May 26, 2017
Honorable Governor Mark Dayton
130 State Capitol
75 Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Governor Dayton:
On behalf of the 67,000 supporters and 28 member organizations of TakeAction Minnesota from across the state, we ask you to veto the following bills: H.F. 470 Public Safety, S.F. 3 Labor Standards, S.F. 1456 Jobs & Energy, H.F. 2 E-12 Education, and H.F. 1 Taxes. We also ask for a meeting with you at your earliest convenience to discuss both our opposition to these bills and hour our statewide network of activists can support progressive legislative alternatives.
The purpose of our state government is to serve Minnesotans through a robust democratic process that is inclusive, fair, and focused on the future. Provisions in each of these five bills fall far short of this vision; they contain policies or approaches that violate these basic principles, and the values we hold as Minnesotans. The Legislature’s bills harm ordinary citizens, while blatantly prioritizing the financial interest of corporations and wealthy individuals.
The anti-immigrant driver’s license language in H.F. 470, the Public Safety Finance bill, is pointless and mean-spirited. It is an effort to slam the door shut on new Minnesotans, rather than welcome and include them. It points our state in exactly the wrong direction. H.F. 470 must be vetoed.
The Labor Standards bill, S.F. 3, pits working Minnesotans against each other, forcing a false choice between raising local workplace standards and providing paid family leave to state employees. It is transparently divisive and crassly political. Thank you for already committing to veto this bill.
Minnesotans stand firmly behind local control to raise employment and environmental standards. S.F. 1456, the Jobs & Energy bill, strips away power from local government to improve environmental protections, like bans on plastic bags, while sending Minnesota backward on renewable energy. Please veto S.F. 1456. This provision is an irresponsible power grab by industries who appear unconcerned about their impacts on our air and land.
The E-12 bill, H.F. 2, undermines the high standards we expect in schools in Minnesota by weakening teacher licensure. As you know, teachers are professionals who are entrusted with the development and care of Minnesota’s kids. It is entirely reasonable to expect that they are well-trained and qualified. Please veto H.F. 2.
In the face of a $1.6 billion surplus, the Legislature’s tax bill, H.F. 1, is simply irresponsible. It directly takes money away from needed investments in health care, education, senior care, and the environment in order to provide enormous tax cuts to large corporations, tobacco companies, and very wealthy Minnesotans. These tax cuts are designed to grow dramatically in future biennium. They will return the state to the chronic fiscal crises we experienced during the 2000’s and that you righted through your leadership to increase revenue fairly. Please veto H.F. 1.
Furthermore, we request a meeting with you to discuss how our grassroots network of activists in every legislative district in the state can support your efforts to shape legislation in a more hopeful and forward-thinking direction. We are available to meet at your earliest convenience.
We expect the Legislature to work in the best interest of all Minnesotans, yet to date they have not. Thank you for standing up for the people of our state. We need you now more than ever to keep fighting for a better Minnesota.
Sincerely,
Dan McGrath
Executive Director
