Minnesota Legislature 6 , CD3 DFL

Minnesota House approves compromise Environment and Natural Resources budget

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Environment and Natural Resources budget with a vote of 99-34. The compromise legislation, which funds the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), and more, will help preserve Minnesota’s air, water, land, and wildlife for future generations.

“Minnesotans are proud of our state’s abundant natural resources, and we want our families and our neighbors to be able to enjoy the outdoors for many years to come,” said Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL – South St. Paul), chair of the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee. “This is a problem-solving budget that will help protect people from pollution and harmful chemicals, address growing threats to our environment, conserve wildlife, and create more opportunities for Minnesotans to get outdoors.”

While it’s not part of the legislation, the bipartisan agreement House DFLers reached with Senate Republicans allows Minnesota to continue moving forward on clean car standards. Senate Republicans threatened to shut down state parks and cut funding for the environment and natural resources unless plans to enact clean car standards were halted, but House DFLers fought to maintain our progress, recognizing that the standards will reduce pollution and protect the environment.

Housing Omnibus Bill Approved by Minnesota House

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House approved the Housing Finance and Policy budget on a vote of 72-59. The measure funds a variety of programs aimed at helping create more affordable housing, and provisions to ensure Minnesotans are safely and stably housed.

“Nothing goes right in life without a safe place to call home. The housing need is great throughout the state and this measure helps address this persistent problem in every community,” said Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-Saint Paul), chair of the Minnesota House Housing Finance and Policy Committee. “The housing budget invests in closing the home ownership racial disparity and results in more stability for renters and landlords. It doesn’t solve all the vexing issues associated with housing insecurity, but as we emerge from COVID-19, this bill will help many Minnesotans recover.”

A notable inclusion in the budget bill is the orderly off-ramp to the current eviction moratorium. Championed by DFLers, the bill provides renters and landlords with the time to take advantage of federal housing assistance funds, with the off-ramp concluding 105 days after enactment. Landlords will be required to send a notice to renters with outstanding rent 15 days prior to eviction. In addition, renters with an outstanding rental assistance claim cannot be evicted and will have that protection until June 1, 2022.

Reps. Liebling and Schultz announce HHS budget agreement with strong investments in Minnesotans

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, Rep. Jen Schultz (DFL – Duluth), chair of the House Human Services Committee, and Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), chair of the House Health Committee, announced a bipartisan agreement on a compromise Health and Human Services budget with Senate Republicans. The budget includes significant advancements for Minnesotans’ health and wellbeing as the state moves past the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Following a great deal of work to reach agreement on a new biennial budget, we’ve assembled the best HHS bill I’ve worked on during my tenure at the Capitol,” Rep. Schultz said. “I’m particularly proud of our work to expand affordable child care access, make historic investments in home and community-based services to help individuals live independently, increase compensation for Personal Care Attendants (PCAs), and put in place a long-term path to help low-income Minnesotans have greater economic security. The past year has been grueling for many Minnesotans, and this legislation will help them experience a brighter future.”

Minnesota House Passes Compromise Transportation Budget

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Transportation Budget Bill following a bipartisan compromise reached with the Senate. The legislation invests in all modes of transportation across the state by funding improvements for pedestrian and bike infrastructure, transit development and services, road safety improvements, bridge replacements, as well as freight and passenger rail projects.

“I’m proud we’ve reached bipartisan agreement with the Senate after working to secure strong transportation investments across the state,” said House Transportation Chair Frank Hornstein (DFL-Minneapolis). “Minnesotans expect us to improve and maintain our transportation system because it keeps us safe, creates good jobs in a time of economic recovery, and gives all people and communities the opportunity to grow and prosper.”

The compromise transportation budget notably invests $57.5 million in arterial Bus Rapid Transit, funds the 2nd daily train to Chicago, reopens driver’s exam locations closed due to COVID-19, ends driver’s license suspensions for non-public safety offenses, and delivers funds for needed road and bridge repairs and safety improvements statewide.

House Education Finance Chair Davnie Statement on K-12 Education Agreement

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA— House Education Finance Chair Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis) released the following statement on the compromise K-12 education budget agreement:

“We’re proud to have reached bipartisan agreement with the Senate after working to secure strong education investments for the next four years.

Our goals were to deliver stable and predictable funding for Minnesota schools, centering students and families in our deliberations, and prioritizing public dollars for public schools. We advocated for a strong commitment in the per pupil formula, funding to help schools with the cost of delivering special education services, and the first investment in English Language Learner programming in years. We are proud of the inclusion that makes a historic investment in programs to attract, train, and retain teachers of color and American Indian teachers. House DFLers will continue to emphasize the importance of improving student experiences so that Minnesota can better respond to the racial disparities in educational opportunities. We know there is much more work to do in this area and Democrats remain committed to ensuring every child has access to a world class education.”

Rep. Kelly Morrison (HD33B) Update: June 22, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this email finds you well and you had a chance to enjoy the beautiful Father’s Day Weekend.

Summer is in full swing and it was a beautiful day in Excelsior on Saturday. I got to cheer on the triathletes competing in the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon and check out the Excelsior Flea Market & Outdoor Market before special session got underway for the day. The Excelsior Flea Market & Outdoor Market is open every Saturday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. in June-August, and it’s a great opportunity to enjoy seasonal produce and find special treasures.

Minnesota House Advances Compromise Commerce and Energy Budget

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Commerce and Energy budget on a vote of 70 – 60. The compromise bill aims to address the climate crisis and protect Minnesota consumers from those who seek to take advantage of them. It invests in several clean energy initiatives that will reduce Minnesota’s greenhouse gas emissions and create well-paying jobs, ensures Minnesotans who are disproportionately impacted by climate change benefit from the transition to clean energy, tackles catalytic converter theft, and establishes a Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights to protect students from predatory lending practices.

“As one of the fastest warming states in the country, Minnesota is experiencing impacts to our health, our farms, and our way of life right now,” said Rep. Jamie Long (DFL – Minneapolis), chair of the House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee. “We must rapidly transition to clean energy, and this bill takes important steps to deploy clean energy, promote energy efficiency, and support workers and communities throughout this transition. These initiatives will create well-paying jobs, help those most impacted by climate change, and lower energy costs.”

With budget still unfinished, action on House Floor grinds to halt during daylong debate

The agenda for Thursday’s floor session called for energy to bat leadoff. The omnibus commerce, climate and energy finance and policy bill was to be the first of the budget bills to be debated by the full House during this special session.

And energy is something House Republicans used in an attempt to keep action from being taken.

After Rep. Tim O’Driscoll (R-Sartell) moved to re-refer the bill back to its committee of origin, 21 other Republicans rose to object to the process that created the bill, and that the bill doesn’t continue funding for the state’s health reinsurance program. Continue reading.

Senate DFL Update: June 18, 2021

First 2021 Special Session Convenes

Senate DFL is committed to getting the work done

Agriculture budget bill sees improvement

Commerce budget focused on consumer protection

Energy budget improves significantly but lacks bold ideas for carbon-free future

Legacy Finance Omnibus Bill agreement positioned to pass the Legislature

Higher education agreement provides more system funding, program aid for students

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: June 20, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

It has been a busy special session as our various omnibus bills are coming to agreement. Each day brings news of deals being finalized as we move forward.

For my part, the Health and Human Services bill is in final negotiations. Thus far it is agreed to (for now!) enhanced funding for a variety of services, including but not limited to:

Substance Use Disorder treatment
Disability Services
PCA (Personal Care Assistant) Services
CCAP (Child Care Assistance Program)
Home Care Providers
Expansion of Telehealth Services

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First 2021 Special Session Convenes

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