Tuesday was the first day of the 2020 Legislative Session. Heading into the 2020 Session, state government is fully funded, our budget reserve is at an all-time high, and Minnesota has a budget surplus of $1.3 billion.

My priority this session will be to use that budget surplus to provide tax relief for Minnesotans, improve public safety, and continue my fight to change Minnesota's weak child pornography laws, stronger punishment for sexual predators, and stand up for the victims of these heinous crimes.

We also need to get to the bottom of the problem and fix the issues of waste, fraud, and abuse that has plagued the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS).

This summer, Minnesotans were frustrated with the endless news of chaos, misspending and mismanagement at DHS. Rather than forcing taxpayers to pay even more and cover the tens of millions Minnesota owes to the federal government, DHS should take responsibility for the mess they created and find those savings within their $17 billion budget. We will also push for an independent forensic audit of DHS, an idea endorsed by Gov. Walz, that will weed out even more waste and fraud.

I also want to hear from you. Please reach out with any questions, ideas, or suggestions you have. My phone number is 651-296-4265 or you can email me at rep.matt.grossell@house.mn.

Economic impact of snowmobiling in Minnesota

Before the session kicked off, I joined the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association for their annual Winter Rendezvous event in Bemidji. It was an opportunity to learn more about the impact snowmobiling has on tourism, manufacturing, and enjoying our great natural resources across Minnesota.

The most recent snowmobile economic impact study reflects that snowmobiling provides over 7,000 jobs in tourism, manufacturing and retail activity, generates state and local tax revenue of $51.7 million and contributes $501 million to the Gross State Product.