It’s no surprise to see Minneapolis Rep. Paul Thissen sending misleading letters to the Albert Lea Tribune attacking your local Rep. Peggy Bennett.

Thissen and liberal metro Democrats are desperate to say and do anything this fall to defeat hardworking legislators like Peggy. Why? It’s simple: Paul Thissen wants a return to single-party Democrat control.

He knows that Peggy Bennett and House Republicans have served as a check and balance to the DFL agenda, and have worked to make sure taxpayers are respected at the Capitol.

Two years ago, Democrats raised taxes by $2.1 billion, built themselves a $90 million office building and brought Obamacare to Minnesota, which reduced health care choices and increased your out-of-pocket costs.

Minority Leader Thissen’s letter makes it sound like he supported the tax relief bill and the bonding bill that included $7.5 million for Riverland Community College. The fact is, he voted against both of them, and stood in the way of a special session to make those bills a reality.

Now, instead of working to convince Gov. Dayton to put controversial issues aside so we can pass middle-class tax relief and projects that both sides agree on from the transportation-focused bonding bill, he’s writing copy and paste partisan political letters to districts all over the state.

Peggy Bennett on the other hand supported middle-class tax relief for farmers, college graduates with student debt, parents with childcare costs and many more. She voted in favor of a transportation-focused bonding bill that would have increased county transportation funding, helped Riverland Community College and so much more.

She knows the Minnesotan thing to do isn’t to take your ball and go home — she thinks we should pass what all sides agree on and do what’s best for families.

The fact is, Peggy Bennett has spent the last two years working hard for your community and getting results. She authored a bipartisan bill that was signed into law to designate the Shell Rock River as a state waterway. She chief authored and helped pass an innovative new student loan forgiveness program that will help bring hundreds of teachers to areas that are struggling with teacher shortages.

She helped lower tuition at Riverland Community College, supported the strongest agriculture budget in recent history and helped pass once-in-a-generation reforms to nursing home funding that will help keep nursing facilities open and our aging loved ones close to their families.

As a former teacher, Peggy has put her years of experience helping Minnesota kids into action at the Legislature. I’ve been lucky to serve with Peggy as a fellow member of the Child Protection Task Force, and on the Education Policy Committee, where she serves as the vice chairwoman. Peggy is a passionate advocate for education, for protecting kids and for her community.  District 27A is fortunate to have such a great advocate in Saint Paul, and I hope to have the honor of continuing to serve with Peggy next session.
District 9B Rep. Ron Kresha

Assistant Majority Leader