"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." -John 15:13

"Blessed are the peacemakers" -Matthew 5:9

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Tragically, heroes Officer Paul Elmstrand (age 27), Officer Matthew Ruge (age 27), and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth (age 40) lost their life yesterday, murdered in the line of duty. Burnsville Police Sergeant Adam Medlicott was also shot and hospitalized and is thankfully expected to survive. We pray for the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims that they be given strength and support in these very difficult times.

2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION KICKOFF

Last week was the first week of the 2024 legislative session. I have zero doubt the Democrat single-party control of Minnesota will be just as extreme this year as 2023 with an agenda expected to include taxpayer funding of illegal foreign nationals by making Minnesota a sanctuary state, assisted suicide, and even more tax hikes. Despite this reality, I am excited for the opportunity to meet with the many constituents, business owners, teachers, community leaders, and more that I have the honor of representing.

At Noon on Monday the MN Senate and MN House gaveled into the start of 2024 legislative session at the Capitol. Rep. Walter Hudson, Rep. Paul Novotny, and I are honored to serve and continue working hard for the values and priorities of our great community!

Otsego constituent Pastor Dan and Saint Michael constituent Pastor Dale were among the prayer warriors gathered at the MN Capitol for the first day of the 2024 legislative session to fill the Capitol halls with the powerful words of Scripture in the ongoing spiritual battle for truth!

Sen. Lucero with friends Monday evening last week at the MN Chamber of Commerce session priorities annual dinner.

Sen. Lucero on Valentine’s Day personally signing and sending congratulations cards to the parents of the 73 newborns welcomed into our great community in January. It's a true honor to send congratulations cards each month!

Sen. Lucero with Saint Michael constituent Andrew on the Senate Floor Thursday last week. Andrew reached out to shadow Sen. Lucero at the Capitol and learn a day in the life of a senator.

“Great turnout and engagement Saturday morning for the town hall in Saint Michael hosted by AFP Minnesota,” Sen. Lucero said. “Minnesota is broken and too expensive for many hardworking families due to Democrat trifecta policies. Reps. Paul Novotny, Walter Hudson, and I are working to fix this state.”

“It continues to be my humble honor serving our great community in the MN Senate,” Sen. Lucero said. “Tuesday evening I visited the Nowthen City Council and Saint Michael City Council sharing a legislative preview for the 2024 session.”

Sen. Lucero proudly showing his MN State flag in his Capitol office.

First Bills Introduced in 2024

The first bills introduced each year gives a preview of legislative priorities…often the issues politicians have been working on and discussing over the course of interim. While the bills introduced in 2023 are still in play for the remainder of the biennium, it certainly did not stop the Democrat majority from planning all sorts of new, extreme ways to spend your money, intrude government into your life, and promote a radical and divisive social agenda.

Since a state budget was passed in 2023 (the first year of the biennium), the 2024 session (the second year of the biennium) would traditionally be an opportunity to take a step back from spending to focus on policy. However, of the over 150 bills Democrat senators introduced on the first day of the 2024 legislative session, over 40% would spend taxpayer dollars if passed. Unfortunately most of the 60% that didn't spend money weren't very good either.

Below are several bills Democrats introduced during the first week of the 2024 legislative session:

Senators Pappas, McEwen, Marty, Kunesh, and Fateh introduced--

S.F. No. 3365: Removes language from statute prohibiting state government from doing business with antisemitic organizations that oppose the existence of Israel.

Senator Kunesh introduced--

S.F. No. 3477: Bans the possession of firearms in public libraries.

Senator Maye Quade introduced--

S.F. No. 3502: Appropriating money for grants to nonprofits to pay for homosexual and transexual individuals to move to Minnesota.

Senators McEwen, Mann, Marty, Gustafson, and Mitchell introduced--

S.F. No. 3541: Removes a prohibition on local governments from banning stores from providing customers with paper or plastic bags.

Senators Fateh, Pha, and Mann introduced--

S.F. No. 3516: Prohibiting state law enforcement from assisting federal law enforcement in enforcing immigration laws.

Senator Maye Quade introduced--

S.F. No. 3577: Removes language from statute requiring schools to explain the benefits of abstinence in sex education.

Senators Mohamed, Oumou Verbeten, and McEwen introduced--

S.F. No. 3588: Makes more workers who voluntarily chose to not work while on strike eligible for unemployment benefits.

Senators Oumou Verbeten, Mohamed, Fateh, and Pappas introduced--

S.F. No. 3589: Further restraining law enforcement from doing their job and protecting our communities by restricting officers from conducting traffic stops for certain violations.

Senators Marty, Mitchell, and Xiong introduced--

S.F. No. 3637:Requires the Department of Commerce to develop a plan to restrict businesses and restrain Minnesota's economy to achieve net-zero greenhouse gasses by 2040.

Senators Marty, Boldon, and McEwen introduced--

S.F. No. 3680: Massive gun ban ranging from semi automatic rifles all the way to certain handguns.

Senators Putnam, Port, Boldon, Klein, and Oumou Verbeten introduced--

S.F. No. 3769: Requiring landlords to accept a tenant's individual taxpayer identification number in lieu of a Social Security number. This bill is meant to force landlords to house illegal immigrants.

Senators Port, Murphy, Mann, Maye Quade, and McEwen introduced--

S.F. No. 3794: Requiring health plans to cover over-the-counter contraceptives despite religious or moral objections of the providers.

The 2024 session is likely to squander much time revisiting what was rammed through into law last year such as the massive price hikes for programs the Democrat majority didn't anticipate and to make changes to the most controversial and poorly executed parts of the Democrat’s 2023 agenda.

One of the very first bills to be heard this session was in the Education Policy Committee where Democrats passed a "fix" to their highly controversial school resource officer (SRO) law last year that resulted in several law enforcement agencies across the state to remove their officers from schools. However, the effort has already stalled in the House due to the Democrat majority’s anti-law enforcement philosophy.

The best solution to most of the issues stemming from the 2023 session would be a complete repeal of the laws causing these self-inflicted problems.