Rep. Linda Slocum (50A) – Legislative Update
It’s been an eventful week at the Capitol. It’s hard to believe we’re only still in week four of the Legislative Session. Here are a few things I wanted to update you on:
School Safety and Gun Violence
As with all the recent mass shootings, there’s a point where you reach road blocks and momentum toward change seems to end. It seemed like maybe we reached that point because Republicans stopped common sense gun safety proposals including background checks. Fortunately, we’ve seen the pressure for action mounting.
On last week, we saw two positive signs. Governor Dayton released his Safe and Secure Schools Act and hundreds of students walked out of area high schools to come demand action on gun violence. We also saw Protect Minnesota join with legislators to again press for legislation to help put a stop to mass shootings. We need to keep this type of pressure on as session continues.
I had the opportunity to discuss my bill to reduce gun violence on AM Joy on MSNBC. My proposal includes criminal background checks on all gun sales and monitoring ammunition sales like we do with some nasal decongestants. I still am meeting resistance at the Capitol, but I am continuing to advance my proposal.
Minnesotans deserve safe communities and they expect us to act to keep them from being gunned down while they go about their daily lives. I’m committed to ensuring we take meaningful action this year. At some point our children and grandchildren’s safety is more important than listening to the NRA’s lobbyists.
MNLARS Progress Stopped
Technological upgrades to Minnesota’s Licensing and Registration System, known as MNLARS, have been decades in the making. The initial roll out of a new system last year had serious problems. While a lot of progress has been made on fixing MNLARS, there are still issues that need to be fixed.
In January, Governor Dayton told legislators that he needed them to make $10 million in the budget of the Department of Public Safety available so he could continue to keep IT professionals working on those fixes for MNLARS. While I worked with my DFL colleagues to get that done, Republicans refused to act. As a result, layoff notices have been sent to dozens of the people fixing the problem.
Minnesotans deserve a licensing system that works, and they expect it to be fixed when it doesn’t. As the Star Tribune pointed out, we need to fix this now. By not acting, Republicans are only making the problem worse and more costly for Minnesotans.
MinnesotaCare Buy-In
It may have been overlooked with all the news going on last week, but Governor Dayton renewed his push for the MinnesotaCare Buy-In. This option would greatly expand affordable health insurance options for many Minnesotans, especially those in Greater Minnesota. By paying their own way and increasing competition, the MinnesotaCare Buy-In would save all Minnesotans money and allow more people to access good health care coverage. This is a great step toward affordable, quality health coverage for Minnesotans who may otherwise not have that option.
Keeping Our State’s Waters Clean
There are a lot of areas where nitrogen levels in our state’s waters are unsafe for human consumption. In many communities the drinking water can even be deadly, leading to a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream.
No Minnesotan should ever experience preventable health risks or drink unsafe water. That’s why Governor Dayton is working with farmers to reduce nitrogen pollution in our waters. Despite the fact that 82% of Minnesotans support the Governor working with farmers to reduce pollutionthrough better farming practices, we’re likely to see push back. Together, we can ensure all Minnesotans are safe from this pollution.
You can read more from Governor Dayton and the Star Tribune.
Women’s History Month
Governor Dayton proclaimed March to be Women’s History Month in Minnesota. Coincidentally, last Thursday was also International Women’s Day. It’s great to see people crowd the Capitol each year pushing for women’s issues, including passing the Equal Rights Amendment, but it’s sad that each year we see continued threats to women’s ability to make choices with their health, including choices that may be lifesaving.
Please don’t hesitate to keep in touch!
Sincerely,
Linda Slocum
State Representative