Dear Neighbors,
Today marks one year since I was sworn in to serve as the Speaker of the House in the Minnesota House of Representatives!
Being sworn in by former Speaker — and now Minnesota Supreme Court Justice — Paul Thissen
Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: January 8, 2020”
Dear Neighbors,
I hope you had a great holiday and that your 2020 is off to a good start!
I wanted to invite you to an informal legislative discussion on Thursday, January 9th from 6-8 PM. The event will be held at Ramsey City Hall in the Alexander Ramsey Room (7550 Sunwood Drive NW, Ramsey). State legislators from Senate Districts 35 and 36 and House Districts 35A, 35B, and 36A have also been invited to attend. The discussion is free and open to the public.
Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: January 6, 2020”
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — On September 20, Speaker Hortman directed House Research to retain an outside investigator to review, on behalf of the House, questions raised by Rep. Swedzinski and Rep. Daudt about Rep. Jamie Long’s employment at the University of Minnesota’s Energy Transition Lab. The House retained Amy Schwartz of the law firm Ballard Spahr for this purpose. The investigation has been completed and found no wrongdoing on the part of Rep. Long.
House Speaker Melissa Hortman released the following statement:
“The report we received from a neutral third party completely exonerates Representative Long from all allegations of impropriety made by Representatives Swedzinski and Daudt.”
The full report can be found here.
Dear Neighbors,
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This is easily one of my favorite times of the year: the snow, the decorations, the music, the events, and the family traditions are something I treasure every year. I hope your holiday is filled with family, laughter, and love.
The Hortman family Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: December 24, 2019”
Dear Neighbors,
This week’s email update covers some recent news before taking a closer look at our new state environment budget.
This week, the U.S. Senate voted to approve a defense spending bill that includes a measure giving members of Minnesota’s large Liberian community an opportunity to apply for U.S. citizenship. The bill passed the U.S. House last week, and President Trump has said he will sign the bill.
Earlier this year, the President announced a one-year extension of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians. These protections were scheduled to end on March 31st. Before his announcement, I sent a letter to President Trump and members of Minnesota’s Congressional Delegation asking them to extend DED for Liberians. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: December 19, 2019”
Dear Neighbors,
It’s hard to believe it’s nearly Thanksgiving! I hope you and your family have a safe and happy holiday — and have a lot to be thankful for this year.
Later in this week’s update, we’ll take a closer look at the state’s higher education budget.
Emergency Insulin Access
On October 18th, I appointed Representatives Michael Howard and Tina Liebling to a work group tasked with resolving the differences between the House and Senate insulin proposals. Minority Leader Kurt Daudt appointed himself to represent his caucus. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: November 26, 2019”
Dear Neighbors,
It’s hard to believe that Halloween and November are nearly here — fall is flying by! As someone who loves cross country skiing, I might be one of the few who is happy that winter is quickly approaching and that we’re projected to have more snow than usual!
But before that happens, we have to get through another dreaded time change. November 3rd marks the end of daylight saving time for the year. I think ending the spring forward and fall back every year is worthy of consideration.
This week’s update takes a closer look at the Jobs Budget enacted this year.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Saturday, October 26th is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, a chance for people to safely discard unused or expired prescription drugs. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.9 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study found that the majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: October 25, 2019”
Dear Neighbors,
Fall has definitely arrived in Minnesota! The Minnesota DNR has a number of resources to help you enjoy the season, including a weekly fall colors update newsletter. You can learn more here.
Another fall staple is apple picking, and Minnesota’s apple harvest is in full swing! Minnesota-grown apples are available now at apple orchards and can be found at local grocery stores and farmers markets throughout the fall. A trip to the orchard is a great way to get the family outside and help kids understand how their food grows. Apple orchards are also a family-fun destination with some also featuring pumpkins, squash, corn mazes, wagon rides, and petting zoos.
The Minnesota Grown Directory is available in print and online, and is a great resource for finding local apple orchards or farmers markets.
Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: October 18, 2019”
Dear Neighbors,
Last month, students around the world kicked off climate week with the Youth Climate Strike, demanding action on climate change. Leaders from all over the world gathered at the UN in New York to discuss countries’ climate action plans. Climate change is one of the most significant threats to Minnesota’s crops, wildlife, and lakes.
As the leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives, I hear and agree with those calling for action. Minnesota is a national leader on clean energy, but we can and should do more. For that reason, I asked Rep. Patty Acomb to lead a Climate Action Caucus in the Minnesota House. Over the next several weeks, we will work with youth and other Minnesotans to develop our Climate Action Plan for Minnesota. Then we will work to pass that plan during the 2020 Session. Stay tuned for the launch of our Climate Action website and the opportunity for Minnesotans to sign-on as citizen co-authors on our climate action bills.
We don’t need any more studies or task forces before we get going. The time to act is now. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: October 8, 2019”
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements on today’s approved 2020 rates for Minnesota’s individual and small group health insurance plans.
“All Minnesotans deserve access to affordable, high-quality health care,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “While there are short-term positives in today’s news, this doesn’t help Minnesotans struggling with high deductibles and high out-of-pocket costs for necessities like prescription drugs. House DFLers are committed to making affordable health care a reality for everyone.”
“The Republicans’ only plan for health care — writing a blank check to insurance companies — isn’t sustainable,” said Majority Leader Winkler. “Last session, House DFLers passed measures to expand access, reduce health care costs, and reduce prescription drug prices while holding Big Pharma accountable. These policies are how we ensure Minnesotans have access to the high quality health care they need.”
