On this week’s episode of the DFL Debrief Podcast, we sat down with DFL House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler to discuss all things budget! DFLers managed to secure some big wins in this year’s budget despite intense opposition from Minnesota Republicans. Listen to the podcast here.
Following the murder of George Floyd and coming amidst the unprecedented public health emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Legislative Session opened with the opportunity to deliver the transformative change Minnesotans were demanding. Despite the promise of these changes, the 2021 Legislative Session ended with much of this work, and the completion of the two-year budget, undone.
Instead of focusing on the needs of Minnesotans, Senate Republicans focused on hyper-partisan and extreme legislation that would restrict voter access, discriminate against trans youth, reopen schools and businesses without safety plans or resources, and pushed to roll back clean air and water protections. Senate Republicans also continued to push the big lie that our elections were not free and fair, which is a cornerstone to our democracy.
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, the Minnesota House passed the compromise Public Safety and Judiciary budget bill and amended it to include sign and release warrants. In addition to funding the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Human Rights, and the judicial branch, the bill includes several criminal justice and police accountability reforms which House DFLers have been advocating for all session. However, Senate Republicans rejected many other meaningful changes Minnesotans have been calling for to ensure communities can receive justice.
“Our budget agreement advances several important solutions to help Minnesotans experience public safety in their communities, but it’s incredibly disappointing Senate Republicans refused to accept some of the most meaningful reforms we put forward, including those with bipartisan support,” said Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL – Saint Paul), chair of the House Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform Committee. “One conviction and one prison sentence of one police officer doesn’t heal the trauma with which our communities continue to live. It’s not acceptable for a system that has failed too many Minnesotans to allow peace officers – with the solemn duty to protect and serve – to largely continue operating with impunity and a reckless disregard for human rights. As a result of the shortcomings within the budget compromise, we commit to continue this important work until we ensure all of those who betray the public’s trust can be held accountable, and Black, Indigenous, and Minnesotans of color can be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. We welcome the Governor’s executive actions, which are necessary due to the Republican Senate’s failure to respond to Minnesotans’ calls for greater accountability for law enforcement.”
Continue reading “House approves compromise Public Safety and Judiciary Budget”SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — On Tuesday, June 29, the Minnesota House passed a Public Safety and Judiciary state budget. DFL POCI members negotiated until the very end with the Senate Republicans to add more police accountability measures to the bill. The negotiations led to the following outcome that makes progress to prevent more Minnesotans from dying at the hands of police.
The bill includes:
The POCI Caucus is pleased that Governor Walz has committed to taking action on further police accountability measures. The Governor has promised the following:
Many of these measures would not have been included if not for the dedicated work of POCI members Chair Carlos Mariani, Chair Jamie Becker-Finn, and Rep. Cedrick Frazier who stood up for our communities against a Republican Senate who would have preferred the status quo.
We realize there is much more work to do. The POCI Caucus is committed to more police accountability measures next year. The fight for true justice for Minnesotans, especially our BIPOC communities, is long, but we are making progress.
The House People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) Caucus includes Reps. Esther Agbaje (59B), Jamie Becker-Finn (42B), Cedrick Frazier (45A), Aisha Gomez (62B), Hodan Hassan (Vice- Chair 62A), Kaohly Her (64A), Athena Hollins (66B), Fue Lee (59A), Carlos Mariani (65B), Rena Moran (65A), Mohamud Noor (60B), Ruth Richardson (52B), John Thompson (67A), Samantha Vang (Chair, 40B), Jay Xiong (67B), and Tou Xiong (53B).
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, Governor Tim Walz signed the compromise Housing Finance and Policy bill into law. The measure funds a variety of programs aimed at helping create more affordable housing, and provisions to ensure Minnesotans are safely and stably housed.
“This measure will immediately begin making an impact across the state,” said Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-Saint Paul), chair of the Minnesota House Housing Finance and Policy Committee. “Investments in closing home ownership racial disparity, among other provisions, will result in greater stability for more Minnesotans. We still have work to do, but this is a good start to help those affected by COVID-19 emerge stronger and safer.”
A notable inclusion in the budget bill is the orderly off-ramp to the current eviction moratorium. Championed by DFLers, the bill provides renters and landlords with the time to take advantage of federal housing assistance funds, with the off-ramp concluding 105 days after enactment. Landlords will be required to send a notice to renters with outstanding rent 15 days prior to eviction. In addition, renters with an outstanding rental assistance claim cannot be evicted and will have that protection until June 1, 2022.
“Governor Walz’s eviction moratorium has saved lives, and now this new law will as well by ensuring an eviction crisis doesn’t replace our health crisis.” said Rep. Michael Howard (DFL – Richfield) vice chair of the House Housing Finance and Policy Committee. “As we bounce back from the pandemic, the bipartisan consensus we reached on housing will deliver access to a safe and secure place to call home for more Minnesotans and lays the foundation for our future work in addressing our state’s housing crisis.”
The bill also provides Minnesota Housing with $10 million in one-time funds for FY22-23, along with $12 million in the tails to cover the debt service for $100 million in Housing Infrastructure Bonds (HIBs).
Other provisions of the bill:
Video of the House Floor session will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel.
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Saturday, the Minnesota House approved the compromise Health and Human Services (HHS) budget following a bipartisan agreement with the Senate. The budget includes significant advancements to protect Minnesotans’ health and wellbeing after the COVID-19 pandemic, with investments and solutions to strengthen public health, enhance economic security for Minnesotans, close health inequities, and expand access to affordable child care.
“The COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis unlike anything Minnesotans have ever experienced. To help Minnesotans recover and to rebuild our health system after the past year’s profound challenges, we’ve assembled the most robust HHS budget bill in a generation,” said Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), chair of the House Health Committee. “The budget includes a wide variety of investments to secure a healthier future for Minnesotans in every community. I’m excited for our legislation to receive the governor’s signature and once it’s law, to see the many ways we are able to help Minnesotans.”
After an unprecedented reliance on public health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the HHS budget significantly increases investments to strengthen public health throughout the state. The budget includes $15 million for local public health grants and $15 million under a new local public health funding distribution framework. Through solutions such as expanded Medical Assistance coverage for postpartum care, services for children with asthma, and periodontal dental services, the budget tackles a variety of Minnesota’s persistent health inequities. The budget also fixes the so-called “family glitch,” under which Minnesotans are unable to enroll in MinnesotaCare because they have access to employer coverage through a family member, even though the coverage is unaffordable. To increase cultural and ethnic diversity within Minnesota’s mental health workforce, the bill includes a variety of provisions to attract more Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to the field. After many Minnesotans found telehealth valuable during the pandemic, the budget agreement expands many of these services.
Continue reading “Minnesota House approves compromise HHS budget with historic investments in Minnesotans’ health and wellbeing”SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the E-12 Education Budget on a vote of 105-20. The legislation makes the strongest level of investment in public schools in 15 years, preserves 4,000 pre-K slots set to expire without action, makes historic investments in increasing the number of teachers of color and Indigenous teachers in Minnesota, and holds down special education and English Language Learner budget shortfalls.
“This compromise was a hard-fought win for Minnesota students and families, especially after an unprecedented year of COVID-19,” said House Education Finance Chair Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis). “Despite being the only divided state legislature in the country, House Democrats fended off harmful private school vouchers and secured the strongest state investments in public education in 15 years. We’re making progress in closing the opportunity gap by hiring and retaining more teachers of color and Indigenous teachers to better reflect our student population. Our education budget delivers students and families the tools they need to recover from the pandemic challenges and thrive well into the future.”
Due to the diligence of House DFLers, “Education Savings Accounts” were not included in the final education budget, which would create a voucher-type program where parents could withdraw their child from the public system and take the state funding with them to a nonpublic school. Instead, the compromise bill includes the strongest level of investment in public education in 15 years with a 2.45% increase to the general formula in 2022, and another 2% in 2023.
Continue reading “Minnesota House Approves E-12 Education Budget”SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the compromise Jobs, Economic Development, and Labor budget following a bipartisan agreement reached with the Senate. The budget delivers resources for workers, families, and small businesses to recover from an incredibly challenging year.
“The resilience of Minnesota workers, families and small businesses are rooted in our community values. Despite every challenge thrown our way this year, I have witnessed incredible leadership, service and most importantly, compassion from Minnesotans across our state,” said Rep. Mohamud Noor (DFL – Minneapolis), chair of the Workforce and Business Development Committee. “With our bipartisan Jobs, Economic Development, and Labor Budget, we will be able to strengthen these values through critical solutions that will expand economic opportunity, invest in the health and security of our workers, and extend a helping hand to small businesses recovering from both an unprecedented pandemic and civil unrest.”
“The last year has been devastating for many Minnesotans, and it compounded struggles that many workers, families, and small businesses were facing even prior to the pandemic,” said Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL – International Falls), chair of the House Labor, Industry & Veterans Affairs Committee. “Our Jobs and Labor budget delivers strong investments to help businesses bounce back, improve economic security for workers, strengthen workplace safety, and includes a robust investment in high-speed broadband so more Minnesotans can have the reliable internet access they deserve. I’m proud we were able to reach a bipartisan budget compromise with the Senate that will create more opportunities to succeed in a post-COVID-19 Minnesota.”
The budget invests $70 million in grants to small businesses harmed by COVID-19 – up to $25,000 – with the smallest businesses prioritized, as well as BIPOC, women or veteran-owned businesses. Other business support in the bill includes $10 million in technical assistance for new businesses, $5 million for the Launch MN initiative to support high-tech startups, and funding for the Emerging Entrepreneur Loan Fund and the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund. Additionally, the legislation invests $80 million to help businesses rebuild following last year’s civil unrest, including those along the Lake Street, University Avenue, and West Broadway corridors. To help address the child care gap across the state, House DFLers were also successful in securing a historic $8 million investment to expand access to affordable child care. The budget also invests $70 million of federal funding over the next two years in broadband infrastructure to help more homes, businesses, and schools have access to reliable internet access.
“The burden of the COVID-19 pandemic has hit some harder than others. Our bipartisan budget provides assistance to small businesses that struggled through no fault of their own, more workplace protections, and expanded access to child care” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “This bill helps provide a measure of the economic security that Minnesotans deserve.”
To help connect Minnesotans with training for good-paying jobs, the legislation invests $34 million in several different nonprofit organizations from the Workforce Development Fund as well as additional funding for the Department of Labor and Industry’s apprenticeship program. The legislation also strengthens safety in workplaces through additional investments in the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and funding for a logger safety program. The bill also protects renters by requiring high-rise public housing buildings to be retrofitted with automatic fire sprinkler systems.
The legislation includes workplace protections for new and expectant mothers. Employers must give nursing mothers space and time to pump while requiring workers to be paid for the time. Workplace accommodations for pregnant mothers will now apply starting on a worker’s first day on the job rather than after 12 months of employment.
To protect workers and communities around the facilities, the House voted to add a measure requiring workers at oil refineries to have apprenticeship-level training. The Senate had previously added this provision to its version of the bill on a broad bipartisan vote, only to later remove it.
“It is critically important that refineries in Minnesota operate consistent with the highest safety standards possible, and that they employ skilled workers who are well-trained to manage the extreme risk that refinery accidents pose to our communities,” added Speaker Hortman. “Fires, spills, and accidents at refineries threaten surrounding communities with devastating harm. It’s no surprise that the Minnesota House of Representatives voted in favor of high safety standards and skilled workers to protect our communities. We will continue our efforts to achieve bipartisan agreement with the Republican majority in the Minnesota Senate and to send this provision to the Governor’s desk.”
While the House included them in its original budget, Senate Republicans blocked Earned Sick & Safe Time and Paid Family Leave, two important priorities for the health, wellbeing, and economic security of workers and their families. Senate Republicans also refused to accept DFL-led measures to help hospitality workers laid off during the pandemic be rehired, to improve safety at meatpacking facilities, to prohibit the use of credit reports when hiring, and to prohibit employers from reducing worker tips to pay for credit card fees.
“Workers and families need time to care for newborn babies, aging parents, and all sorts of events that happen over the course of our lives,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “Democrats will continue to fight for a universal paid family and medical leave program because having time to care shouldn’t be a privilege for only those who can afford it.”
The budget agreement contains several changes to Unemployment Insurance (UI) law. After an 80-year prohibition, high school students will be eligible for unemployment benefits starting July 1, 2022. The bill also eliminates an outdated policy requiring an offset in UI benefits for seniors who receive social security benefits.
A spreadsheet of the investments contained within the legislation can be accessed here. Video of the House Floor session will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel.
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Environment and Natural Resources budget with a vote of 99-34. The compromise legislation, which funds the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), and more, will help preserve Minnesota’s air, water, land, and wildlife for future generations.
“Minnesotans are proud of our state’s abundant natural resources, and we want our families and our neighbors to be able to enjoy the outdoors for many years to come,” said Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL – South St. Paul), chair of the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee. “This is a problem-solving budget that will help protect people from pollution and harmful chemicals, address growing threats to our environment, conserve wildlife, and create more opportunities for Minnesotans to get outdoors.”
While it’s not part of the legislation, the bipartisan agreement House DFLers reached with Senate Republicans allows Minnesota to continue moving forward on clean car standards. Senate Republicans threatened to shut down state parks and cut funding for the environment and natural resources unless plans to enact clean car standards were halted, but House DFLers fought to maintain our progress, recognizing that the standards will reduce pollution and protect the environment.
Continue reading “Minnesota House approves compromise Environment and Natural Resources budget”SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House approved the Housing Finance and Policy budget on a vote of 72-59. The measure funds a variety of programs aimed at helping create more affordable housing, and provisions to ensure Minnesotans are safely and stably housed.
“Nothing goes right in life without a safe place to call home. The housing need is great throughout the state and this measure helps address this persistent problem in every community,” said Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-Saint Paul), chair of the Minnesota House Housing Finance and Policy Committee. “The housing budget invests in closing the home ownership racial disparity and results in more stability for renters and landlords. It doesn’t solve all the vexing issues associated with housing insecurity, but as we emerge from COVID-19, this bill will help many Minnesotans recover.”
A notable inclusion in the budget bill is the orderly off-ramp to the current eviction moratorium. Championed by DFLers, the bill provides renters and landlords with the time to take advantage of federal housing assistance funds, with the off-ramp concluding 105 days after enactment. Landlords will be required to send a notice to renters with outstanding rent 15 days prior to eviction. In addition, renters with an outstanding rental assistance claim cannot be evicted and will have that protection until June 1, 2022.
Continue reading “Housing Omnibus Bill Approved by Minnesota House”