This week in the Senate, we debated major omnibus policy bills. Omnibus bills are in direct violation of the Minnesota Constitution, but that’s just the way the Democrat majority is doing things this year.

Article IV, Section 17 of the Minnesota Constitution states: “Laws to embrace only one subject. No law shall embrace more than one subject, which shall be expressed in its title.”

Just last year, we saw a firearm law overturned that was unconstitutionally passed in the massive, 1,500-page 2024 omnibus tax bill rammed through in the final moments of session. Last month, the Upper Midwest Law Center filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the entire 2024 omnibus bill because of its scope beyond a single subject.

Clearly, omnibus bills are unconstitutional, and I do not support them. The Minnesota Legislature needs to stop this unconstitutional practice and start passing laws that will actually hold up if challenged in court.

Nonetheless, the bills that passed the Senate floor this week were: Agriculture, State and Local Government, Judiciary and Public Safety, Veterans, Health and Human Services, Elections, and Human Services.

I offered several amendments on the floor, including one to the Judiciary bill that would have eliminated the special legal protections elected officials currently enjoy over unelected Minnesota citizens in swatting cases.

Swatting is when someone makes a 911 call or reports an emergency event and falsely claims an emergency to elicit a tactical response. The goal is to have the police or SWAT team show up at the address and cause fear and anxiety, injury, or even death to the innocent person. It’s a serious crime with deadly consequences. There’s a constituent in our district who has been targeted by swatting, along with many other conservatives.

Currently, if an unelected citizen swats an elected official, the penalty is a felony, but if an elected official swats a citizen, the penalty is a gross misdemeanor.

It’s abhorrent that politicians have written a law to protect themselves over citizens. This creates a two-tiered justice system that offers more protections for politicians over unelected Minnesotans. It’s the kind of thing we’re seeing too often in politics, and it needs to stop. Politicians are elected to serve the people, not rule over them, and we should all play by the same rules.

Unfortunately, Democrats rejected the amendment. Read into that how you will.

With three weeks left in the session, it’s disappointing to see Democrats playing games on the Senate floor while Minnesotans are dealing with serious issues like affordability and fraud. Republicans have put forth tons of solutions to help Minnesotans with the high burden of taxes, including lowering car tab fees, getting rid of taxes on tips and overtime for hourly workers, and capping property taxes, in addition to critical bills and amendments that would stop fraud and hold the perpetrators accountable.

We’re going to keep focusing on these issues that matter most to Minnesotans and push for solutions that bring some relief and protect taxpayer dollars.

I’ll keep you updated as we near the end of the session. Thanks for your support and engagement.

Thanks for reading, 
Michael 

Thanks for fighting for local infrastructure! 

For residents who want to safely dispose of medications outside of this biannual event, MyOldMeds offers a free, year-round locator that connects people to 605 secure disposal sites across Minnesota. The easy-to-use locator helps quickly find nearby drop-off locations just by entering their zip code. The site also includes a Minnesota resource page with guidance on proper disposal practices and safe medication management. 

Your one-stop resource for everything related to state government fraud in Minnesota 

In Liberty,
Michael 

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Hearing from constituents helps make me a better legislator. Never hesitate to reach out if you have a question or concern. I can be reached via email at sen.michael.holmstrom@mnsenate.gov or at 651-296-5981.

My legislative assistant, Zachary Queensland, is also a great resource for information. He can be reached at zachary.queensland@mnsenate.gov or at 651-296-0769.