Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: March 1, 2019

WEEK Eight: Friday, March 1st

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We are now within three weeks of our first deadline for bills that are in motion. There are a myriad of bills I’m working on for our senate district and the great state of Minnesota ranging from bonding projects for our roads and parks to enhancing the healthcare of our most vulnerable populations. If you’d like to see what I’ve authored or co-authored specifically I’m going to provide a link below so you can see exactly what has been crafted and where it sits now.

My list of Bills

Send me your thoughts and ideas and let me know what you think. Session will only pick up pace from here on out and more work is coming my way. Look for another update next week, and stay safe out there in this weather. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: March 1, 2019”

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: March 1, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

March is here, but with the snow today it’s clear that Spring isn’t coming anytime soon. The legislative session continues to fly along — we’ve completed week number 8 and we have 11 weeks to go.  Here’s a quick update from the Capitol.

Common-Sense Gun Violence Prevention Legislation Moving Forward
Two common-sense gun violence prevention measures — criminal background checks and extreme risk protection orders — passed out of the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Division this week.

Minnesotans — especially young people and gun violence survivors — have said loud and clear that they want us to take action to address the epidemic of gun violence in our communities. I support these common-sense measures to keep guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to others or themselves. You can read more about the hearings here. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: March 1, 2019”

Rep. Zack Stepehenson (HD36A) Update: March 1, 2019

 

Dear Neighbors,

We have now reached the end of week eight of the legislative session, and time is flying by at the Capitol! Here are a few updates from this week:

Local Transportation

Friday morning was a big moment for several transportation projects that are critical for Champlin and Coon Rapids.  The House Transportation Committee had hearings on my bill to add a third lane to Highway 10 between Hanson Blvd and Round Lake Blvd, as well as my bill to take the first steps towards building a new bridge over the Mississippi River between Dayton and Ramsey.  Highway 10 has been in desperate need of improvement for years.  Traffic between Anoka and Blaine is a nightmare. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stepehenson (HD36A) Update: March 1, 2019”

Speaker Hortman: Legislator’s comments cross the line

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — At a rally at the State Capitol yesterday, state Representative Cal Bahr (R – Bethel) said, “There’s a lot of us in this room that have had enough, and it’s time to start riding herd on the rest of these people that want to take your rights away from you. They will not go quietly into the good night. They need to be kicked to the curb and stomped on and run over a few times.” The Minnesota House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Division will be holding a hearing on gun violence prevention legislation Wednesday evening.

Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman released the following statement:

“Rep. Bahr’s comments are reprehensible and have no place in civilized political discourse. Encouraging violence is irresponsible and dangerous. While some political issues elicit strong feelings by proponents and opponents, a hallmark of our country’s democracy is that we resolve disputes without recourse to violence. The Minnesota House of Representatives will foster a safe and respectful conversation on the issue of gun violence prevention. 

“Minnesotans have been loud and clear that they want us to address the epidemic of gun violence in our communities. We will not be deterred by threatening comments intended to intimidate legislators and supporters of gun violence prevention legislation.”

Speaker Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 22, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

February 2019 is now the snowiest February on record for the Twin Cities, and we still have almost a week left! While the snow keeps falling, the Minnesota House of Representatives is hard at work. Here’s a quick update from the Capitol.

Sovereignty Day at the Minnesota House of Representatives
On Monday we held Sovereignty Day in the Minnesota House of Representatives. This was an educational event for legislators that included tribal history and culture, sovereignty, and the interplay between federal, state, and tribal law. Minnesota has 11 federally-recognized tribes that are sovereign nations. It was also a historic day: leaders from all 11 tribes had never been in the House chamber together before. Continue reading “Speaker Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 22, 2019”

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 22, 2019

WEEK Seven: Friday, Feb. 22

Hello Neighbors and Friends:

Welcome to week seven of our 2019 session.  I want to start off this update with an article and discussion about how climate change poses profound risks to our communities not just in the future but right now. Extreme weather events are increasing, and our climate is changing. What can we can to transition as quickly as possible to more renewable energy and reducing our carbon emissions?

Minnesota is leading the country in our efforts, but we must also be realistic as to how we achieve clean energy without jeopardizing cost and reliability. In 2007, Minnesota Republicans and DFLers joined together on the Next Generation Energy Act and adopted a goal to hit the 80 percent reduction by 2050.

It’s great that Minnesota has already hit its renewable electricity standard goal of 25 percent by 2025 this year by using wind, solar, biomass, and hydro power. We’re also on course to reach its current solar electricity standard of 1.5 percent by the end of 2020. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 22, 2019”

Rep. Zack Stephenson Update: February 22, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

We had another snowy week at the legislature, but nonetheless we were busy doing the people’s work! I hope you have been finding these updates helpful. I want to make the legislative process as accessible to you as possible, and I welcome your feedback.

Continue reading for a brief recap of major events that happened during the past week at the Capitol.

HF 15 Receives Unanimous Approval from Entire Minnesota House

Thursday was a big day for me as I presented my first bill to the entire House of Representatives for a vote. House File 15 gets rid of Minnesota’s “marital rape exception,” which prevents prosecution of certain criminal sexual conduct cases if the victim was married to their rapist at the time of the incident. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson Update: February 22, 2019”

Minnesota House Unanimously Approves Bill to Repeal “Marital Rape Exception”

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The Minnesota House today unanimously approved legislation authored by Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) that would help to support victims of sexual assault by getting rid of the “voluntary relationship defense,” which shields perpetrators from prosecution in certain instances if they are married to the victim.

Bill language for HF 15 is available here. Video, audio, and high-resolution photos of Rep. Stephenson’s remarks are available upon request. 

“Courageous Minnesotans like Jenny Teeson who are coming forward to tell painful personal stories are the inspiration behind this legislation,” said Rep. Stephenson. “Repealing the state’s ‘marital rape exception’ is an example of how the Legislature is putting Minnesotans’ values into action. We care about one another, and we want to hold perpetrators accountable when they hurt the people we love.”

HF 15 received significant coverage in the news following its introduction and several emotional public hearings. Jenny Teeson of Andover, MN shared her experience of being drugged, raped, and videotaped by her former husband. When she sought justice, the legal system said her case could not proceed because of a law that Stephenson has been working to repeal.

Rep. Stephenson can be reached by phone at 651-296-5513 or by email at rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn.

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 15, 2019

WEEK SIX:  February 15, 2019

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

Minnesota is facing a $6 billion statewide transportation funding gap. Unfortunately, the legislature hasn’t been able to pass a viable long-term transportation funding plan to address this growing deficit. To make matters worse, if we don’t find a solution, more than 70 percent of currently projected future spending will need to go toward road preservation rather than improving our infrastructure.

Right now, more than half of Minnesota’s roads are more than 50 years old, and 40 percent of the state’s bridges are more than 40 years old. In just the next three years alone, one in five Minnesota roads will pass their useful life. And in the next ten years, nearly 40 percent of our roads will be past their useful life.

Poor roads cost Minnesota motorists $1.2 billion every year in extra vehicle repairs, and Minnesota businesses spend an extra $232 million each year on additional freight transportation costs caused by traffic congestion. In addition, the average Minnesota commuter wastes 34 hours stuck in traffic every year. If no additional investments are made in our transportation systems, by 2025 the average Minnesota commuter will waste an estimated 45 hours stuck in traffic. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 15, 2019”

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 15, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I know we’ve had a lot of snow and cold lately, but as someone who loves to ski, I’ve been enjoying it! I understand I might be one of the few though. Here’s an update from another busy week at the Capitol.

Legislative Deadlines
On Monday, I joined Governor Tim Walz and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka to announce additional deadlines for the legislature as we get closer to the end of session. The House and Senate always have deadlines for bills to move through the committee process, but these new, additional benchmarks will help insure more of the end of session negotiations happen earlier, and provide more transparency for the public.

Under these innovative new deadlines I developed, all major finance bills must pass off the House and Senate floors and conference committees must be appointed for those bills by May 1st. Conference committees complete the important work of reconciling the House and Senate approaches to crafting the state’s budget. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 15, 2019”