SD36 2 , CD3 DFL

Statement from Speaker Hortman and Majority Leader Winkler on bipartisan budget agreement

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statement on today’s bipartisan budget agreement:

“I am pleased we have reached an agreement on the framework for a bipartisan budget that prioritizes students, families, workers, and small businesses,” said Speaker Hortman. “After a year of unprecedented challenges, we have the resources to help the Minnesotans who have sacrificed the most while investing in a Minnesota that works better for everyone. This budget makes significant investments in E-12 education to help our students recover from a difficult year and works to close our opportunity gaps. House DFLers also remain committed to including meaningful criminal justice reforms in our final budget. While this agreement does not contain everything we would have liked and the need for ongoing investment in the future remains, we worked together and achieved a compromise that is in the best interests of Minnesotans.”

“Families and workers are finding it more difficult to get ahead. Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, there are significant resources to help Minnesotans who are struggling the most, but it doesn’t change the fact that Minnesotans’ needs are not being met by current levels of investment,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “For too long, Minnesota put the rich and well-connected first. Thanks to the House DFL Majority and Governor Walz, Minnesota is now moving in a direction that provides a world-class education, affordable child care, and financial security for all — no matter where you live or what you look like.”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: May 15, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

Budget negotiations in the Legislature are ongoing. With less than three days until adjournment, we’re working hard in the House to wrap up major bills and find compromise with the Senate on various provisions in each major area of the state budget. Direction for the use of the federal COVID relief funds are also coming into play as the House, Senate, and Governor work on final budget ‘targets’ or framework. While we are constitutionally required to adjourn on May 17, conference committees will continue to work on reconciling their differences so that we can get a state budget set before July 1.

Energy Conservation and Optimization Act of 2021

The Minnesota House of Representatives approved the bipartisan legislation I authored on a vote of 88-46 to improve energy efficiency and cost savings opportunities across the state. The Energy Conservation and Optimization Act of 2021 updates the conservation and improvement program (CIP) statutes providing utilities with flexibility to meet energy savings goals instead of conservation spending goals. The new focus on outcomes, instead of spending, will allow utilities to pursue more effective energy savings opportunities.

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: May 15, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Session is coming to a close and we have yet to have budget targets for our committees. This means that we will be coming together in special session, likely June. We must complete our budgets and come to an agreement in June because if we do not and enter July, we risk a government shutdown of state services in Minnesota.

I am confident we will come to agreement on the many important issues before us and that we will move forward together. This does give us more time to work on these issues and ensure we have completely and thoroughly vetted every budget and each bill before passing it.

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: May 8, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Welcome to Week 18 E News. As we enter into the conference committee mark ups of the House and the Senate bills we must remember why we do what we do and that is for and about the betterment of the State of Minnesota and the citizens we represent. As I spend time in the Health and Human Services Committee I am reminded once again, that our work in this committee must be first and foremost about the individuals we are charged to protect and enhance. This committee as well as the Education committee must put the needs of the individuals first and leave egos and personalization out of any and all arguments. Having said that, you have my commitment to keep that a focus on the work at hand. Today is Saturday and we are in the Health and Human Services conference committee detailing the differences between the House Bill and the Senate Bill. We are keeping focused on the matter at hand and not getting personalized. So far so good, please continue to let those of us in the committees to remember that. I am honored to be able to be on this committee and have found that the input from others is being affirmed, valued and appreciated. I was able to make comments regarding those provisions regarding disability services especially Waiver Re-Imagine and the menu of service delivery. The 17th of May will be the last day of the constitutional session and I am committed to working hard to make sure we are getting our work done and will do so in a bipartisan manner. Common sense and pragmatism should be the rule of these committees.

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: May 7, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

Hospitals are seeing fewer admissions and vaccination progress has pushed forward. Vaccines held COVID-19 variants at bay, avoiding having them overwhelm our state. With rates trending downward, the governor shared the following updated guidancebeginning today:

Step one takes place at noon on May 7. It includes initial steps to relax some restrictions, primarily in outdoor settings.

Removes limits for outdoor dining, events, and other get-togethers, and ends the mask requirement outdoors except at large venues with over 500 people.
Eliminates the state-established mandatory closing time for bars, restaurants, and food and beverage service at other places of public accommodation.

Speaker Hortman and Majority Leader Winkler on Governor Walz’s timeline to end COVID-19 restrictions

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements on Governor Walz’s timeline to end COVID-19 restrictions:

“Minnesotans have done a great job rolling up their sleeves and getting vaccinated, and that has gotten us close to the end of this pandemic,” said Speaker Hortman. “It’s my hope that Minnesotans continue getting vaccinated so that we can stay ahead of any variants, get our state fully opened, and get back to the things we have missed since COVID-19 started.”

“With new leadership in the White House and Minnesota’s robust public health infrastructure leading the nation in vaccine distribution, the end of this pandemic is near,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “From the start, Republican politicians told Americans COVID-19 was ‘just the flu’ and Donald Trump told us it would go away ‘like a miracle.’ Democrats are defeating COVID because we have taken a public health approach informed by scientists, not armchair epidemiologists.”

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: April 30, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We are in the final stretch. All of the Senate Omnibus bills have been voted on and left the floor for conference committee. Conference committees are where the house and senate will come together to negotiate over each set of bills by topic (Transportation, Health and Human Services, Taxes etc.). These will be going on for the next week at least and potentially longer.

Once these bills leave conference committee they have to return to the floors of the house and senate to be approved before the Governor can sign them. We must have them all ready to go before May 17th as that is the day according to our constitution that session ends. Also, since this is a budget year, meaning all State agencies get their 2 year budgets in order, we must get them funded or we face potential shut downs. We all need to work together to assure we do the work entrusted to us and that our work gets done and done on time.

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: April 30, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

At the Legislature, we’re buttoning up budget bills and conference committees have begun to meet. These committees are comprised of five House members and five Senate members to reconcile differences within each major area of the budget; Taxes, Education, Transportation, etc. I am pleased to report that the Speaker has named me House Chair of the Commerce, Climate, and Energy Conference Committee. In that role, I will be the principal negotiator for the House in the area of the budget for the Department of Commerce, as well as the policy provisions in the budget relating to commerce and consumer protection. I will also be deeply involved in the negotiations related to climate change and energy.

Late Monday, the Minnesota House passed its Health and Human Services Budget aimed at building a better health system for Minnesotans after the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget strengthens our public health systems, addresses health inequities, makes prescription drugs more affordable, and expands coverage for low-income Minnesotans. The bill also includes needed investments in affordable childcare for Minnesota families. I’m most pleased that the budget bill includes compensation raises for Personal Care Assistants. You can read more about the legislation here.

Minnesota House Approves Eviction Moratorium Off-Ramp

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House approved an orderly off ramp of the eviction moratorium declared by Gov. Walz last year that will prevent a wave of evictions while ensuring landlords are made whole for rent that is owed to them. The bill provides a roadmap to transition off the current residential eviction moratorium by ensuring renters have enough time to access federal funding for rental assistance when the COVID-19 related peacetime emergency ends and provides clarity to the process.

“As more vaccines become available, the pandemic is easing, yet there are still many of our neighbors who are unemployed and face the risk of eviction.” said Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-Saint Paul), chair of the Housing Finance and Policy Committee. “The eviction moratorium reduced the spread of COVID-19 and protected the most vulnerable Minnesotans from the threat of losing their home. We must continue to protect those Minnesotans once the eviction moratorium is lifted, and this bill provides a realistic timeline for both landlords and tenants to access the rental assistance that will keep people in their homes.”

“We hope the end of the pandemic is in sight, but we don’t want to replace a public health crisis with an eviction and housing crisis for Minnesotans,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Stable housing is the foundation for success for individuals and families. We must ensure a smooth, stable transition as we get to a post-COVID world and the end of the eviction moratorium.”

Minnesota House advances Health and Human Services budget package

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House passed its Health and Human Services Budget aimed at building a better health system for Minnesotans after the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget strengthens our public health systems, addresses health inequities, makes prescription drugs more affordable, and expands coverage for low-income Minnesotans. The bill also includes needed investments in affordable child care for Minnesota families.

“This legislation builds a better health care system for Minnesotans, especially our public health care system which our entire state has relied upon throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), Chair of the House Health Finance & Policy Committee. “This budget expands important health care coverage in numerous areas and will strengthen health and wellbeing for children and families. The bill also reaches underserved populations and has solutions to reduce health inequities. These important investments will help more Minnesotans have a healthy future and better quality of life.”

During COVID-19, many Minnesotans found telehealth valuable, and the budget expands and enhances these emerging services. As more Minnesotans worry about the future of affordable health care – even those who have coverage through their employer – the budget will launch a study of a MinnesotaCare public option. Furthermore, as Republicans continue to attack the Affordable Care Act in court leaving the future of its critical protection’s uncertain, the budget codifies important ACA provisions – like those protecting people with preexisting conditions – into state law. The bill also eliminates the “family glitch,” a problem occurring when an individual is ineligible for MinnesotaCare because they have access to employer coverage through a family member, even though the coverage is unaffordable.

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Energy Conservation and Optimization Act of 2021

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