Hopeful for bipartisanship, but it’s a rough start

There is no clearer evidence that Minnesota is overtaxing its residents than a $17.6 billion surplus. At a time when families are facing higher prices for gas, grocery, and energy bills, state government should not be flush with cash. We must return the surplus to Minnesotans in the form of permanent, meaningful tax relief. The first bill I ever authored as a legislator, which had a lot of bipartisan support on the campaign trail, is ending the tax on social security benefits. Unfortunately, the DFL leadership has already started to indicate that ending the social security tax might not happen. I hope we can work across the aisle to deliver on this common sense reform that has previously received so much bipartisan support.

Where crime was once just a problem in our major cities, it is now spreading to the suburbs. We frequently hear stories of carjackings or robberies happening in our communities. There are three main areas where the legislature can create policies to restore public safety to our communities. Law enforcement must have the resources they need to attract and retain officers so that our police departments have the staff they need. We also need to make sure that criminals are held accountable for their actions and that prosecutors and judges enforce our laws. I hope this session we can find bipartisan support to protect Minnesotans in every community.

While I would hope that Democrats and Republicans can work together on these issues, the reality is we have a trifecta – a DFL Governor and Democrat majorities in the House and Senate. It is clear by the first bill introductions of the session that the DFL is not interested in bipartisan, commonsense reforms. Instead, they are pushing an extreme agenda that legalizes unfettered access to abortions, makes radical changes to our election laws, and mandates paid family and medical leave for all-sized businesses. Democrats are also showing little interest in working with Republicans. In the Health Finance & Policy Committee, we heard the PRO Act, their abortion bill, in one of our first hearings. Our common sense amendments that would protect the health and safety of mothers, like requiring second- or third-term abortions to be performed in a hospital, were not adopted.

Minnesotans get the best results when legislators work together. The legislature is, by nature, a collaborative body. I hope the voice of the minority and the districts we represent are heard so that Democrats and Republicans can collaborate on these important issues.

Rep. Anne Neu Brindley represents District 28B, which includes Wyoming.