Category: SD36

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: February 14, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’re having a good week! Now that we have finished the sixth week of session here at the Capitol, I have a lot of updates for you. Several pieces of legislation that would improve the lives of Minnesotans have made significant advances this week. Here are a few of them:

Net Neutrality

It is hard to think of a more significant consumer protection issue in Minnesota today than the need for net neutrality. Given the amazing power of the internet, how it has come to impact literally every corner of our lives, it is absolutely essential that every Minnesotan has access to a free, fair, and open internet. Today, internet service providers have the power to decide, free from any limitation, what we see when we open our browsers. They can speed up your access to websites that feature products they favor. They can block your access, or simply slow down to the point that it effectively blocks your access to the services they dislike.

This is why I have authored a bill that would enact net neutrality in our state. The bill (H.F. 136) would make it illegal for internet service providers from engaging in such anti-consumer behavior, and prohibit the state from doing business with providers that do not agree to act in accordance with net-neutrality principles. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: February 14, 2019”

Sen. Latz & Rep. Stephenson Renew Efforts to Protect Net Neutrality for Minnesotans

SAINT PAUL, MN – On Wednesday afternoon, Senator Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park), Representative Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) and legislators held a press conference to announce their commitment to protecting Minnesota consumers in response to the 2017 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reversal of net neutrality. Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.

“This is a significant consumer protection issue in Minnesota,” remarked Rep Stephenson. “Given the amazing power of the internet, and how it has come to impact literally every corner of our lives, every Minnesotan deserves access to a free and fair internet.”

By incorporating these consumer protections, internet companies would be prohibited from charging businesses, individual consumers, and educational institutions for the convenience of faster speed support for their websites, and would ensure that websites with less traffic or the financial ability to pay for faster speed support are protected. Continue reading “Sen. Latz & Rep. Stephenson Renew Efforts to Protect Net Neutrality for Minnesotans”

Sen. Latz & Rep. Stephenson renew efforts to protect net neutrality for Minnesotans

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – On Wednesday afternoon, Senator Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park), Representative Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) and legislators will hold a press conference to announce their commitment to protecting Minnesota consumers in response to the 2017 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reversal of net neutrality.

The House Commerce Committee will have a public hearing on HF 136, which requires companies doing business in the state or selling services as a vendor of the state of Minnesota to comply with common sense net neutrality principles.

 

WHAT: Press conference to announce renewed efforts to advance Net Neutrality

WHO: Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) and Senator Ron Latz (DFL- St. Louis Park), legislators

WHERE: Room B971, Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, 55155

WHEN: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 1:00 p.m.

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 8, 2019

WEEK Five: Friday, Feb. 8

Friends and Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well despite all the snow and ice midweek. Week five of the Legislative Session has shown an increase in the pace of activity. More bills are being heard and discussed including several of my own addressing how we handle complex medical care. Early in the week I carried a bill through committee that would make grant money available for a parent to parent program that connects those with children afflicted by complex medical conditions. The additional support of a parent with experience in handling our complex medical system as well as an understanding ear drastically reduces stress and improves outcomes. At the end of the week I stood once more for a bill that would ensure communication between providers when a child with a complicated medical diagnosis is discharged from a hospital. This cuts down on accidental redundancies and risks due to a lack of communication between those administering medical care.

Together we make Minnesota better one step at a time. I look forward to next week and thank you for trusting me to take on your needs at the Capitol. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 8, 2019”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: February 8, 2019

 

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’re having a good and safe week! Here in the House, we’re advancing lots of good, bipartisan proposals to improve the lives of all Minnesotans. Here are a couple of examples.

Minnesota’s Renewable Energy
This past week saw some exciting advances in efforts to tackle climate change. As Minnesotans, we are lucky to live in such a beautiful state, with so many national parks and bodies of water to enjoy. But, our weather is becoming more extreme, and we are starting to experience irreversible damage to our state’s climate. We need to make changes soon if we want to prevent further damage. This is why bills like HF 700 are important. The bill was heard for the first time on Tuesday, and it is starting to move through committees. If passed, it would increase the proportion of energy that must come from renewable sources and set target dates for when these goals need to be achieved by power companies. Minnesota is blessed with many renewable resources, and investing in them would create jobs and slow down climate change. This is just the first of several bills I expect will focus on climate change this year. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: February 8, 2019”

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 8, 2019

 

Dear Neighbors,

It’s been another cold, snowy week, but our work to make Minnesota a better place for everyone continues. Here’s a quick update from this week.

First bill off House floor
We voted our first bill off the House floor this week. HF 51 is a bill that helps homeowners denounce racial covenants that may still remain on the deed of their homes. The bill passed with unanimous bipartisan support.

100% Clean Energy bill introduced
This past week saw some exciting advances in efforts to tackle climate change. HF 700 would move Minnesota to 100 percent clean energy by 2050 and was heard in its first committee. As a supporter of the 25 percent renewable energy standard, and chief author of the state’s solar energy standard and community solar laws, I’m looking forward to seeing this bill move through the process. This bill would help further Minnesota’s clean-energy economy, which has created thousands of good paying jobs in Minnesota. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 8, 2019”

Thanks for streamlining bill process at Capitol

Quite often I may hear of frustration that someone made a change and then publicly denounce it with no information. I always wish that people would at least research why a change was made and then educate the public as to why the change was made. I’m particularly referring to the issue of one less agriculture committee at the Capitol.    

I communicated with Speaker of the House Rep. Melissa Hortman on this as I was curious. She told me she streamlined the committee structure to allow bills in some areas to move faster than they had in earlier committee configurations. Agriculture is one area she did that. Rep. Poppe and others had indicated throughout the prior biennium that bills relating to agriculture actually took twice as long to get through the committee process as they needed to, since they had to go through a policy and a finance committee.  Testifiers had to travel twice to the Capitol to provide the same testimony on the same bill, just in two different committees. By making one committee that has jurisdiction over both policy and finance, it will speed up consideration of bills in this area. Continue reading “Thanks for streamlining bill process at Capitol”

With Trump deadline on Liberian immigrants’ status looming, February declared ‘DED Awareness Month’

It’s been almost one year since President Donald Trump ordered an end to special legal status for certain immigrants from Liberia, and with that March 31 deadline fast approaching, the Minnesota Liberian community — the largest Liberian population outside of war-torn and poverty-stricken Liberia — is sounding the alarm.

“All hands on deck,” Liberian community leader Erasmus Williams implored a crowd of about 50 Friday evening at the Liberian Community Center in Brooklyn Park, where state Sen. John Hoffman, D-Champlin, and others spoke about the urgency of the situation. Trump has threatened to end the program, called Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), which has allowed natives of the West African country to live and work in the United States since 2007. If the edict goes through, it could mean the deportation of hundreds if not thousands of the estimated 30,000 Liberians living in Minnesota.

“Today, we are here to witness history,” Williams told the gathered dreamers and would-be new Americans. “A history that we look forward to being duplicated by all states throughout the United States. And we know if this duplication takes place, definitely our result will come sooner than later. Last night, we had a very good teleconference with member chapters across the United States. So everything you see going on in Minnesota now, pretty soon you will hear people in Iowa having a meeting, people in Philadelphia having a meeting, seeing what they can do. With just a little faith, we can get it done.”

View the complete February 4 article by Jim Walsh on the MinnPost website here.

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 2, 2019

Hello Friends and Neighbors,

Welcome to Week Four of the session.  What a way to usher in the end of January with the extreme cold to our state, shutting down a lot of businesses, schools and even senate committee hearings. While the polar vortex affected us all I know we Minnesotans are strong people and I hope everyone managed to stay warm. Some even braved the weather to rally in the capitol rotunda as well as visiting me in my office. That polar vortex didn’t stop the courageous souls below from paying me a visit! I am humbled.

In the Senate

Financial lifeline for furloughed workers

A press conference last week focused on legislation to provide financial relief for thousands of Minnesotans forced to live without paychecks due to the government shutdown. The introduced legislation would provide short term, no-interest loans for affected workers.

Under the terms of the bill, banks and other financial institutions can apply to the commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to issue the zero-interest loans, and Minnesota would guarantee the loans. The loans would be worth up to $5,000 and the program would cease to issue loans the day after the federal shutdown ends. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 2, 2019”

Speaker Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 1, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’ve been able to stay safe and warm during our recent cold snap. Thankfully, warmer temperatures are coming this weekend. Here’s a quick update from the Capitol.

Town Hall Meeting
We had a great discussion at last Saturday’s town hall meeting with Sen. Hoffman and Rep. Stephenson. Thanks to everyone who braved the cold to join us! Continue reading “Speaker Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 1, 2019”