Minnesota Legislature 13 , CD3 DFL

Rep. Heather Edelson (HD49A) Update: May 14, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

Yesterday afternoon, Governor Walz announced the end of Minnesota’s statewide mask requirement, aligning Minnesota with new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on face coverings.

Minnesotans who are not fully vaccinated are still strongly recommended to wear face coverings indoors.

Private businesses and local municipalities may still put in place face covering requirements. I understand that Minneapolis has already passed a mask ordinance today.

Sen. Steve Cwodzinski (SD48) Update: May 14, 2021

May 14, 2021

Legislative Session Nears Its End, Special Session Possible

The end of the legislative session is right around the corner, and many areas of disagreement still remain. Some of the main areas I am most focused on reaching a compromise are:

Policing reform
Small business and worker tax relief
Passing the Veterans Restorative Justice Act
Protecting Minnesota’s environment and our Clean Car Rule
Fully funding public education
Providing paid family and medical leave
Ensuring access to healthcare for all Minnesotans

A special session to finish the budget is looking increasingly likely. Know that you can count on my support for passing a budget that works for all Minnesotans.

Senate DFL Week in Review: May 14, 2021

Final Days of the Legislative Session
and everything happening in the Legislature this week

A lot of work remains with only a few days left

The Legislature is constitutionally required to adjourn by midnight on May 17, yet Senate Republicans have spent the past week drawing ultimatums and refusing to negotiate on important numbers needed for the Legislature to finish its work on time. Read more >>

Conference committee update

Conference committees for each of the omnibus budget bills continued working this week. In the absence of global budget targets — spending totals that have been agreed upon by the House, governor, and Senate majority — most committees spent time working through policy provisions or items that have no associated cost. Read more >>

DFL Party Applauds Passage of Bill Legalizing Cannabis

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Following the passage of HF 600, which legalizes adult-use cannabis in Minnesota, DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement:

“I applaud House DFLers for their historic vote to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis. The people of Minnesota and DFL Party lawmakers are ready to legalize and responsibly regulate cannabis, expunge non-violent convictions, and end the harm done by senseless prohibition laws.

Minnesota House approves bill to legalize cannabis for adult use, expunge records for non-violent cannabis offenses

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — For the first time ever, under DFL leadership, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved a bill late last night to legalize cannabis for adult use and expunge records for people convicted of non-violent offenses involving cannabis. Legislators voted 72-61 to approve the bill.

“The Minnesota House made history today because we listened to and worked with people of all backgrounds over the course of years to bring forward the best cannabis legalization bill in the nation,” said Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley), the bill’s author and House Majority Leader. “The war on drugs is a failed policy. The harms caused by current cannabis laws cannot be allowed to continue. Minnesota’s illegal cannabis market creates bad outcomes for everyone. Responsible regulations and safeguards to prevent youth access are a better solution to address the harms our current laws fail to address.”

If passed by the Minnesota Senate before the Legislature’s May 17th constitutional adjournment deadline, the bill could be signed into law. This year, the Republican-controlled Senate has blocked all public discussion on adult-use cannabis proposals, but there is still plenty of time to allow senators to vote.

“Our current cannabis laws aren’t working for Minnesota,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Criminalizing a product that most people think should be available and continuing a legacy of racial injustice is simply not defensible. This smart, sensible legislation addresses racial inequities in our criminal justice system, mitigates any risks posed by legalizing adult use of cannabis, and ensures better outcomes for communities.”

Prior to today’s historic vote, House File 600 received approval from 12 House committees, including the committees on Commerce; Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs; Business and Workforce Development; Agriculture; Environment and Natural Resources; Judiciary and Civil Law; State Government; Education Finance; Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform; Health; Taxes; and Ways and Means.

Rep. Cedrick Frazier (HD45A) Update: May 13, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

Eid Mubarak to those who are celebrating this week! I know that many hearts may be heavy, tired, and exhausted from violence here at home, and abroad. It has been a difficult year, but it gives me hope to see so many passionate, outspoken people rise in solidarity.

We are approaching the end of session but negotiations still continue with the Senate Republicans. We have spent countless hours sitting in conference committees and fighting to keep our proposals. The bills I have authored this session are on the table and are an essential part of creating a better Minnesota. We need emergency paid sick leave (House File 41), we need police accountability, but we also need prevention from another act of violence driven by hate. House file 593 will ban police officers tasked with protection from affliation with white supremacist groups. This step towards public safety should not be controversial, and it seems that many other states in the U.S. feel the same way. The New York Times recently published an article describing the movement around this issue, you can read more here.

Minnesota House Approves Legislation to Improve Access to Banking and Credit Unions

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved legislation 131-0 to improve and reinstate access to banking and credit union accounts for Minnesotans.

“Minnesotans deserve economic security, and the tools to secure finances safely through accessing a bank or credit union,” said Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis), lead author of the legislation.

Current law prevents a bank or credit union from re-issuing an account to an individual whose account closed involuntarily because of issuing dishonored checks (checks with insufficient funds) in the last 12 months, or who has been convicted of a crime related to check cashing. This is to help protect financial institutions from fraud, but it can also prevent people from having access to traditional financial institutions.

Representative Davnie’s legislation allows financial institutions the option to offer service to individuals who may have had an account canceled and don’t have access to other traditional financial services.

A video of the floor session will be available here.

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: May 13, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

Today, we’ll be on the House floor to vote for a bill that would legalize and regulate cannabis for adult use, and expunge the records of those convicted of nonviolent cannabis-related crimes. I will be voting yes.

There are a number of reasons why it’s time for Minnesota to legalize adult-use cannabis, but at the top of the list for me is its impact on racial justice. Despite comparable usage rates, Black Minnesotans are 5.4 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than white Minnesotans, and our state ranks 8th in the largest racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests.

Our current laws are doing far more harm than good, with the data showing that all they’re really accomplishing is an exacerbated racial divide in our justice system, punishing Minnesotans for possession of a substance that a growing number of states have managed to successfully legalize for adult use.

Rep. Samantha Vang (HD40B) Update: May 10, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

Overall, the biggest responsibility for lawmakers this session is to enact a new two-year state budget. The House has approved all of our budget bills off the floor, all of which were put together with the goal of helping workers, small businesses, students, and families all emerge from the challenges of the past year with the ability to succeed and thrive. Here are each of the bills we’ve passed:

‘The Legislature has proved … they’re not capable of getting the job done’: How redistricting is likely to happen in Minnesota

A Q&A with Peter Wattson, a redistricting expert and lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the state, about the state’s history of redistricting — and what he expects to happen between now and next February, when state law requires Minnesota to have a new political map.

Last week’s release of state-by-state population numbers by the U.S. Census was the official, if belated, kickoff of redistricting season. While Minnesota was able to hold onto all eight of its current seats in Congress, the state won’t be able to begin rebalancing the populations of those districts — or state legislative districts — until late summer, when more detailed data is released.

These delays will make it more difficult for the state Legislature to redraw its political maps by a February 2022 deadline, even if the court, and not the Legislature, has long been the decider in Minnesota. A lawsuit filed in February began the state down that path, arguing that current lines are unconstitutional because of their unequal populations and asking the court to begin the process of drawing new ones.

Peter Wattson is the lead plaintiff in that suit. No stranger to redistricting law and politics, Wattson was a state Senate staff member assigned to the redistricting process and served as counsel in 2011 to then-Gov. Mark Dayton during his redistricting battles. Now retired, Wattson remains involved in redistricting law. MinnPost talked to Wattson about the current lawsuit, the state’s history of redistricting and what he expects to happen between now and next February, when state law requires Minnesota to have a new political map. Continue reading.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: