The Minnesota Legislature is planning on meeting this Thursday to rush forward another spending package to combat the spread of COVID-19. According to Fluence Media, the legislation would contain Governor Walz' supplemental spending budget to include:

• $200 million to establish a COVID-19 emergency fund
• $29 million for emergency child care grants
• $10 million for DEED’s Small Business Loan Guarantee Fund
• $9 million for food shelves 

Noticeably missing from the discussion, however, is why the legislature and Governor aren't proposing to give back the remainder of the budget surplus and the massive reserves, often referred to as "rainy day funds". Returning these funds could amount to $2,000 for taxpaying families in Minnesota.

Hey Senator Gazelka and Speaker Hortman: It's raining in Minnesota!

What possible crisis or emergency is more important than giving this money back to us right now? We've been overtaxed, which is why these funds even exist. As the federal government turns to the printing press to send checks to Americans (not a real solution in the long haul), the Minnesota legislature could give back billions of real dollars that are sitting in a government account.

It's immoral for these politicians to meet on Thursday and ignore the real struggles that Minnesota families are going through financially when there is something they can do about it. The restaurant industry is completely crushed since they've been ordered to close their businesses. And we're learning everyday about members of our organization who are being laid off or losing their jobs.

So why is the legislature and Governor not giving us back our money? Are they worried that government revenues will fall this year and hoping to keep the money for more wasteful, government projects? Shouldn't the Republican Senate, who say they are for less government and less taxes, be leading on this issue right now?

We, the people of Minnesota, are facing some uncertain times. A lot of that is the result of government's overreaction. So now, more than ever, we call on the legislature and Governor to immediately give back the surplus and budget reserves to the taxpayers!

SIGN THE PETITION!

The political elite are using the COVID-19 crisis to rapidly expand the powers of government, while limiting our God given rights. Governor Tim Walz appears to be on the verge of issuing a government mandated "Quarantine for All" order. He's already unilaterally shut down commerce in restaurants and bars and has made it illegal for businesses to set their own prices.

Let's take a look at the powers (the only powers) granted to the Governor in the Minnesota Constitution.

In fact, our Constitution clearly states that powers are divided amongst 3 branches. There's no exception for declared emergencies.

Walz, and his compliant Attorney General friend Keith Ellison, turn to state statutes to claim emergency powers. But statutes do not supersede the law of the land, our Constitution. More importantly, emergency powers in state statute cannot limit our God given rights protected by the Minnesota Bill of Rights...

Section 3. Liberty of the press. The liberty of the press shall forever remain inviolate, and all persons may freely speak, write and publish their sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of such right.

Governor Walz took a radical step in the direction of authoritarian rule by opening the possibility to issuing an order that forces Minnesotans to stay in their homes. The order comes as the Governors of New York and California issued similar "Shelter-in-Place" orders that force citizens to not leave their home by threat of imprisonment or fines.

“I certainly think it is a possibility,” Walz mentioned in an interview with WCCO. “We have to have every tool in the toolbox.”

What Would a Shelter-in-Place Order Mean?

Minnesotans would only be allowed out of their home for a list of government approved circumstances. So far, the lists adopted by other states are pretty vague. Those who work in "essential services" can leave for work and citizens are able to visit stores to purchase groceries and supplies.

There would also likely be an exception for people engaging in health related activities such as running, biking or taking walks. 

Why This is Problematic

This sets an incredibly dangerous precedent for the political elite who constantly seek to grow our reliance on the government and limit our everyday freedoms. In order to carry out anti-freedom policies, politicians use an incremental approach because they know that drastic measures will end in revolts. But they use the fear of the unknown amongst the population in a crisis to cease these new powers. And it works.

The Star Tribune ran an online poll and found a slight majority of the people would welcome a Shelter-in-Place order. Although not a scientific poll, it does represent what many of us believe is the case: we've been scared into giving up our rights.

A Shelter-in-Place would be an enormous hit to our already struggling economy. As government scrambles to update its definition of "essential services", many industries would either cease activity or drastically reduce commerce. Despite what the political class promises with "stimulus and bailout packages", we'll all be paying for that since the government doesn't have money that they haven't taxed or created using the printing press.

The most problematic part of Walz taking this step, however, is that law enforcement and government regulators will take the vagueness in the order to infringe on our rights. Our travel may be questioned by traffic stops. Firearms and ammunition sales might be halted because they are not considered "essential". Independent journalism, an important key to combatting the unified messaging of corporate media, may be barred from receiving media exemptions.

Action 4 Liberty opposes Governor Walz unilaterally creating laws that infringe on our rights. Minnesotans should follow the advice of medical professionals in combatting the spread of COVID-19, but at the same point, not stand for authoritarian rule by politicians in St Paul.

Rep Ilhan Omar proposed a plan to give Americans $1,000 per adult and $500 per child in an emergency stimulus package to help families as they struggle from the financial ramifications of the COVID-19 outbreak. In an interview with WCCO, Omar acknowledged the similarity between her and Trump's plans.

"I applaud this Administration for thinking about the people, for wanting to put money in people's pockets" stated the freshman Congresswoman.

With a current trillion dollar budget deficit and a projected loss in federal revenues due to the economic downturn, in order to enact a program like Omar's, the federal government would have to turn to the printing press. If passed, the U.S. Treasury would create money out of thin air and send to families as relief.

Monetary inflation leads to a rise in prices because more dollars are chasing an unchanged basket of goods and services. The rise in prices adversely affects low income families the most. Therefore, this plan proposed by Omar would equate to a tax on low income families. 

Action 4 Liberty recently called for a plan to give Minnesota families $1,000 back. But the difference with our plan is that the money already exists and is owed to taxpayers. Rep Munson's Give It Back Act takes the $4 Billion budget surplus and returns it to the people in the state who paid taxes. 

Trump is preparing the United States for an unprecedented socialistic program that will lead to further economic issues and we need to speak out against it. According to the AP, Trump asked Congress to speed emergency checks to American citizens in an economic stimulus package that would amount to a trillion dollars. He aims to have checks in the hands of the people within two weeks.

There's no question the COVID-19 spread is going to be a major blow to the U.S. and global economies. Millions of Americans will be out of work, leaving those with no savings and who live paycheck-to-paycheck in a real bad spot. But Trump's program will be more disastrous down the road than good in the immediate term.

The government isn't sitting on an extra trillion dollars in cash. In fact, they are running a trillion dollar deficit. So in order to "stimulate", the federal government would go directly to the printing press like they did in the Great Recession.

But there's a difference.

When the Federal Reserve inflated the money supply in the past, the newly created money went to banks and large institutions, thus creating a rise in asset prices (stocks, bonds, etc). Trump's proposal would take all the newly created money and inject it right into consumer goods, thus creating inflation in the everyday items we need and depend on.

Apart from the inflationary problems, sending checks to all Americans sets us on a direct course to socialism. How long will the program last? How will the government continue to afford it? If the government is in the position of making payments to us, they will want something in exchange (most likely property). Look no further than what happens to the elderly on Medicaid or those who use ObamaCare coverage.

Trump's move would also make us more reliant on the federal government which is the antithesis to the foundation of our country. Instead of relying on Uncle Sam, this crisis is the opportune time for our dependence on government to shrink so we can instead rely on family, friends and community. 

Action 4 Liberty suggests reaching out to family, friends and neighbors during this crisis to find out how you can help each other. Community solutions are a better course for this country than government dependence. 

Instead of receiving a $1,000 check from the federal government of newly created money, Action 4 Liberty called upon the Minnesota Legislature to return the massive $4 Billion surplus to taxpayers immediately. It's our money that was overtaxed and no printing press would be needed to put it back in our pockets. Check out Rep Munson's Give It Back Act to learn more.

Governor Tim Walz went a step too far yesterday when issuing Executive Order 20-04 which closes all bars, restaurants, and other places of "public accommodation". Citing Minnesota Statutes 2019, section 12.21, subdivision 3(1), Walz proclaims he has the authority to infringe on the rights of private citizens. Constitution be damned!

The spirit of the Minnesota Constitution is embedded in Article 16: "The enumeration of rights in this constitution shall not deny or impair others retained by and inherent in the people."

Walz and politicians in St Paul must understand that the rule of law in this state is the Constitution, not some vague statute that power hungry Governors can use to trample rights. If the Governor has the right to do whatever he sees fit, then what is the point in a Bill of Rights? Can he then use this vague power to set curfews, limit our speech or ban our firearms?

Many will argue that the Governor's right to carry out such an order is inherit in the system of licensing and regulation of private businesses. After all, it's the state of Minnesota that issues liquor licenses to establishments. But this is a gross exaggeration of power. The government issues drivers licenses to citizens. Using that logic, would they have the right to ban all citizens with government issued drivers licenses from owning a vehicle? 

Is it good to avoid bars and restaurants?

In order to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, it's generally a good policy for individuals to avoid places with more than 10 people, especially if they live or come in contact with someone in a high risk class (elderly or chronic health issues). The risk is much lower in rural areas in Minnesota that are not affected by the virus. We should let these business owners make the call.

It's not too hard to understand the severe economic repercussions of this order. Thousands of low income, service workers will be out of a job for months to come and restaurants owners who are already in a cutthroat business, will have several months of negative cash flow.

Action 4 Liberty believes the Governor went too far and does not have the right to tell private businesses to shut their doors. In this crisis, politicians have become authoritarian and our Constitution has been trampled. Walz should send out advisories instead of orders. It's good to share the wisdom of the scientific community. But once we've gone against the rights of the people, we've gone too far.

Leaders of the Minnesota Legislature just held a press conference to discuss their plan to hold a legislative session under the COVID-19 outbreak. Senator Majority Leader Gazelka and Speaker Hortman proclaimed that legislative leaders, including Minority Leaders Rep Kurt Daudt and Sen Susan Kent, have three priorities for the remainder of the session:

1. Funding bill for hospitals (possibly $100 Million)

2. Passing omnibus debt bill (bonding bill)

3. Bipartisan bills (not particularly dealing with COVID-19)

Neither Republican or Democrat leaders mentioned giving back the $4 Billion surplus immediately to taxpayers to help Minnesotans during these financial uncertainties. When asked by the media, they also had no answer on whether or not there will be an extension to tax deadlines for Minnesota filers.

It appears the intent of the legislative leaders right now is to continue withholding funds from the citizens of Minnesota so that government can use them instead of families. Action 4 Liberty believes it is vitally critical for our legislature to give back the money we've been overtaxed so that families can make it through the financial hardships we're about to face.

Governor Tim Walz proposes keeping the $4 Billion surplus in the government coffers citing concerns over potential emergency needs due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Currently the state of Minnesota is holding onto a record surplus and budget reserves that equates to $1,000 per taxpayer.

Walz' proposal is to spend $256 Million on new spending programs and retain billions of dollars in government accounts, according to KSTP.

In this climate, it seems the prevailing wisdom from politicians in St Paul is that it's more important for government to hold onto our money than for families to have it back in their pockets. However, Rep Jeremy Munson authored the Give It Back Act last week that would issue refund checks to Minnesota taxpayers up to $1,000 per individual, $2,000 per couple. Five other Republican legislators have signed onto the legislation in the House.

Minnesota families are about to experience significant financial disruptions in their lives. Schools are closing, meaning parents will either have to take leave with their jobs or hire child care providers to watch their kids. All the industries connected to travel and sports are going to have massive layoffs. And those who depend on income from securities tied to market performance, will be taking big pay cuts as the stock market loses value.

So what is the argument for government to have our money in this crisis? If there was ever a time for government to give back the surplus and extend the tax filing period, now is that time. 

SIGN OUR PETITION and tell Governor Walz and politicians in St Paul to give us our $1,000 back now!

Two Republican legislators filed an ethics complaint in the Minnesota House today regarding Rep Kurt Daudt's employment with a D.C. lobbying firm according to Alpha News. Rep Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) and Rep Tim Miller (R-Prinsburg) released the following statement:

“Leadership matters. Over a year ago, we formed the New House Republican Caucus because Rep. Kurt Daudt had a long history of failed, dishonest, and unethical leadership. Rep. Daudt’s recent acceptance of a high-powered job with a multinational corporate lobbying firm, while continuing to serve and vote in the Minnesota House of Representatives, demonstrates a total lack of ethical behavior.

Rep. Daudt is a lobbyist for Stateside Associates. This firm represents many corporate interests involved in all sectors of our economy. As a result, Rep. Daudt is inevitably casting votes on behalf of his influential clients. In Minnesota, legislators are barred from received lobbyist gifts worth over $5. However, Rep. Daudt is unabashedly taking what is likely a very substantial salary from Stateside Associates. 

Furthermore, our offices are now getting calls from lobbyists with Washington D.C.based Stateside Associates. In all our years of serving in the Minnesota Legislature, we have never once received a call from a Stateside Associates lobbyist until Rep. Daudt started working for them. Rep. Daudt is trying his hardest to pump swamp water from Washington D.C. directly into Minnesota. This must stop.  

We believe that Rep. Daudt has most assuredly betrayed the public trust and has brought dishonor and disrepute upon the Minnesota House of Representatives. As such, we have sent a letter to the Speaker of the House requesting a full ethics investigation into Rep. Daudt’s deliberately exercised ethical conflict. An ethics investigation is a commonsense measure to ensure the integrity of our government.

The people of Minnesota deserve competent leaders. These individuals must be independent, acting in the best interest of the people, and ethical.

In addition to standing up for true conservative values, we formed the New House Republican Caucus to reintroduce honesty and transparency into the Minnesota Legislature. All legislators, regardless of political allegiance, must be held to the high ethical standards that the public expects from its leaders.”

Below is an exhibit from the ethics complaint that shows Stateside Associates calling Rep Cal Bahr's office to lobby him on a bill.

Families all across Minnesota are starting to face the reality that the coronavirus outbreak is going to alter their daily lives and impact them financially. Several employers in the state are signaling towards extended leave for workers. The University of Minnesota has closed down classes until April. And major sporting venues will no longer allow fans at the games. On top of that, school districts are considering shutting down which would force many parents to leave work to take care of their children.

All of this is happening while legislators at the Capitol are sitting on $4 Billion of our tax money.

The Republicans and Democrat proponents of large government tell us that now, more than ever, is a reason for the state to have a massive reserve account and be careful about giving back the surplus. But that is the exact opposite of what we need right now...more money out of our pocket.

Even President Trump has signaled towards a payroll tax holiday and delaying the tax filing schedule for Americans in response to the outbreak. Of course the Swamp is not on board with that plan.

Why is Senator Paul Gazelka, Republican Majority Leader in Minnesota, not on board with us getting our $1,000 back of the surplus. So far his statements on the surplus is that he wants to give only $1 billion back and keep the $2.4 Billion reserves at record levels. In other words, he wants to keep our money for future spending.

Tell Paul Gazelka that we want our money back. Families in Minnesota are going to struggle and its wrong for government to hold on to our money. Tell him to sign on to Rep Jeremy Munson's Give it Back Act immediately so we all can get $1,000 refunds from the massive $4 Billion surplus. 

Sen Paul Gazelka

651-296-4875

[email protected]