Sources close to Rep. Jim Abeler (R 35A) have told me that he will be entering the race for CD6 CORRECTION: US Senate as a Republican with in the next day or two.

Of course you don’t see that in the headline or story for that matter, of the 2012 Economic survey of states.

Minnesota economy among fastest growing in U.S.

Minnesota has one of the fastest-growing state economies in the nation, according to a federal study released Monday by state officials.

Minnesota tied California last year for fifth place in growth of gross domestic product, or GDP, based on data for durable goods manufacturing, construction, mining, agriculture, wholesale trade and finance, and insurance, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis reported.

Minnesota and California’s GDP grew 3.5 percent in 2012, compared to a 2.5 percent national average. The total value of Minnesota GDP was $253 billion, ranking 17th nationally.

We were told during the 2012 Election by Governor Dayton, Democrat candidates, and their special interest friends that Republican policies were bad for Minnesota. Well, if the Republican policies enacted in the Legislature were that bad, I expect Minnesota to rank number one after Minnesota’s 2013 economy was run singlehandedly by Democrats.

Rep. Peggy Scott of HD35B is not running.

State Representative Peggy Scott Will Not Seek Sixth Congressional Open Seat

Today, State Representative Peggy Scott, (R-Andover) has made the following statement regarding the 2014 election.

“I would like to thank Congresswoman Bachmann for her years of dedicated service to the 6th District, the State of Minnesota, and our country. Her deep love and concern for what is best for our state and country have been the driving force behind her service.

As a result of Congresswoman Bachmann’s announcement not to seek re-election, I have received encouragement from many to run to be the next Congresswoman of the 6th District of Minnesota.  My family and I have given careful consideration to this opportunity to serve. While I am indeed flattered and thankful for words of encouragement and support, I have decided not to seek the Republican nomination for the 6th Congressional District. My family has always come first and the timing of this opportunity is just not best for us.

I am proud to represent the wonderful, hardworking people of Andover, Northern Coon Rapids, and NE Ramsey, and will continue to work on their behalf in St. Paul.”

“The 6th District is rich in qualified potential candidates for congress and I have confidence we will choose a candidate who will represent well and work on behalf of, the values of our district in Washington, D.C.”

Via Blois Olson’s Morning Take email:

CD6: via the St. Cloud TimesMark Sommerhauser, VERBATIM: “State Sen. John Pedersonedged closer to a run for Congress on Monday, announcing he’s forming an exploratory committee for a campaign in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District…Pederson, R-St. Cloud, is one of many Republicans eying the seat in the wake of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s announcement last week that she won’t seek a fifth term.”

A couple of From The INBOXes:

Tom Emmer sent out an invite to an announcement this Wednesday.

I wanted to let you know I will be making an announcement on Wednesday, June 5th at 6 p.m. at the River Front and Lions Park, 225 North River Street, Delano.  I hope you can be there.

Tom Emmer

In possibly related news, Sen. Michelle Benson sent out a release stating she was not running to replace Bachmann.

State Senator Michelle Benson announces she will not run for Congress in 2014

 

(Ham Lake, MN) – Today State Senator Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) released the following statement regarding the open seat in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District:

 

“I’m honored to serve in the Minnesota State Senate representing Anoka, Isanti, and Sherburne Counties.  Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District would also be a great honor as our country faces many challenges and opportunities.

 

Although my desire to serve our nation is strong, right now my family, particularly my young children, needs me in Minnesota and not in Washington, D.C.  After thoughtful consideration for the needs of my family, I have decided that I will not be a candidate for Congress in 2014.

 

I want to thank the many people who have encouraged me to run for higher office. Their support reinforces my commitment to serve.

The 6th Congressional District is home to many committed and qualified Republican candidates and I have no doubt the District will continue to have Republican representation in Washington, D.C.”

The media is doing its best to help Governor Dayton and the DFL Majorities in the Legislature dramatically increase spending and taxes with out the public realizing. I think its critical to remind people of what happened under Republicans since they DFL slimed them to win the 2012 Elections and majorities.

The Republican led Legislature passed a budget of $35 Billion dollars.

According to media reports the DFL has somehow managed to compromise on all their spending desires and only end up at $38 Billion.

That’s a $3 Billion increase in spending and taxes, or 9.2%.

Nearly a 10% increase in spending under the DFL’s single party rule. Oddly, they are complaining how the GOP Minorities are making it hard for them to accomplish anything. I guess the real question should be, just how much bigger should the state budget be if the DFL didn’t have to deal with that pesky MN Constitution that allows for all Minnesotans to select their representation at the Capital (Read: elect non-socialist redistributionists)?

Well the House DFL is leaving little to the imagination of what it looks like inside the mind of a utopian. That is, what does the agenda look like from someone who has no basis of using practical real world cause and effect and instead relies entirely on feelings to govern.

Its always a good indicator that a policy is flawed when, in order to get enough support to pass legislation, you have to insert exclusions for special interests who would be harmed upon implementation…. (emphasis mine)

The Minnesota House and Senate have agreed to an energy bill that includes a 1.5 percent solar energy standard for investor-owned utilities.

[...]

The conference committee working out differences between the two bills decided on a 1.5 percent solar energy standard that will take effect sooner. Investor-owned utilities, such as Xcel Energy, must meet the standard by the end of 2020. Iron mining facilities and paper mills are exempt, as are electricity co-ops and municipal utilities.

Here’s a response from House Republicans on the issue.

St. Paul- Reps. Tim O’Driscoll (R-Sartell) and Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington) issued the following statements upon passage of the conference committee report for the Jobs, Commerce, Housing, and Energy Omnibus bill. HF 729 passed by a vote of 73-59 and the conference committee report now heads to the Senate for final passage.

“I was disappointed to find excessive wasteful spending for inefficient government programs in this bill which is inaccurately titled a ‘jobs’ bill. HF 729 is a hodgepodge of state programs and initiatives that will spend millions in taxpayer dollars and only kill jobs or drive them elsewhere through higher taxes, fees and energy rates. The special interests that benefit from this bill will result in others losing out, including a special group of employees that will receive much higher unemployment benefits than the average Minnesotan,” said Rep. O’Driscoll.

“Democrats passed energy mandates tonight that will result in higher energy costs for hardworking Minnesotans. Democrats are forcing consumers to use energy that nobody wants, everyone will pay for, and no one can afford,” added Rep. Garofalo.

Meanwhile, on the real energy crisis that affects Minnesotans TODAY….

Prices around the metro and across Minnesota jumped well above $4 a gallon Wednesday. Prices at some stations around the metro were listed at $4.19 a gallon, while other stations were reported to be slightly higher.

According to AAA, the highest average price on record for the state is $3.98, that was in 2008. Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan, Illinois and the West Coast are holding the highest gas prices in the country right now.

AAA says higher crude oil prices are partly to blame for the price hike, but refinery maintenance both planned and unplanned in the Midwest and West Coast caused those prices to go up.

AAA says we might not get relief at the pump until July 4.

This is not on the list of things the DFL is worried about. In fact, they are proposing a gas tax increase as well as driving related fee increases to pad their special interest slush funds and bailout packages.

Is this what you voted for Minnesota?

My state Rep recorded a video update about what is (or rather isn’t) happening at the State Capital under the DFL’s leadership.

From Governor Dayton’s press conference yesterday. He was asked if he raises taxes on businesses, won’t middle class Minnesotans (and lower btw) be forced to pay more for goods and services.

There is no free lunch folks. The taxes, fees, and regulatory burdens the DFL are going to pass will end up being paid by every single Minnesotan.

Tick Tock…..

And let’s not forget how the DFL sounded 2 years ago when the shoe was on the other foot.

From May 22, 2011 REUTERS by: David Bailey

Protesters supporting and opposing the amendment could be heard demonstrating outside the House chambers for days and anti-amendment chants were audible after the vote.

The amendment is “a real ill-advised attempt to use our constitution to place an important question out of reach of the elected officials and to impose our will in the year 2011 on future generations 100, 200, 300 or more years from now,” Democratic Representative Steve Simon said.

Democrats questioned the drive for the constitutional amendment with the state budget still unresolved. They also said they were concerned it would lead to a divisive political campaign over the next 18 months to the election.

“Millions and millions of dollars will be poured into this state on both sides and the pain and agony that I have witnessed in this chamber this evening will be all over Minnesota,” Democratic Representative Kerry Gauthier said.

Meanwhile, the private behind closed doors negotiating meetings between DFL Governor Dayton & the DFL Majority Leadership teams has been unable to produce a budget.

Following the 90 minute meeting, Bakk told reporters that they’re still trying to agree on a global number on new tax revenue. He said that number is needed to set the spending targets for each piece of the budget.

Tax first, figure out if the spending even makes sense never….

Bakk said they’re also still discussing the Senate’s sales tax expansion, which neither the House nor the governor supported.

There’s a clear sense of ‘urgency’ in the DFL Senate  membership to sock it to lower and middle class Minnesotans to expand State Government. They are holding the budget hostage for one of there pet projects.

Heck with under 2 weeks to go, there is not even agreement amongst DFLers about even the budget targets.

House Speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, said they’ve been talking about the budget in very broad terms. Thissen said he’s hoping for an agreement on budget targets as soon as possible.

Maybe if they weren’t so distracted with their own divisive agenda Minnesotans wouldn’t be facing yet another Dayton shutdown.

Clearly Mark Dayton is incapable of leading.

Has he given the order for his Cabinet to begin preparing for a shutdown since the DFL uni-partisan Governing team seems to be at an impasse?

Governor Mark Dayton, the DFL Party, and their allies campaigned against Republicans in 2012 on the platform that they put divisive social issues ahead of the State Budget. They hammered that issue home in the hearts and minds of Minnesota voters (and I’m sure a few of them twice not to mention some ineligible voters – ). The message was based on poll testing not truth, but the voters still bought what the DFL was selling and they won both majorities giving them unchecked power and the inability to blame Republicans for any delay or impediment of their left wing agenda.

Was solving the state’s budget woes the first item on the DFL’s Legislative agenda? Nope? Second? Nope. Third, fourth, fifth, etc? Nope.

Here we are just 2 weeks from the end of the session:

In addition, the Legislature may not meet in regular session after the first Monday following the third Saturday in May of any year (Source)

Up to this point, the DFL majorities have introduced left wing agenda platform plank after plank to appease or or strengthen their allies and special interests to secure their support in the 2014 election and beyond. They ran against pushing divisive social issues, legislation crafted towards specific interests, and shirking the primary purpose for the odd year scission AKA passing a balanced budget to avoid a shut down.

A couple of great examples of the DFL’s campaign saying one thing, but win power and do the opposite are:

Voter ID: The DFL told voters to vote no and send the bill back to the Legislature to get it right. What have they done? They are pushing for early voting, less transparent election operations, and ignored actual examples of voter fraud. They’ve gone to the opposite “extreme” if you will.

Gay Marriage: The DFL railed against the Republicans for putting the Marriage Amendment on the ballot. They claimed it was dividing Minnesotans. The Amendment was narrowly defeated. So what does the DFL do? They make it a priority to Legalize Gay Marriage.

Guns: Urban DFLers have a long history of hating guns and wanting to ban the use and ownership of them. Over the years, the urban DFLers have been able to get their Caucuses to avoid the the issue to avoid losing seats in areas outside the 694/494 beltway where talk of gun restriction is political suicide for DFLers. Several radical knee jerk measures were brought forward, but for lack of support, they were all pulled from the light of day due to lack of DFL votes.

Sure the DFL has spent a lot of time and effort on increasing spending, regulation, and taxes, but with just 2 weeks left in the session they still have yet to release their actual budget. The price tag for unchecked left wing socialism has yet to be released. Considering the campaign DFLers used to win the majorities, its a shame that we still haven’t seen any example of what they would do differently than a Republican Majority?

They’ve wasted months of this session pushing divisive social issues, ramping up regulations, taxes, mandates, and catering to their special interests.