our constituents trust us to work in their best interests and deliver results for Minnesotans. We are here and ready to work for Minnesota, regardless of petty delay tactics implemented by House Democrats. We have many issues to address, including correcting many of the bad laws Democrats passed during the last two sessions. As the weeks go on, it will be interesting to see when House Democrats deem it “necessary” to come back to work. Despite their stunts, Republicans will be working at the Capitol, working on behalf of Minnesotans and fighting for what is right.

See it here or here

On July 31^st, the Minnesota Supreme Court released a controversial decision that stated people do not have a right to “brandish a deadly weapon” as a form of self-defense when they feel threatened. It is absolutely wrong that a majority of the Court decided that a person’s primary duty and first response to a threat should be to “retreat.” This is a completely unprecedented legal decision that undermines an individual’s right to safety. 

This court ruling comes in response to an altercation that took place in 2021, during which one man threatened another using a knife, and the second man responded by pulling a machete out of his waistband. In the ruling, Justice Margaret Chutich noted that using a deadly weapon, even if in self-defense, has the ability to escalate the situation and is an “unsound” decision. 

The dissent in the case was written by Justice Paul Thissen, who stated, “Until now, the collective wisdom of judges nationwide over hundreds of years has never imposed a duty to retreat before making threats to deter an aggressor.” Shockingly I couldn’t agree with him more. We are putting people in a bad situation where lives may be in danger, and they are forced to decide and understand what is or is not “justifiable” self-defense. 

This is yet another example of those in power doing everything possible to protect criminals instead of upholding the rights of law-abiding citizens. This is totally backwards – we should be punishing the criminals that are threatening others, not criminalizing someone for exercising self-defense. It’s concerning that a ruling like this could just empower criminals to use deadly force as a threat to get what they want. This decision fails to consider exactly what people are capable of when they know someone else is unable to defend themselves. We need to stop empowering criminals, it’s just going to make Minnesota even more dangerous and undesirable.

I firmly believe that every Minnesotan should be able to defend themselves when necessary. No one should be forced to retreat as the only option. If someone feels like their life is being threatened, it is absolutely their right to defend themselves from harm. I can’t believe this is even up for debate.  

As the next legislative session approaches, I am committed to examining options that ensure people aren’t left defenseless when confronted by a dangerous criminal. We must put forward a strong bill that upholds “Stand Your Ground” law – every single American has a right to live, and if anyone threatens your life, you have every right to defend yourself from harm and death. This Court decision fails Minnesotans, and we need to make things right.

See it here or here

By now, I’m sure most saw the absolutely reprehensible actions taken on the Senate Floor in the final hours of the legislative session. With less than 2 hours to go before adjournment, it was announced that Democrats had done the unthinkable: they made a massive omnibus bill of 1400+ pages and brought it to a vote in the House and Senate without allowing any debate on the bill. In fact, the bill’s language was not even made available to Senators or Representatives until after the vote took place and after we adjourned. This is not leadership, and it’s certainly not democracy. This is inexcusable.

For the last 20 minutes of Session, every motion, request, and issue raised by Republicans was ignored. We did not have access to the bill, we didn’t know what was in it, but Democrats rammed it through anyways. They tried to blame Republicans for filibustering, stating that was the reason they rammed the bill through so quickly. Yet on Saturday, one day before adjournment, the Senate was in recess for twice as long as it was in Session. Democrats have full control of the recess schedule – Republicans do not get a say in that. In no world were Republicans the issue.

I’d also like to remind everyone that in the Senate, Democrats have a one-seat majority, which hinges on the deciding vote of an alleged felon who committed a heinous crime. They have abandoned all integrity this year and have corrupted the institutions meant to serve the people of Minnesota. The actions of Democrats show that they do not care about the voices of greater Minnesota.

The reality is that session began in February and Democrats have a trifecta. If they were actually serious about getting their work done, make no mistake – they could have gotten their “priority” bills through at any point in time. They are the ones who waited until the last minute because they were more interested in spending weeks in defense of Sen. Mitchell after she was arrested and charged with a felony. They delayed their own bills.

Democrats put their partisan special interests ahead of good governance. They were unwilling to negotiate on anything – completely unwilling to pass bills that serve all of Minnesota. It is well within the minority party’s right to raise issues with bills, especially when those issues directly affect our constituents. We’re elected to be the voice of our districts, and Democrats kept us from doing our jobs.

This is not democracy – this is a step closer to communism. The ruling party has silenced their opposition and ignored the voices of half of Minnesota. I’ve never seen anything so shameful. This is indefensible and I hope people never forget the utter disgrace that was made of our institution this year. It’s time for a change in Minnesota.

See here and here

Democrats recently brought forward an incredibly controversial piece of gun legislation that people should know about. It creates a new “binary trigger ban.” Despite the fact that Minnesota already prohibits machine guns, similar automatic weapons, and conversion kits, the bill they brought forward expands the definition of “trigger activator” to include binary triggers, and it now states Minnesotans can no longer own guns with that feature.

This bill goes into effect on January 1, 2025, and gives legal gun owners no time to get rid of their now “illegal” guns. The state isn’t implementing a buyback program or a compensation program, so gun owners are just expected to get rid of their guns, and swallow any financial loss that comes with it. Democrats are also banking on everyone getting rid of their guns. You know who will not? Criminals. Criminals do not obey the law, and it is ridiculous to assume that they would abide by new gun laws. We can assume this new law will only affect law-abiding gun-owners across the state.

We’ve seen how gun laws and restrictions pan out: they don’t work. Chicago has high crime rates, but also has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country. Further proof that criminals do not obey the law, and new laws won’t change that fact. According to Chicago’s Police Department, there were 46 homicides in March, which is a 28% increase compared to March 2023. On the weekend of May 12 alone, 21 people were shot. Even Everytown Research, which is an anti-gun research group, notes that Illinois is ranked #3 for strength of gun laws, behind only California and New York. How far have these laws gotten them in terms of safety? Seems like not far.

It’s also important to note that that binary triggers are currently legal at the federal level. So this bill is undermining both the Constitution and federal law, in its efforts to criminalize law-abiding Minnesotans. In fact, many guns are manufactured with binary triggers as a standard trigger.

Instead of passing an unconstitutional law, why don’t we enforce laws on the books, and hold accountable the judges and prosecutors that refuse to do so? The real problem is that prosecutors and judges are not putting felons in jail, and are allowing criminals back out on the street far sooner than they should be allowed. We should be holding those people accountable, instead of criminalizing those who already abide by the law.

I’m also alarmed by the precedent this bill sets. This bill is a clear violation of the Second Amendment, and anyone exercising their Second Amendment Rights will now be a criminal. This is an attack on Second Amendment Rights and it’s only the beginning. This one of multiple gun bills that Democrats are pushing. This issue will not go away. I encourage everyone to make your voices heard on these issues while you can. We cannot have our Constitutional Rights undermined in this way.

See here, here, and here

A few weeks ago, a sitting senator committed a heinous crime – a burglary into a family member’s home in the middle of the night that resulted in a felony. This was unprecedented news, and it has cast a shadow over the Senate and completely altered the course of our work.

After news came out about Sen. Mitchell’s felony, Senate Republicans took action. Many, like myself, called for her immediate resignation. We also filed a dissent letter, condemning the Democrats’ attempts to use Sen. Mitchell’s vote as the tie-breaking vote to get all their controversial bills across the finish line. This is an abuse of power, clear as day.

Not only was Sen. Mitchell allowed to take votes on controversial bills, she was also allowed to vote against motions that would hold her accountable for her actions. We tried to push for an expedited Ethics hearing regarding her actions – she voted against that. We tried to file a motion that would have directed the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a formal request for her resignation – she voted against that. This is wrong. Senators are held to a higher standard. She should not be voting when she is being charged with a felony. It’s an abuse of power, and Minnesotans should be disgusted by this.

We are sent here to work on behalf of the public, but Democrats paused that work until Sen. Mitchell got back because they knew they needed her vote to pass their partisan legislation. This is proof that they are clearly playing political games. They are banking on this issue going away, so that Sen. Mitchell can be their deciding vote on numerous controversial bills. This is incredibly wrong and does a disservice to the sanctity of the Senate, and it undermines the trust of those that elected us to serve here on their behalf.

Sen. Mitchell’s actions betray public trust. The natural course of action would be to either have her withhold from voting until a formal ethics hearing can be held, or to simply resign. She already admitted to wrongdoing in her police report, so she knows her actions should have consequence. It’s disgusting that Democrats are defending and protecting someone who admitted to breaking the law.

Sen. Mitchell’s preposterous statement that came days after her arrest cannot be reconciled with sworn information provided by local enforcement in the criminal complaint that charged her with a felony. Mitchell must explain to Minnesotans why her ludicrous public statement is at such odds with the criminal complaint, which was signed ‘under penalty of perjury’ by local law enforcement officials. Unless Sen. Mitchell can immediately clarify why her public statement and the criminal complaint are at such variance, she should be held accountable… That means not voting until the issue is resolved or resigning immediately. Minnesota deserves better.

See here, here, and here

Senate Democrats recently passed two mandate heavy bills that put the future of Minnesota at risk. One pertains to education policy and fails to address the areas where schools say they need the most support. The second is the labor policy bill, which fails to bring employment opportunities to Minnesota and fails make our state a competitive place to grow a business. Both bills contain burdensome policies that will hurt Minnesota in the long run.

Democrats already passed one bad education bill last year that included over 60 new mandates on our schools, and it led to schools begging for help, and now they’re following it up with another bill full of mandates. Last year’s bill led to many school districts running their budgets straight into the red, because they simply couldn’t afford the mandates that were being forced on them. Several education groups across the state have requested the legislature hold off on passing additional mandates this year, but Democrats didn’t care enough to listen. Republicans tried to bring forward a bill that would allow schools a three year “onramp” period to adjust, but Democrats rejected our ideas and pushed another policy bill that creates even more mandates for our schools. Instead of adopting common sense solutions that help improve education by allowing our students to succeed in areas like math, science, and reading, Democrats are pushing social issues.

School districts have been telling us exactly what they need and Senate Democrats are completely ignoring their concerns with this year’s bill. Now we’re left with more Democrats policies that hurt our schools and put student success at risk. Graduation rates are declining and less than half of Minnesota students are performing at grade-level in math and reading… Instead of addressing those issues and putting students first, the Democrats’ bill focuses on things like a “Book Banning Prohibition,” allowing smudging in schools, increasing training requirements for special education teachers, and requiring schools to consult with union representation for paraprofessional training. These are terrible priorities.

The labor policy bill is another beast. It modifies Minnesota’s minimum wage by allowing the Department of Labor and Industry to adjust the minimum wage up to 5% annually based on inflation. It also eliminates the distinction between large and small employers when it comes to minimum wage. These policies are going to kill small businesses in Minnesota, and the costs of these policies will likely just be passed down to employees and consumers.

We need to focus on making our state a desirable place to live, work, and do business in. That means investing in our schools and small businesses, but doing so in ways that make sense. These bills completely fail to do that – they just pile even more mandates onto schools and businesses, and Democrats don’t care if that forces them to fail. Priorities are clearly skewed, and we have to get things back on track before it’s too late.

See here and here

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 pushed through that further increase the cost of life. It’s tone deaf. Nothing in Minnesota is being done to make life more affordable for the average family. To deal with this, I brought forward a bipartisan bill that zeroes out the first tax bracket. 

Currently, for the first rate, both unmarried individuals and spouses are taxed at 5.35%. Basically everyone would benefit from zeroing out this rate. Individuals would pay no income tax on their first $31,000 made and married couples pay no income tax on their first $46,000. If that money wasn’t taxed, it would help literally every family in the state, and would provide much-needed relief. It would free up more money for families to afford the high cost of living and put it towards things that make the most sense for their households. I’m surprised that this hasn’t already been considered because of how helpful it truly would be. 

At every turn, it seems like Minnesota Democrats want to tax Minnesotans more and more. Why is that? One of the top concerns I hear about is how unaffordable life is for most families. If the state can’t work within its current budget, maybe Democrats need to figure out how to make adjustments on their end, instead of expecting taxpayers to foot the bill for costly Democrat policies that do nothing to improve the quality of life. 

I think this is a good bill that will help every single taxpayer. Unfortunately, I’m sure it won’t get anywhere. But this is an important discussion we need to have, and I will keep working towards making life more affordable. The bottom line is that you can manage your money better than the state can, but you can’t do that if the state keeps taking more and more. We need to address concerns over the high taxation most are facing, and we need to actually focus on helping Minnesotans. This bill would do just that.

See it here and here

We are a few weeks into session, and after running entirely through the surplus last year, Senate Democrats have put forward a number of new costly proposals that they claim to be “environmentally friendly,” but really they are just growing government, creating more red tape, and increasing costs. There are 3 specific proposals I’m talking about: further regulation of nitrates, allowing government to grow the Public Waters Inventory on a whim, and regulating the manufacturing and packaging of products produced worldwide. We have to stop these ridiculous ideas before they get too far.

Let’s discuss nitrates first – Democrats are making nitrates out to be a boogeyman, when Minnesota already addressed nitrates. A couple weeks ago, the Clean Water subcommittee met to discuss lowering the level of nitrates. Parts of Southeast Minnesota, known as the Karst Region, are experiencing nitrates at 10 parts per million, which essentially means zero nitrates are in the water. Yet somehow, Democrats are pointing to farmers and blaming them for polluting the water. They claim it’s presenting a massive danger to families and contributing to “Blue Baby Syndrome.” These things just aren’t true. First of all, the nitrate levels are already incredibly low and by all accounts, are completely safe. Also, Blue Baby Syndrome is very rare in Minnesota, and we are not seeing cases of that anywhere. Democrats are using this as an excuse to further regular farmers, and it’s not right. Of course we want to keep our waters clean, but the science does not support the claims they’re trying to make.

Democrats have also introduced a bill that basically allows the DNR to change the Public Water Inventory at any point in time. The bill they brought forward completely changes the definition of “public waters,” and sets the stage for the state to come in and declare any water way to be part of the Inventory. What if a farmer has a crop field that experiences a historic flood? Does that mean the state can just come in and declare flooded lands as part of the Inventory? As it’s written, this entire bill is full of gray area. This bill will essentially force farmers to cede their land to the state. What kind of precedent is this setting?  

Another recent bill that we’ve discussed in committees is one that focuses on regulating the recycling and packaging of manufactured goods. They gave it a nice name to mask how awful the bill is and called it the “Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act,” but it really just tries to regulate how producers around their world package their products. It essentially requires that producers of packaging and paper products implement and finance a statewide program to provide for the collection and management of used packaging and paper products through waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, and product redesign. This is a waste of money – there is no clear way to regulate things that are being packaged and manufactured outside of the state. This is just another expensive program that relies on increasing costs and over-regulating businesses, and will do nothing but force businesses to not do business in Minnesota, and those that do will just pass costs onto consumers. Why do Minnesota Democrats think they can dictate what businesses do outside of our state?

This is just a short handful of some of the bad ideas we’ve been hearing about. I will continue to share details with the public, because people should know exactly what’s going on at the Capitol. Democrats can’t help themselves – they want to put forward costly bills that just increase costs for businesses and consumers, and they want to increase the size and scope of government. These bills aren’t about helping our environment, they are about increasing regulation and giving more power to the state. If you have any thoughts on or questions regarding these bills, please reach out to my office at any time.

See it here and here

Wolf and deer management have been a hot topic in recent months and in a recent release on their Wolf.Report website, the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA) called for home and landowners to kill wolves if pets or livestock were being harmed. This is a direct contradiction of federal law and guidance from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) which claims that effective February 10, 2022 “Minnesota’s gray wolf once again became a federally protected threatened species. Under current guidelines, wolves may only be taken in defense of human life.” Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls) released the following statement in response:

“The message has not changed, we need proper wildlife management—highly educated and trained individuals understand this,” said Wesenberg. “However, we need to hold organizations accountable for spreading misinformation that could lead to legal action – why did MDHA on January 10^th post a release encouraging people to kill wolves if their pets or livestock were being harmed, despite knowing that doing so is illegal? MDHA has now encouraged people to break federal law. This opens up liability concerns for the organization, and puts hunters and homeowners in an awful position. MDHA has typically had a close relationship with the DNR, and I am concerned that this relationship didn’t stop them from posting harmful content that encourages law abiding citizens to break federal law. These organizations and their leadership must be held accountable and anyone involved in this negligent post should consider resigning their positions to those who better understand wildlife management and federal law. For the sake of hunters and wildlife, we need to hold these organizations to higher standards.”

See it here or here

Senator Andrew Mathews (R- Princeton) and Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R- Little Falls) released the following statements after five members of Minnesota law enforcement were shot while serving a search warrant this morning:  

MATHEWS: “We should all be incredibly grateful this situation didn’t result in any loss of life. Today is a reminder of the very dangerous situations that law enforcement willingly put themselves in every single day. They deserve our respect and praise for doing their job with professionalism and excellence even under difficult circumstances. I know our officers take great pride in their role to keep the public safe. Please join me in praying for a fast and full recovery for each of the officers. My office stands ready to assist in any way necessary.” 

WESENBERG: 

“The officers who were attacked and shot today have my deepest appreciation for the work they do. I’m so glad they were not more seriously injured and am praying for their full recovery. We should never forget the sacrifices and risks of being a police officer, deputy, or sheriff, and we should always remember they deserve the greatest respect and gratitude we can provide.” 

Wesenberg represents Glendorado Township, where the incident took place, in the Minnesota Senate.  

The heart of a volunteer is something that can be underappreciated and go unnoticed to many. These are the people who don’t do things for notoriety and fortune, but out of the goodness of their hearts. We are lucky when we have them in our communities, and it is something special to witness when these kind souls step up to help our veterans.

If there is one group of people that seem to fall through the cracks in society, it is sadly our veterans, who bravely put their lives on the line when serving their country, and ask for nothing in return except for freedom. They have sacrificed so much for their country and those who call America home, the least we can do is respect and support them in their post-service lives.

I recently met Bret Sample, a U.S. Army veteran that has large ambitions to help the veteran community and is actively making it happen. Forgotten Heroes Ranges and Retreat is Bret’s brainchild to help disabled veterans relax, cope, and find camaraderie with other veterans. Alongside Bret is a great team of volunteers that makes the mission possible. The facility is located in McGregor and helps serve veterans from across the state. The goal of the organization is to make it possible for any veteran, regardless of ability, to enjoy the same outdoor activities as able-bodied people. Forgotten Heroes is committed to the brave folks that have earned and deserve the right to enjoy activities that most of us often take for granted.

I was disappointed that Democrats failed to provide any assistance to this facility in the last legislative session. We saw billions going to wasteful projects across the state, yet comparatively there was little allocated for our veterans and the services needed to improve their quality of life. We need to do better. While the VA provides what it can, veterans are in need of additional resources, specifically when it comes to mental health and wellbeing.

We are lucky to have Forgotten Heroes in our state, because they are helping veterans with their mental health by offering space for veterans to relax and enjoy the outdoors, all while connecting with other veterans who have faced similar hardships. There are currently two ranges built for pistol, rifle, and bow, and they are in the process of building other structures that will be completely handicap accessible. These buildings are designed to fully aid anyone with a disability so they can also enjoy shooting sports without limitations. There will be a campground, trails, and ponds for veterans to enjoy with their families and caretakers. A veterans community center will also be constructed for use by local and regional veterans groups (American Legion, VFW, DAV, PVA, VSO and other veteran organizations). These services and programs are incredibly important and they’re filling gaps—they’re providing veterans with needed support, and offering safe outlets for them to engage in activities and connect with others.

Our veterans should never be left behind, and we owe our thanks to every volunteer who steps up to serve veterans and complete missions like what Forgotten Heroes has set out to do. It’s an unfortunate reality that so many veterans feel abandoned and feel as though their needs are not addressed by the legislature. Despite that, we are lucky to live in the midst of everyday folks who are willing to step up and help these brave men and women. Both veterans and the volunteers that assist them deserve our continued thanks and admiration

See it here

Nursing homes across the state are seeing the result of the legislative session as funding fought for by Senate Republicans is finally reaching facilities.

Last Session, Senate Republicans fought for a $300 million deal to help nursing homes amidst a historic staffing crisis. The bipartisan agreement included direct grants, facility rate increases, and a workforce incentive fund that adds up to about $1.1 million for every nursing home in the state.

“Nursing homes across the state were begging for help, and Senate Republicans held the line when it came down to the wire,” said Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls). “Democrats were only willing to agree to this bipartisan plan if they could tie it to a ridiculously expensive bonding bill. Though I was incredibly disappointed to see nursing homes used as a bargaining tool when they do so much to care for our loved ones, I was at least happy to see this deal get done. Our nursing homes were struggling, they needed support, and now they’re finally seeing funding that will help turn things around.”

A total of 8 nursing homes in Senate District 10 began receiving payments in August, as listed below. A second payment for the same amounts is planned for August 1, 2024.

• Aicota Health Care Center in Aitkin – $263,119
• Aitkin Health Services in Aitkin – $200,863
• Elim Home in Milaca – $253,078
• Gardens at Foley in Foley – $269,144
• Little Falls Care Center in Little Falls – $241,028
• Mille Lacs Health System in Onamia – $226,971
• Pierz Villa Inc. in Pierz – $212,913
• St. Otto’s Care Center Inc. in Little Falls – $295,251

See it here

The Walz administration this week announced there was a $352 million mistake in the tax bill that will cost Minnesota taxpayers. Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls) released the following statement in response: 

“Minnesotans have been loud and clear all year–their top priority has been tax relief. Yet somehow, Democrats took the opportunity to instead raise taxes across the board, and this oversight shows that it still wasn’t enough for them. The $352 million mistake is not surprising. Democrats forced through legislation all session long, with many bills being decided by a handful of Democrats behind closed doors. There was no time for the bills to be checked before they were forced onto the floor for a vote. Special interests were repeatedly prioritized over good governance, and it’s going to cost taxpayers even more in the long run. This oversight shows that Democrats have been totally incompetent, and they are failing Minnesota families.”

See it here

Session has finally wrapped up. Amidst the chaos, Democrats continued their push for multiple bonding bills, which Republicans refused to vote for unless we could also find a way to provide funding for nursing homes throughout the state, which we all know have been facing a massive crisis. While I’m happy to report that Republicans were able to secure the important funding needed to keep nursing homes and long-term care facilities afloat, it also came at a steep cost.

Democrats pushed forward two bonding bills: one cash bill, and one traditional bonding bill. Historically, these bills are meant to fund critical infrastructure projects throughout the state, such as wastewater treatment facilities, roads, bridges, clean water projects, flood mitigation efforts, and more. These bills are meant to maintain and support all the facilities that keep our state and communities safe and running efficiently. For that reason, they should focus equally on metro and rural Minnesota. But instead of focusing on important issues, Democrats seized the opportunity to pass bills that fund a number of their metro-centric pet projects.

Democrats couldn’t be bothered to find money for tax relief, despite an $18 billion surplus, but were able to fund a cash bill that costs around $1 billion. Though there are a handful of good inclusions in each of these bills, they don’t adequately address infrastructure needs throughout the state—instead opting to fund a number of “fun” projects that benefit metro legislators. We’re talking $1 million for community tree planting grants, $4 million for skate parks, $16.6 million for metro regional parks, $13 million to Explore MN to promote sporting events, and so much more. We have out of date infrastructure all through rural Minnesota, and we have cities struggling with clean water standards. Instead of using the opportunity to help smaller communities, these bills funnel excess money intro metro projects.

That being said, there were a handful of meaningful rural projects that were funded. For example, I was able to get three district projects included in these otherwise bad bills. $3.1 million in funding will go to much-needed water system improvements in Swanville. This money will be used to make improvements to the city’s drinking water system, which has been desperately needed for quite some time. Another $3 million will go to Lake Shamineau’s Lake Improvement District to construct improvements necessary to prevent and alleviate flooding in the area. Also included is $700 thousand for Morrison County’s Weyerhaeuser Museum, which will allow them to address riverbank stabilization in the area. In recent years, the riverbank has been eroding so quickly, it has put the museum’s location at risk. This funding was necessary to save the museum that houses so much local and regional history for the area.

While I’m happy that I was able to get funding for these local projects, many other outstate bonding requests were not addressed. Instead, Democrats opted to fund frivolous grants throughout Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The three projects I got funded are just a snapshot of some of the critical needs in our state that need to be addressed. As we head into next year’s session, it will be another bonding year, and Democrats have already stated their interest in doing yet another cash bill. Thought I don’t have much hope in it happening, I believe we should focus on actual infrastructure needs instead of grants for art centers, theater space, and tree planting. If next session is anything like the one that just ended, we can instead expect more grants for metro projects, increased taxes, and one-sided law-making.

See it here

Senate Democrats on Tuesday passed a controversial tax bill that raises taxes by $1.2 billion from foreign sources through controversial worldwide reporting, which has not been implemented in any other state. The bill fails to deliver meaningful tax relief, and fails to provide the full repeal on the social security income tax.

“Minnesotans have been loud and clear—their top priority is tax relief, yet Senate Democrats took the opportunity to instead raise taxes by over $1 billion in this bill,” said Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls). “Our state’s surplus was a clear indicator of the over-taxation folks across the state have been subjected to every year. Instead of recognizing and addressing the problem, Democrats doubled down and brought forward bills that amount to billions in new taxes and fees. Despite increased spending in virtually every area, it’s unbelievable that they couldn’t even find funding in their massive budget to completely eliminate the tax on social security. This bill fails our families, and it fails our seniors.”

The bill includes a controversial tax known as “worldwide” or “global” reporting. This means that any businesses with a presence in Minnesota will be forced to report all income, even that from outside Minnesota in a way that no other state in the country or the world requires.  This risky move will affect businesses based inside and outside of the state, and will likely force them to reconsider how much they are willing to invest to do business in Minnesota. 

Senate Republicans attempted to offer a number of amendments, which were either struck down or ruled out of order:

• Creation of a permanent and automatic refund program to ensure taxpayers are first in line to benefit from future government surpluses
• Requirement of a supermajority vote to raise income taxes
• Elimination of the child care tax credit 2030 expiration date

See it here

Last week, Democrats forced through a public safety bill that does little to actually address any form of “public safety.” The bill makes thousands of criminals eligible for early release, reduces sentences for violent offenders, neglects the needs of law enforcement, and funnels millions of dollars to untested and unproven non-profit organizations. This is a bad bill that cares more about giving criminals a “get out of jail free card” than it does about addressing issues that have contributed to rising crime rates.

One specific area that I find incredibly troubling is drug use and fentanyl addiction, and how this bill hardly scratches the surface of the issue. Unfortunately, though this bill addresses fentanyl usage on a small level, it does little to get to the root of the problem that has been ripping through our state.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin, 100 times stronger than morphine, and the cause of over 1,200 overdoses in Minnesota. Between 2020 and 2021, there was a 22% increase in overdose deaths, many of which have been attributed to fentanyl use. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, that averages to more than three people dying every day from a drug overdose. Yet under state law, it takes 10 grams of fentanyl to receive third degree possession charges, and 50 grams of fentanyl to receive second degree possession charges.

If we are serious about cracking down on the fentanyl epidemic, we should drop the possession allotment drastically. In fact, just two milligrams could be enough to kill a person. I was a strong supporter of an amendment that would have reflected the same thresholds for fentanyl as used for heroin in both second and third degree possession, which are 6 grams and 3 grams respectively. The severity and dangerous nature of this drug make it worth the higher sentences. But did we see the amendment adopted? Of course not. Because Democrats have no interest in changing their bills for the better.

Aside from completely overlooking the fentanyl crisis, this bill also allows 92% of the prison population to be eligible for release through the Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act (MRRA). Convicted criminals already have shorter sentences—they typically only spend two thirds of their time in incarceration, and the rest of the sentence is served on supervised release. The MRRA further reduces the amount of incarceration time to one-half of the sentence. Minnesota is already a low incarceration state—we have about 8,000 prisoners statewide. This part of the bill makes 7,400 prisoners eligible for early release. We are talking about people who have committed manslaughter, rape, kidnapping, assault, or domestic assault… This is appalling.

Overall, this is a horrific bill that does nothing to make our communities safer. It is laughable that Democrats forced through this bill under the term “public safety,” when it ensures the opposite. People deserve to feel safe in their communities, and they should know that we’re taking rising crime rates and fentanyl addiction seriously. Unfortunately, this bill shows the total opposite, and only shows that Senate Democrats are exceptionally out of touch with the needs of families across the state.

See it here

Last Week Senate Democrats failed to find bipartisan support to pass a bonding bill off the senate floor. The bill requires a 3/5 majority vote, which is 41 votes and required 7 Republican senators to vote for the bill. It failed to gain even one favorable Republican vote.

“We had an opportunity to pass tax relief alongside a bonding bill today, but Senate Democrats didn’t want to work in a bipartisan way, they instead were more interested in bullying Republicans,” said Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls). “While outstate Minnesotans need drinking water, flushable toilets, and critical projects, the Democrats want to borrow money to build parks and trails in the metro. We have a historic surplus, yet the bill Democrats brought forward puts nearly $2 billion on the state’s credit card. Minnesotans want tax relief, and that should be the number one priority—that’s what Republicans are fighting for.”

After failing to pass the bonding bill, the Senate immediately voted to reconsider the bill and lay it on the table. This procedural move allows the bill to be brought up again without having to go through the committee process.  

Two weeks ago, Senate Republican Leaders made clear they needed to see movement on tax relief before they voted for a bonding bill. Last week, Republicans attempted to bring a bill to eliminate the tax on Social Security to the floor, which was defeated on a party-line vote. Senate Democrats also brought their own bill to eliminate the tax on Social Security in a procedural vote to move it one step forward. However, Democrats failed to take the bill up for an actual vote that would pass it off the Senate floor and send it to the House for consideration.  

See it here

Yesterday, Senate Republican leaders presented a win-win option for Minnesotans still waiting for tax cuts while Democrats forced through a bonding bill on the House floor, despite not having the votes needed to pass the Senate. 

Watch the Press Conference here 

“With an $18 billion surplus, it’s time for tax relief, not more borrowing for pet projects like the Senate Democrats are proposing,” said Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls). “The bonding bill Democrats have brought forward is the first in a line of bonding bills that will raise taxes and increase debt—all while we have a historic surplus. If we are going to tackle bonding this year, it needs to be after providing tax relief, and it needs to be equally beneficial for rural communities in outstate Minnesota. We should have one bonding proposal that focuses on key infrastructure throughout the state, not pet projects in the metro area.”

Last week Senate and House Republicans proposed the Give It Back tax plan. It totals $13 billion in tax relief including the elimination of the social security tax, income tax cuts, property tax relief, a child tax credit, and rebate checks. 

See it here

Senate Republicans today attempted to bring forward legislation that would give half the state’s surplus back to taxpayers in the form of a rebate. The bill provides joint filers with a $4,400 check, and single filers with a $2,200 check. The rebates would be one-time checks that would not be subject to state income taxes.

“Democrats have talked a big game regarding tax relief, yet every plan they’ve put forward just raises taxes to fund their pet projects. Minnesotans paid into the surplus, and they deserve to get their money back,” said Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls).

Earlier today, it was also announced that Minnesota has a $17.5 billion surplus.

“Today’s announcement of a $17.5 billion surplus clearly shows how over-taxed Minnesotans are and how important these rebate checks are,” continued Wesenberg. “Taxpayers see this massive surplus that they’ve paid into, and they see their money going to government over-spending. Democrats promised tax relief, but clearly have no interest in offering that if it limits their spending money. Minnesota deserves better.”

See it here

Senate Democrats made their public safety priorities clear: giving convicted felons the right to vote no matter their crime and allowing non-citizens the right to a driver’s license with no protections for elections or national security.  

Taking up felon voting first, Senate Republicans offered amendments that would require at least a two-year waiting period for voting rights to be restored, regardless of probation length. Republicans also offered additional amendments to prevent certain egregious violent criminals and those convicted of a felon for voter fraud from regaining their right to vote until their full sentence – both incarceration and probation- are completed.  

The “Driver’s Licenses for All” bill was the second bill on the floor, which allows immigrants who are here illegally access to a standard state driver’s license. Senate Republicans proposed key amendments highlighting concerns with the bill, calling it an “all-access pass” for illegal immigrants. Amendments included: denoting the license is for driving privileges only and cannot be used for voting, addressing a national security loophole that would allow illegal immigrants access to federal buildings and flights with a Minnesota driver’s license before the REAL ID standards are enforced, ensuring traffic safety, and requiring data sharing for the purposes of helping victims of crime.  

“These bills send a clear message to Minnesotans that Senate Democrats are not interested in providing tax relief to those who abide by the law, but they are instead willing to expand the rights of those who break the law,” said Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls). “Senate Republicans offered a number of commonsense amendments to both of these bills in an attempt to ensure election, state, and federal security. Unsurprisingly, every amendment was struck down on party line votes. These bills undermine our laws and do nothing to help law-abiding Minnesotans.”

See it here

Legislation was introduced this week that seeks to limit the sales of nonelectric lawn and garden equipment. The bill would go into effect January 2025 and would apply to all new lawn and garden equipment under 25 horsepower.

“This bill is absolutely ridiculous and I can’t even believe this is a priority for Democrats,” said Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls). “We have an $18 billion surplus, we should be thinking of ways to make life easier for Minnesotans, not harder. This bill will adversely affect people in every corner of my district—people want tax relief, not idiotic regulations.”

See it here

On Thursday, Senate Democrats once again forced through extreme hyper-partisan language on a party line vote. SF-4, known as the “Blackout Bill,” is the Democrats’ extreme energy bill that mandates all electric production in the state of Minnesota to be 100% carbon-free by 2040. The legislation closes our state to coal and natural gas and mandates the shift to renewable energy sources of solar, wind, hydroelectric, hydrogen, and biomass. Most notably, the bill fails to consider nuclear energy. The United States Department of Energy categorizes nuclear energy as “clean and sustainable,” because it protects air quality, the land footprint is small, and it produces minimal waste.

“Energy must always be two things: reliable and affordable, and the Democrats’ extreme Blackout Bill ensures the complete opposite, making energy expensive and unreliable,” said Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls). “If we are serious about attaining 100% carbon-free energy, we must utilize all tools at our disposal, including nuclear and natural gas, both of which are notably absent from this bill. This radical proposal is also constraining local municipals and co-ops, and will drastically increase the cost of utilities for families across the state. This bill is mandating an unattainable goal at the expense of Minnesotans.”

As an alternative,Senate Republicans presented the A+ Energy Plan, which instead focuses on reliable, affordable, and consistent energy. The plan would end the ban on nuclear power construction in Minnesota, and would allow for coal and natural gas to be used when demand is higher than average.

Highlights of the Republican A+ Energy Plan include:  

• Allowing nuclear construction in the state  
• Authorizing hydroelectric power to count as a renewable energy  
• Affordable renewable natural gas to continue to reduce emissions  
• Always On natural gas and coal for reliability and affordability  
• All-of-the-Above strategy to mix solar, wind, hydroelectric, hydrogen, and biomass with our current energy sources

During debate, Senate Republicans offered numerous amendments. Democrats were unwilling to compromise, instead voting down every amendment on a party-line vote.

See it here

On Saturday morning, after nearly 16 hours of debate on the topic, Senate Democrats passed extreme abortion legislation that protects “abortion” and “reproductive rights” with no safeguards or limitations. The bill is just over one page long and goes far beyond the reach of both Doe v. Gomez and Roe v. Wade.

Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls) released the following statement in response:

“The passage of this extreme abortion legislation is nothing short of disturbing, and it does nothing to recognize science, as Democrats so often claim to do. Senate Democrats forced through a bill that is too extreme for Minnesota—it opens up all abortion with zero safeguards and no limitations. I offered an amendment that recognizes the science of life beginning at conception, only for Democrats to claim it wasn’t a scientific fact. Despite Republicans’ various attempts to offer commonsense amendments that protect women and children, Democrats chose to preserve the language this bill, which will now be most extreme abortion law in the country. History will remember this as a dark day for our state.”

Senate Republicans offered a number of critical amendments—all of which were struck down on party-line votes, and many of which were not deemed worthy of discussion by the majority party. Key amendments that were offered include:

• Ban on third trimester abortions
• Prohibition of the violent Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) abortions
• Language that would have excluded sterilization from the umbrella of “reproductive rights”
• Requirement of parental notification
• Language that would have prevented the sterilization of minors
• Prohibition of abortions due to down syndrome
• Recognition of life beginning at conception

See it here

This week Governor Walz released his budget proposal. The proposal increases the budget by over 25% and includes a number of permanent tax increases, the creation of new government agencies, and the financing of divisive policies such as Driver’s Licenses for All. Notably missing is the repeal of the Social Security Tax.

Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls) released the following statement in response:

“This week’s budget proposal does nothing to help Minnesotans that are struggling everyday with inflation and rising costs. The proposed budget is short-sighted, blows through the surplus, and raises taxes to fund radical Democrat projects. If we can’t provide tax relief to Minnesotans when we have a historic surplus, then when can we? We should be returning money back to taxpayers, not taxing them even more.”

Tax increases included in the bill:  

• $1.2 billion in taxes to finance a Paid Family and Medical Leave Fund – to be paid by every employee and employer
• $349 million transportation tax 
• Car registration tab fees – increase of fees in the first year from 100% to 160%

See it here

Today the Senate passed a tax bill that provides more than $100 million in tax relief for Minnesotans. Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls) issued the following statement:

“While I’m happy our first bill off the Senate floor provides tax relief for Minnesotans, this bill is not enough. I’ve spoken with numerous families in my district—they want real and tangible relief, and they want life to be affordable. Minnesota has some of the highest taxes in the country, and this bill is a drop in the bucket when it comes to providing tax relief. If we want lasting tax reforms that make a difference, we need to eliminate the tax on social security income and the first-tier income tax bracket. If we eliminate the first tier, every Minnesotan that pays income tax will receive a tax cut. This is a good bill that helps some, but we need to do more.”

Notably, Senate Republicans offered two amendments that were rejected by Senate Democrats:

• An amendment to eliminate the tax on Social Security benefits
• An amendment to eliminate the first-tier income tax bracket

See it here

On Tuesday, January 3rd, Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls) was sworn in for his first term in the Minnesota State Senate.

“I’m honored to be sworn in to represent the great people of District 10, and I’m ready to get to work,” said Wesenberg. “The voice of the people matters. I’ve spoken with families, friends, and neighbors across the district—they want their taxes cut, they want to preserve their second amendment rights, and to know their children are protected. It’s time for legislators to listen to the people of Minnesota, and I intend on doing that as I fight for the protection of our freedoms.”

Senator Wesenberg will serve on the Education Policy, Environment, Climate, and Legacy, and Labor committees. 

See it here