We’re about a month into the 2020 session, but it still feels like we have barely begun. So much to do so little time. The highlight so far is the number of visitors from home that made the trip to St. Paul and carved time from their busy schedule to pop into my office. Thank you if you have made the trip down here; if not, there’s still time.
Below are a few of the items that are still grabbing the headlines here and back home. If you have any questions about other issues, feel free to call or shoot me an email.
2020 Budget Forecast
February’s budget forecast shows our economy was performing well, but with the Covid-19 scare we need to balance a possible economic slow-down and state spending.The budget surplus is an opportunity to advance policies that lessen the burden on the taxpayers of our state taxpayers who are already among the most burdened in the nation. Whether through income tax cuts, removal of the tax on social security, or relief for farmers and small businesses this budget surplus should belong to Minnesota’s taxpayers
St. Paul City Council Votes to Approve “Abortion Providers Appreciation Day”
Some of you may remember in the 90’s when pro-abortion advocates presented the argument that abortion should be “safe legal and rare.” It hasn’t taken very long for them to drop the “rare” and instead, begin celebrating the termination of a child’s life. I am saddened by the St. Paul City Council’s vote to approve Abortion Providers Appreciation Day and disturbed by the insensitive nature of their resolution.
Movements like this are indicative of the moral decline occurring in Minnesota and across our country. As a father of three, I understand the sanctity of life and the joy that children bring to this world. Instead of celebrating abortion providers and their destructive habits, let’s take a moment to celebrate life and our local organizations who are on the front lines protecting women’s and children’s health. I support the thousands of Minnesotans who participated last month in the 2020 March for Life to mourn the injustice of abortion and to call for the protection of unborn children and support for their mothers. Since the Supreme Court’s rulings on abortion, more than 60 million human beings have been legally killed through abortion in the United States, including about 650,000 in Minnesota. While the number of abortions has declined in recent years, 9,910 unborn Minnesota children lost their lives in 2018 alone, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
Secretary of State Website Redirects Voters to Partisan Webpage
During last week’s presidential primary election, voters using the Secretary of State website to find their poll location found themselves redirected to the partisan, progressive webpage pictured below. Secretary of State Steve Simon later put out a statement that said the issue was not hacking, but a serious lack of judgment by a staff member in his office to include those partisan sites in the re-direct options for voters. Voters all across the state rely on the office of the Secretary of State to provide reliable non-partisan voting information to ensure our elections run smoothly. This poor judgment displayed by the Secretary of State raises several concerns. There is no reason that a partisan website should be used as a back-up plan in the event the Secretary of State website fails. We shouldn’t even need a back-up plan. The Secretary of State has been fully funded since the last budget cycle and had no issues during the much larger 2016 primary. What is Secretary Simon spending his technology funding on when his office is unable to maintain this basic essential service? Regardless of whether this issue was caused by incompetence or by malicious partisan intentions, Minnesotans deserve better from the Secretary of State.
FFA Day at The Capitol
Last week, student members of the Future Farmers of America traveled to the Capitol. I am so impressed with the opportunities FFA provides for our students. It is a great organization that teaches skills such as leadership, public speaking, sales, and much more to future leaders in the agricultural industry. Pictured below with me are FFA members from Senate District 1. Thank you for coming to St. Paul to visit.
Mark Johnson
