Week-in-Review Video
A message from your Senator
Constituents and friends,
As you know, Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, was killed by police during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center on Sunday afternoon. This tragic event is yet another reminder that we simply aren’t doing enough as legislators to protect Minnesota’s Black community from police violence, and it’s clear that transformational change is needed. The House has several strong police accountability and reform bills ready to be voted on and sent to the Governor, and we’re pushing our Republican colleagues in the Senate to recognize the urgency of this crisis and hear those bills immediately. As with many other urgent issues, they remain entrenched in their beliefs and concerned only with appeasing their own base, but we won’t stop putting both public and private pressure on them.
I support the demand from my colleagues in the Senate POCI (People of Color & Indigenous) Caucus that we force the suspension of ongoing budgetary negotiations until both the House and Senate have heard and adopted substantive and effective police accountability legislation. Those proposals include ending qualified immunity, allowing local governments to establish civilian oversight councils, banning the alteration/erasure/destruction of body-worn camera recordings and the withholding of that footage, prohibiting law enforcement officers from affiliating with white supremacist groups, and providing funding for community organizations that are working to prevent crime. These are common-sense measures, and their urgency is obvious.
We began hearing and debating omnibus budget bills on the Senate floor this week. On Thursday, while discussing the Jobs and Economic Development omnibus bill, I joined Senators Port and Frentz (who are, like me, small-business owners) to speak in favor of statewide Paid Family & Medical Leave. The vast majority of Minnesotans don’t have access to paid leave for family and medical matters, meaning they must choose between lost wages and caring for a new child, a loved one, or themselves.
That’s simply not right, and we in the Legislature have the ability to change it. Our proposal is for the implementation of a state-administered paid leave insurance program, where everyone contributes and everyone benefits, that would provide Minnesotans with up to 12 weeks of partial wage replacement (on a tiered scale, with an average of 66% replacement) for medical and family leave. This large statewide risk pool and the cost-sharing provisions would keep costs extremely low – an average of $2-$3 per week for a median worker and their employer. Aside from its obvious benefits for all workers, this policy would help level the playing field for small businesses that want to provide paid leave but simply don’t have the funds. The Republican majority rejected the inclusion of this policy in the omnibus bill, but we will keep fighting for it.
On Wednesday, we heard the Energy & Commerce omnibus bill. One provision in that bill would lift the existing moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants in Minnesota, which has been in place since 1994. I spoke against that provision, and in favor of maintaining the moratorium – you can watch my full comments in the video below.
Nuclear power itself is a useful and emissions-free form of energy, and there’s no campaign to shut down the two nuclear power plants that are currently operating in our state – we spend hundreds of millions per year to maintain them and keep them safe. However, the infinite problem of nuclear waste storage (which must be done on-site) and the possible contamination that results, not to mention the prohibitive cost and environmental impact of actually building a plant (the average price tag is $9-10 billion, and they often end up costing far more than that), are very strong arguments against the construction of any more plants in Minnesota. The Republican majority voted to keep this provision in the bill, but I’m hopeful that it will be removed during conference committee negotiations.
Also on Wednesday, we heard the Higher Education omnibus bill, which does not come close to reaching the targets for state funding of the public university system that were set by the Legislature itself many years ago (the target is 67 percent coverage by the state, but instead, students currently pay for about 60 percent). I’ve taught at the University of Minnesota for 20 years, so I was proud to speak in support of the need for adequate state funding – I know firsthand how important our public universities are to Minnesota’s prosperity and future success. You can watch my full comments in the video below.
As usual, I had a busy week of meetings, which is my favorite part of being a Senator. Among others, I met this week with several local business owners to discuss policies related to their industries, environmental protection advocates, constituents interested in protecting Minnesota’s wolf population, and reproductive freedom activists. I also joined a press conference yesterday morning in support of statewide Ranked Choice Voting, a smart policy that would make our elections more fair, equitable, and accessible for all candidates.
Community News & Events
Construction season is beginning across the state, which means much-needed improvements to roads, trails, and utilities. Our own communities are no exception – you can find a list of projects and relevant updates, including road closures, at the links below.
Minnetonka streets and utilities: minnetonkamn.gov/street-utility-projects
Minnetonka parks and trails: minnetonkamn.gov/park-trail-projects
All Plymouth projects: plymouthmn.gov/project-spotlight
COVID-19 Hotlines
- Hotline for health questions: 612-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903 (staffed 6 am to 8 pm daily)
- Hotline for school and childcare questions: 651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504 (staffed 7 am to 7 pm daily)
- Questions for workers and employers: 651-259-7114 or 800-657-3858
- Hotline if you experience or witness bias and/or discrimination: 1-833-454-0148 (staffed Monday-Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm)
Please don’t hesitate to contact me at any time with input, questions, or concerns!