State Issues 11 , CD3 DFL

Minnesota House Advances Bipartisan Agreement on Energy Conservation and Optimization Act of 2021

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The Minnesota House of Representatives approved the House/Senate Conference Committee Report 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.

“I’m grateful for the bipartisan collaboration that resulted in restoring Minnesota’s leadership in energy conservation,” said. Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids), chief House author of the bill. “Utilities benefit from conservation by avoiding the cost of building new infrastructure, such as new power plants, transmission lines, natural gas lines and distribution systems as energy demands increase. Minnesotans deserve more choice and an opportunity to protect our planet from environmental damages that result from burning fossil fuels.”

Some of the changes to CIP under Rep. Stephenson’s proposal include allowing utilities to improve service by implementing efficient fuel switching and load management within CIP, establishing separate sections in statutes for investor-owned utilities (Xcel, Minnesota Power, Great River Energy, CenterPoint, and others) and customer-owned utilities (municipal and cooperative-owned) that better reflect their needs. The bill also expands opportunities for low-income households to benefit from energy-efficient improvements.

The legislation awaits Governor Walz’s signature.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: May 14, 2021

Following New CDC Guidance, Governor Walz Announces End to Statewide Face Covering Requirement

On Thursday, Governor Walz announced the end of Minnesota’s statewide mask requirement, aligning Minnesota with new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on face coverings. Minnesotans who are not fully vaccinated are strongly recommended to wear face coverings indoors.

“This great day is possible because vaccines have proven to be effective,” said Governor Walz. “Once you are fully vaccinated you are protected. You can confidently return to the people you love and things that you miss – all without a mask. The message is clear — get vaccinated and let’s put the pandemic behind us once and for all.”

Senate DFL Week in Review: May 14, 2021

Final Days of the Legislative Session
and everything happening in the Legislature this week

A lot of work remains with only a few days left

The Legislature is constitutionally required to adjourn by midnight on May 17, yet Senate Republicans have spent the past week drawing ultimatums and refusing to negotiate on important numbers needed for the Legislature to finish its work on time. Read more >>

Conference committee update

Conference committees for each of the omnibus budget bills continued working this week. In the absence of global budget targets — spending totals that have been agreed upon by the House, governor, and Senate majority — most committees spent time working through policy provisions or items that have no associated cost. Read more >>

DFL Party Applauds Passage of Bill Legalizing Cannabis

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Following the passage of HF 600, which legalizes adult-use cannabis in Minnesota, DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement:

“I applaud House DFLers for their historic vote to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis. The people of Minnesota and DFL Party lawmakers are ready to legalize and responsibly regulate cannabis, expunge non-violent convictions, and end the harm done by senseless prohibition laws.

Minnesota House approves bill to legalize cannabis for adult use, expunge records for non-violent cannabis offenses

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — For the first time ever, under DFL leadership, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved a bill late last night to legalize cannabis for adult use and expunge records for people convicted of non-violent offenses involving cannabis. Legislators voted 72-61 to approve the bill.

“The Minnesota House made history today because we listened to and worked with people of all backgrounds over the course of years to bring forward the best cannabis legalization bill in the nation,” said Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley), the bill’s author and House Majority Leader. “The war on drugs is a failed policy. The harms caused by current cannabis laws cannot be allowed to continue. Minnesota’s illegal cannabis market creates bad outcomes for everyone. Responsible regulations and safeguards to prevent youth access are a better solution to address the harms our current laws fail to address.”

If passed by the Minnesota Senate before the Legislature’s May 17th constitutional adjournment deadline, the bill could be signed into law. This year, the Republican-controlled Senate has blocked all public discussion on adult-use cannabis proposals, but there is still plenty of time to allow senators to vote.

“Our current cannabis laws aren’t working for Minnesota,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Criminalizing a product that most people think should be available and continuing a legacy of racial injustice is simply not defensible. This smart, sensible legislation addresses racial inequities in our criminal justice system, mitigates any risks posed by legalizing adult use of cannabis, and ensures better outcomes for communities.”

Prior to today’s historic vote, House File 600 received approval from 12 House committees, including the committees on Commerce; Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs; Business and Workforce Development; Agriculture; Environment and Natural Resources; Judiciary and Civil Law; State Government; Education Finance; Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform; Health; Taxes; and Ways and Means.

Minnesota House Approves Legislation to Improve Access to Banking and Credit Unions

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved legislation 131-0 to improve and reinstate access to banking and credit union accounts for Minnesotans.

“Minnesotans deserve economic security, and the tools to secure finances safely through accessing a bank or credit union,” said Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis), lead author of the legislation.

Current law prevents a bank or credit union from re-issuing an account to an individual whose account closed involuntarily because of issuing dishonored checks (checks with insufficient funds) in the last 12 months, or who has been convicted of a crime related to check cashing. This is to help protect financial institutions from fraud, but it can also prevent people from having access to traditional financial institutions.

Representative Davnie’s legislation allows financial institutions the option to offer service to individuals who may have had an account canceled and don’t have access to other traditional financial services.

A video of the floor session will be available here.

Long-haul COVID-19 patients surprise Mayo researchers

Fatigue and continued breathing problems were most common symptoms along with neurological and cognitive issues.

Lingering breathing problems and complications in the weeks and months after suffering COVID-19 illnesses were most common in women and in patients who didn’t need hospitalizations or suffer severe initial infections, a new Mayo Clinic study found.

The roundup report offered several surprises about the first 100 patients to receive care through Mayo’s rehabilitation program for so-called “long haul” post-COVID symptoms. Only 25% of the patients had been hospitalized for COVID-19, according to the study by Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn and colleagues that was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

“We are not seeing that hospitalization is a huge risk factor for this prolonged COVID state,” said Vanichkachorn, medical director of Mayo’s COVID-19 Activity Rehabilitation Program (CARP). Continue reading.

Judge backs aggravating factors in Chauvin trial, clears way for longer prison term

Judge Peter Cahill finds that Chauvin abused authority, treated George Floyd “with particular cruelty.”

The judge in the Derek Chauvin murder trial has found there are “beyond a reasonable doubt” aggravating factors in the killing of George Floyd last year that clear the way to sentence the fired Minneapolis police officer to a term above state guidelines.

In a ruling filed Wednesday morning that hit on many of the major prosecution points that led to Chauvin’s conviction, Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill cited four aggravating factors that will be considered when he sentences Chauvin on June 25.

Those factors are that Chauvin “abused a position of trust and authority” as a police officer, that he “treated George Floyd with particular cruelty,” that children were present when Floyd was pinned to the pavement at 38th and Chicago for more than 9 minutes until he died, and that he committed the crime with “active participation” of others, namely three fellow officers. Continue reading.

Biden lauds Minnesota for ‘meeting the moment’ on vaccinations

He praised the state’s 64% rate of adult vaccinations.

Hours after talking with President Joe Biden and select governors about ways to show the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, Gov. Tim Walz stood on the sunbathed terrace at CHS Field in St. Paul and marveled at a prime example.

“Why would you not be out here on a night like this watching baseball?” said Walz, in a Minnesota Twins jersey mismatched with a St. Paul Saints cap. “We need to continue to try to incentivize them.”

Biden earlier Tuesday invited Walz and five other governors from states with high rates of COVID-19 vaccination to discuss their successes and strategies to overcome recent slowdowns in public interest. Continue reading.

DFL Party and DNC Announce Historic Agreement

Agreement includes over $23 million in direct investments to state parties and grassroots infrastructure during 2022 election cycle

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and state parties including the DFL Party announced a historic four-year agreement that will guarantee more investment into Democratic state parties and grassroots infrastructure than ever before. At a minimum, this investment will provide $23 million to state parties as part of Democrats’ 2022 midterm strategy, and creates a first-of-its-kind program to focus additional investments in historically red states to build on Democrats’ 57 states and territories strategy.

The agreement will establish a brand-new, seven-figure “Red State Fund” to put Republicans on defense and build tailored programs for traditionally Republican states. The Red State Fund includes $2 million in direct investments and grants for states that meet two of the following criteria: no Democratic senator or governor, less than 25% of the congressional delegation are Democrats, and a supermajority of Republicans in their state legislature.

The contract also includes a data sharing agreement that increases investment in down-ballot races, solidifies another four years of historic investment in Democratic data, and anchors the DNC and state parties as the central hub of the Democratic data ecosystem.

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Following New CDC Guidance, Governor Walz Announces End to Statewide Face Covering Requirement

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