Dear Neighbors,
With the end of the special session, my House DFL colleagues and I were able to push for a number of budget bills to help address the needs of all Minnesotans and small businesses. Vaccination numbers in Minnesota remain as one of the leading states in the nation, and group gatherings, festivals, and parades are showcasing the vibrancy of our community more than ever.
The bipartisan budgets passed to ensure Minnesotans can access resources, investments and recover from the impacts of this pandemic will be beneficial to the overall recovery of our state. If you’d like to get caught up on the bills we’ve passed, you can find nonpartisan summaries of the bills and the process around them here:
- Higher Education
- Commerce, Climate and Energy
- Agriculture
- Transportation
- Housing
- Jobs and Labor
- Health and Human Services
- Legacy
- Environment and Natural Resources
- E-12 Education
- Public Safety and Judiciary
- State Government, Veterans, and Elections
- Bonding
While full details of budget bills can be found above, below are some short highlights absent from my previous newsletter that I would like to point your attention to:
Public Safety
The Public Safety and Judiciary budget we approved at the end of session seeks to improve police accountability, build trust between law enforcement and their communities, and support community groups working to improve safety and prevent violence. The bill also addresses economic inequalities in our criminal justice system. While this was a much needed reform effort, our work is far from over. I am committed to continue to push for critical and effective reform that will help ALL Minnesotans feel safe and protected from violence. Here is an editorial in the Star Tribune that speaks to the current state of conversations around police reform in Minnesota: click here to read.
Regardless of whether we are in session or not, I will continue to advocate for public safety for every Minnesotan. This year has been tough, but that is all the more reason why we must push for a better Minnesota.
Jobs and Labor
The Jobs and Labor budget provides $8 million in childcare grants to increase the number of providers throughout Minnesota. Additionally, it includes $70 million in grants, with funding prioritized for Minnesota’s smallest businesses, especially those owned by BIPOC, women, and veterans, along with the Helmets to Hardhatsprovision, which connects transitioning active-duty military service members, veterans, National Guard and Reservists with skilled training opportunities in the construction industry.
State Government Operations and Veterans Affairs
This bill invests in a responsive state government, free and fair elections for our State and our duty to honor those who have served with dignity and gratitude.
Support for Minnesota Veterans
This legislative session our bipartisan State Government, Veterans, and Elections budget includes investments in the well-being of Minnesota veterans, including veteran homelessness, suicide, and encounters with the criminal justice system. Suicide has claimed more than 100 Minnesota Veteran lives per year during the past five years. To honor the struggle faced by those who served our state and nation, and to shine a light on available resources, the bill establishes Veterans Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day to commemorate this cause. The legislation also increases funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs, investing in new veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston, and addresses veteran homelessness by establishing the Veterans Safe Housing Initiative to help veterans facing housing insecurity.
Additionally, the Veterans Restorative Justice Act will support Veterans by expanding access to the Veterans treatment court model to counties where there are no treatment courts. In addition, it would create beneficial uniformity amongst Veterans treatment courts already in existence. Specifically, this bill will provide Veterans access to a specialized sentencing structure if they can demonstrate that they have committed a lower criminal offense as a result of a service-related condition. Instead of going to jail or prison, the court will take a non-adversarial approach and the Veteran will receive treatment and community support in order to rehabilitate and rejoin the community of law-abiding citizens
Child Tax Credit Checks Arriving
As part of the Child Tax Credit expansion, enacted in the American Rescue Plan, low-income families will begin receiving monthly payments of $250-$350 for each child beginning this week. If you’ve filed tax returns for 2019 or 2020, or if you signed up to receive a stimulus check from the Internal Revenue Service, you will get this tax relief automatically. You do not need to sign up or take any action.
Ban on Conversion Therapy
This week, Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order to ban the use of LGBTQ conversion therapy on young people all across Minnesota! While this news is merely a step forward towards protecting our LGBTQ youth and creating safe and accepting places, the work to truly support and care for our young queer community members need to be rooted in mental health, housing, and educational opportunities. The ban on conversion therapy, however, will save lives and make clear that here in Minnesota– we will not tolerate harmful and violent practices towards our youth.
Thank you Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan for working hard to make our state a safe and welcoming place for all who call Minnesota home! You can read more about the executive order here.
Stay In Touch
You can stay up to date on our work by subscribing to these legislative updates and “liking” my official Facebook page. For any questions you have on the resources available to our community or our work in the Minnesota House, you can reach me at rep.andrew.carlson@house.mn or leave a voicemail at (651) 296-4218. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Andrew Carlson
State Representative