The opinion of the Republicans in the Senate

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Simply put, the 2024 special election to fill the vacant seat in Minnesota Senate District 45 is about balance. Under the control of one party, our state became out of balance. Extreme views have taken hold and the results have proven less than ideal for Minnesota families.

Despite historic revenues for our state, DFLers spent every dollar of the surplus and failed to provide meaningful tax relief for most families. They continued to give rebate checks and eliminate Social Security taxes for our seniors, but failed to make this happen. Not only did they provide little relief to families, they also increased sales taxes, gas taxes, licensing fees and more, all of which hit low- and middle-income Minnesotans the hardest. Minnesota Democrats said one thing and then did another. That’s not how we do things here.

Furthermore, the current leadership has touted an increase in funding for our schools, yet we have seen teacher layoffs, class sizes rise, and test scores plummet. Why? Because, under the control of one party, unfunded mandates driven by special interests were imposed on our schools. These mandates consumed most of the new funding, leaving our education leaders with two options: raise property taxes or cut spending. Senate Republicans offered an education budget that would have increased funding without mandates. Imagine where our schools would be if one Democrat swayed people over his party and voted for this common sense alternative.

We have also seen public safety concerns spread across our state. Criminals are emboldened by the lack of consequences thanks to the Democrats’ extreme policies. Carjackings happen in the middle of the day. We’re seeing coordinated home burglaries in Orono. Yet every Democrat in the Minnesota Senate over the past two years supported a plan to make more than 90% of violent criminals eligible for parole. Republicans offered common sense alternatives, yet every Democrat voted no. Imagine where our state could be if even one Democrat was willing to cross the border and stand up to his party.

Another concern remains the rampant fraud in many of our public programs. Minnesotans have seen nearly $1 billion lost to fraud. This means that families who needed child care did not receive it. This also means that families who needed food aid for their children did not receive it. How many people in government have been held accountable? No. Democrats care more about politics than they do about holding anyone accountable or making sure your tax dollars are spent wisely.

Despite all these concerns, I am hopeful about the future of our state. I believe Minnesota’s best days are ahead. We can bring common sense back to state spending. We can protect Minnesotans from the left’s insatiable appetite for new taxes. We can tackle the root causes of crime while holding violent criminals accountable. We can say no to mandates that will deplete our school budgets. We can get started on bipartisan solutions on issues like child care costs, tax credits for families and seniors, and changes to our law that keep Minnesota families safe in their communities.