Jim Schultz: Five more resolutions for a stronger Minnesota

We all know that for over a decade Minnesota government has been a disaster. Collectively, these resolutions are a blueprint for how we can renew our state.

View of the Minnesota Capitol Building from the Cathedral of St. Paul. (Luis Rego/Shutterstock)

As the New Year begins, Minnesotans face a critical question: will our state government continue down the path of waste, overreach, and soft-on-crime policies? Or will it finally deliver the common-sense solutions Minnesotans deserve?

A few weeks ago, I proposed four New Year’s resolutions for Minnesota government. Today, I’m offering five more—each aimed at addressing the pressing issues facing our families and communities.

We all know that for over a decade Minnesota government has been a disaster. Collectively, these resolutions are a blueprint for how we can renew our state.

1. Let farmers farm—end the mandates

Minnesota’s farmers are the backbone of our economy, feeding our state and the nation. Yet, for years, radical left-wing Democrats in St. Paul have treated them as villains instead of partners. With endless mandates, restrictive land-use policies, and a regulatory culture of distrust, the government has made it harder than ever to farm.

Farmers are the best stewards of their land. They don’t need bureaucrats from St. Paul or Washington, D.C., telling them how to run operations they’ve managed for generations. Let’s repeal unnecessary mandates and regulations that drive up costs and make it harder to put food on the table. Let’s stop the liberal war on agriculture and let our farmers farm.

2. Stop fraud—empower local prosecutors

Minnesota taxpayers have been failed time and time again by a state government incapable of protecting public funds. While the Feeding Our Future scandal exposed massive fraud in federal nutrition programs, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. From childcare fraud to Medicare fraud, over $500 million has been stolen and the state has been absent where it matters most: safeguarding Minnesotans’ hard-earned tax dollars.

Gov. Tim Walz’s pathetic response to fraud scandals amounts to little more than smoke and mirrors. What Minnesota needs is fundamental reform given the total disinterest of state government in dealing with fraud. The answer is to deputize county prosecutors.

County attorneys have extensive experience in the application of Minnesota statutes to wrongdoing. These important actors in our state’s system should be granted the authority and necessary resources to bring suit related to fraud or maladministration in taxpayer-funded programs to ensure justice is done in such cases. With the right resources and authority, county attorneys can take swift, decisive action to protect public funds where state leadership has failed.

3. Secure our elections with voter ID

Our election laws must do two things: they must ensure there is election integrity and they must be constructed in a manner to ensure that the public can trust there is election integrity.

Current Minnesota law, which is one of just a few states that does not require voter ID to vote, fails on both counts. We require ID at the liquor store, at the pharmacy, and in countless other settings to ensure that people are who they say they are. Not having it when voting is conducive to electoral fraud and undermines trust in our system. The vast majority of Minnesotans support voter ID and it is very long past time to require it.

4. End the nuclear moratorium

For too long, Minnesota has clung to an outdated moratorium on building new nuclear power plants. While other states embrace nuclear energy as a reliable and affordable option, Minnesota remains shackled to a ban that prevents us from taking advantage of this reliable and efficient power source.

Ending the nuclear moratorium isn’t just about energy; it’s about jobs, economic growth, and ensuring Minnesotans have access to affordable and reliable electricity. If we want to reduce energy costs and secure our energy independence, we must stop bowing to fear and start investing in proven solutions. It’s time Minnesota nuke this outdated moratorium and embrace a new all-tech-on-deck approach to meet our energy needs.

5. Hold cities accountable for defunding police

Radical left-wing policies have devastated cities across America, and Minneapolis is no exception. The city’s disastrous defunding of its police force resulted in an immense increase in violent crime from which the city is still recovering. Still today the city has a fraction of the police officers it needs, and Minneapolis’s city council (comprised of several self-avowed socialists) as a rule is totally divorced from reality.

In order to ensure that cities like Minneapolis provide public safety to their citizens, going forward local government aid (LGA) should be tied to adequate police funding. If cities like Minneapolis fail to deliver on this most basic of obligations, they should not expect the state to step in to bail them out.

By taking these steps we can renew Minnesota. For too long, radical Democrats have prioritized their agenda over Minnesotans’ needs. This year let’s demand better. Minnesota’s future depends on it.

Jim Schultz is President of the Minnesota Private Business Council and was the Republican nominee for Minnesota Attorney General in 2022. Follow: @JimForMn.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not represent an official position of Alpha News. 

 

Jim Schultz

Jim Schultz is the President of the Minnesota Private Business Council and was the 2022 Republican nominee for Attorney General.