Category: SD36

Minnesota House Declares Racism a Statewide Public Health Crisis

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA— The Minnesota House of Representatives today voted to declare racism a public health crisis.

According to the official resolution voted upon today, the declaration applies to the entire state and affirms that the Minnesota House will be an active participant in the dismantling of racism. It creates a House Select Committee on Minnesota’s response tasked with analyzing legislative work through an intersectional race equity lens.

“This is about advancing and promoting equitable opportunity across all of our systems, in the areas of health, education, housing, public safety, and economic and workforce development,” said Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights), chief author of the resolution. “The COVID-19 pandemic and senseless murder of George Floyd have shined a light on the historical and contemporary injustices that are still embedded in our society.” Continue reading “Minnesota House Declares Racism a Statewide Public Health Crisis”

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: July 16, 2020


Dear Neighbors,

I hope you and your family are staying safe during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The Legislature is back in Special Session and working on the many challenges currently facing Minnesotans. We continue to see very concerning spikes in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths around the country. The health and safety of Minnesotans is our top priority. This pandemic won’t go away just because we’d like it to. The emergency is still here.

Working toward police accountability and declaring racism is a public health crisis

We need systemic change in policing that ensures police are accountable to the communities they serve. Under my leadership, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed significant police accountability legislation during the June special session. Our efforts in the Minnesota House are being led by Rep. Carlos Mariani, Rep. Rena Moran, and the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: July 16, 2020”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: July 16, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

Legislators reconvened Monday for the second special session to begin another round of negotiations and compromise on additional COVID-19 relief measures, criminal justice and public safety reform, and a jobs and local projects or “bonding” bill. I am pleased to share many of our community’s priorities have been included in an agreed upon bill with the Senate, including Mississippi Point Park, CR Recycling, and Anoka-Ramsey Community College in the agreement. The House minority has yet to come to the table on this reasonable and modest plan to fix our public infrastructure across the state, and I hope they will join us as we work together with the governor to find common ground on these important issues.

Hire a Veteran Month

The governor has declared July “Hire A Veteran Month” in Minnesota to bring awareness to the extensive skills our veterans bring to the workplace – and to encourage employers to hire veterans not only this month, but throughout the year. About 308,000 veterans live in our state and 153,000 of them are of working age. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: July 16, 2020”

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: July 13, 2020

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I hope you and yours are safe and healthy. I wanted to inform you of a vote I took today during our second special session. I have voted in the past to open the state and end the Governor’s emergency powers as we had the curve under control with COVID. However, as we have progressed we have seen the numbers begin to climb in regards to cases within our state. Part of this may be because of other states having less safety measures and travel between them and ourselves. Part of it may be to safety policies not being followed as we have begun to open up as a state. There may be a variety of other reasons but what we do know is the numbers, and we need the ability to respond in real time to address this issue and cease the climb and instead bring the numbers back down.

That is why I have now voted to extend the peace time emergency powers of the Governor and released a public statement you can see below that expresses the many important protections in place right now due to the current executive orders, that if the peacetime emergency ends they will all end as well. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: July 13, 2020”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: July 10, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

Governor Walz has called the Legislature back for a special session, beginning on Monday.

A top priority for me continues to be delivering a bipartisan jobs and local projects or “bonding” bill, that fixes crumbling or incomplete public infrastructure. Coon Rapids and Champlin are in need of many dire improvements to various local projects in our area, including an expansion of Mississippi Point Park, the Mississippi Crossings redevelopment, the Coon Rapids Recycling Center, and making critical road fixes to improve traffic on Highway 10. With the recent news of Anoka-Ramsey Community College preparing to reopen in the fall, now more than ever, they’ll need assistance repairing and expanding their lab and classroom spaces for the nursing department. This is another bonding project I’ve authored for our communities.

A special session requires a renewed commitment to work together to get the job done. Last year we balanced our state budget as one of the only divided state legislatures in the country. I am optimistic we can find common ground with the Senate to help the people of Minnesota in these challenging times of a global pandemic. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: July 10, 2020”

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: July 1, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you and your family are staying safe, healthy, and enjoying the summer. While it’s been encouraging to see COVID-19 hospitalizations dropping in Minnesota, we’re continuing to see increases in cases, and very concerning spikes in states across the country. Please continue to social distance and wear a mask when in public.

Stay Safe Banner

Minnesota has reached the milestone of a daily capacity of 20,000 tests. If you have symptoms, please get tested. Testing is critical to preventing and monitoring the spread of COVID-19. You can learn more and find testing locations here. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: July 1, 2020”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: June 29, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you and your family well.

As July approaches, several new laws go into effect on the first of the month, including the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act and the Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act. You can read more about the other new laws that will begin on July 1 by clicking on the link above.

Governor Walz Releases Federal CARES Funding

Last week, Governor Walz announced a plan to deliver $841 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to Minnesota’s cities, counties, and towns. Under the formula, our community of Coon Rapids will receive approximately $4.8 million and our Champlin community will get approximately $1.8 million. Once the Legislative Advisory Commission approves the plan, funds will be distributed on a rolling basis beginning this week. Local cities and governments have been working tirelessly to keep all of our families safe since the onset of COVID-19, and these funds will go a long way to help provide the necessary and basic services our residents need and deserve. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: June 29, 2020”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: June 22, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

Very early Saturday morning, the Minnesota Senate adjourned the special session. The Senate left the Capitol despite the fact that virtually all of the major work Minnesotans expect us to accomplish remains undone. The job and local projects or “bonding” bill, criminal justice and public safety reform, COVID-19 funding– all of these issues and more remain unresolved. I am angry and frustrated. We were only in special session for one week. Quite simply, that is not a sufficient amount of time to devote to such important subjects. The fact that the Senate threw up their hands and walked away from the table in this critical moment is just inexcusable.

I think we should return to session as soon as possible and stay in session until the job is done. I have expressed my views to Governor Walz and House leadership, and I stand ready to continue this important work.

This is a crucial time in our state, and Minnesotans are calling on us to do the hard work to enact meaningful measures that protect public health and our economy during COVID and beyond, in addition to long overdue criminal justice reforms – like those from the POCI Caucus that we advanced in the House – right now. Minnesotans expect and deserve results from the leaders that they elected. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: June 22, 2020”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: June 16, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

Last week on Friday, the Legislature convened for a special session. I’m pleased to report the first order of business was passing my bipartisan bill to deliver robust emergency aid for Minnesota’s smallest businesses struggling to stay afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill includes $60 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and $2.5 million from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Emergency Loan Program. The focus of these funds will be on Minnesota’s smallest businesses, many of which are not as well-connected with private banks, and that had to operate at 50 percent capacity or less.

Under my bill, small businesses with 50 or fewer employees can receive grants up to $10,000 each. $18 million of the funds are reserved for the smallest of the small: businesses with 6 employees or less. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: June 16, 2020”

House DFL legislators announce economic aid plan for destroyed, damaged businesses

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, House DFL legislators who represent the most impacted areas from civil unrest announced the PROMISE Act — a comprehensive plan to help businesses rebuild and recover, many of which are Black, immigrant, and communities of color-owned.

PROMISE stands for Providing Resources, Opportunity and Maximizing Investments in Striving Entrepreneurs. The PROMISE Act is a top special session priority for DFL legislators and is inspired by what many saw and heard from community members and business owners during tours of property damage in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

“We must take immediate action to support and rebuild our wounded communities. The Promise Act will support our communities in an equitable and holistic way so we can rebuild for and by the community,” said Rep. Hodan Hassan (DFL – Minneapolis). “These commercial hubs are the lifeblood of our minority and immigrant communities. By rebuilding with an intentional focus on equity we can avoid the devastating effects of gentrification.”

The legislation would:

  • Create a special panel to review cases and provide direct compensation to impacted individuals.
  • Partner with cities and community organizations to create economic relief programs for impacted businesses and organizations.
  • Give local units of government flexibility and tools to prevent gentrification.
  • Direct the Minnesota Department of Commerce to assist business owners, and require insurance companies to notify the department of any rejected claims.
  • Help with the rising cost of leases for eligible residential and commercial properties.
  • Eliminate the sales tax on the purchase of construction materials used to rebuild damaged or destroyed properties.
  • Provide property and sales tax cuts for eligible properties.
  • Establish a “Metropolitan Area Redevelopment Corporation” to create a long-term plan for equity-driven redevelopment and transformation.

“While we work on long-needed and overdue racial justice and police accountability legislation, we must also help our impacted businesses and communities recover and rebuild,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “These are strong economic and cultural centers of our cities, and we have to help them in a way that promotes equity and prevents gentrification. The extensive property damage and loss in these communities requires us to take urgent action and deliver results.” 

“Our communities and these businesses, many of them minority-owned and already struggling due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, need resources to rebuild,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Today, we’re putting forward a comprehensive plan to help those impacted, that puts equity at the center of our recovery efforts. The Legislature must move quickly to help these communities recover. I want to thank Majority Leader Winkler for agreeing to lead this important work, and the Minneapolis and St. Paul legislative delegations and city staff for their collaborative work on this proposal.”