Friends and neighbors –
When Democrats won complete control of state government last fall, liberals and special interests celebrated gleefully. They knew there were no longer any impediments to securing virtually every item on their wish list.
Democrats were so giddy to get everything they wanted that they threw caution to the wind and rushed big, complicated bills through the process. Now that the dust has begun to settle, we are seeing the real-world consequences that many level-headed people warned about all session.
Lawsuits pile up against Democrat bills
The Star Tribune reported recently that a number of lawsuits have been filed against Democrat bills related to several new laws passed by Democrats, including:
- A law prohibiting colleges who require a faith statement during the application process from participating in the state’s PSEO program.
- A law prohibiting companies that have 1% or more foreign ownership, or multiple investors that control 5% of company equity, from making political contributions in Minnesota.
- A law allowing convicted felons to vote prior to completing their sentence.
- New restrictions on prescription drug prices.
Regardless of how you feel about these laws or goals, the lawsuits were not hard to see coming. Over and over, Republicans and independent legal experts warned that Democrat bills were unconstitutional or, at the very least, ripe for lawsuits. Yet, over and over, those concerns were mocked, dismissed, or ignored. It would have been much better for the state if Democrats were willing to work together to address some of these problems ahead of time.
Democrats cause accidental tax increase
Whether you’re building a house or doing your taxes, most of us know that mistakes happen when we rush a job. Speeding to complete a task causes us to become reckless. Overlooking details leads to errors that could, and should, be easily avoided.
This is exactly what Democrats did this year. Their sloppiness with the tax bill caused an error that will lead to a $352 million tax increase affecting 76% of Minnesota taxpayers. This is on top of the nearly $10 billion in intentional tax increases that Democrats approved this year, including license tab fee increases, a higher gas tax, sales tax increases, and much more.
It’s hardly a surprise given the breakneck pace Democrats worked at this session. They worked on these bills behind closed doors with little input from anyone who might have a critical eye. There was no opportunity for Republicans, non-partisan staff, the press, or the public to review and double-check the bill language.
Governing is complicated. There is more to it than just appeasing activists; there are nuts-and-bolts details that must be attended to. Instead of focusing on the details and doing things the right way, Democrats prioritized making their special interests happy at all costs. As a result, we now have to scramble to fix this big error before it leads to an even higher tax bill for you and your family.
Contact me
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