Tag: House DFL
House and Senate DFL leadership issue statement in response to new economic forecast
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, Minnesota Management and Budget released the November Economic Forecast, showing a projected balance of $1.332 billion for the current biennium. While the forecast does show a balance, it includes inflation on the revenue side, and excludes it on the spending side in several key areas. Estimated inflation will lead to deficits in fiscal years 2022-23.
“Today’s budget forecast shows challenges for Minnesota, including deficits in future years,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “These deficits undermine our ability to provide good schools, good roads, and good health care for Minnesotans. Worse, this surplus story is fiction, because it does not count the increased costs of providing these core services. We need to continue supporting working families and build a more prosperous future for all Minnesotans. House DFL priorities are the same as those of Minnesotans: affordable health care, excellent schools, next-generation infrastructure, and safe communities for all of us.”
“We can’t forget today’s budget balance ignores inflation,” said Assistant Senate DFL Leader Susan Kent. “Without thoughtful investments in what Minnesotans deserve, we’ll jeopardize the things DFLers have worked so hard to build. We must make smart investments in health care, education, and working families to move forward and ensure a better Minnesota for all of us.”
Speaker Hortman participating in Israel Study Tour in December
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman will be traveling with a bipartisan group of legislators to Israel and the West Bank December 2nd-13th. The study tour for legislators and community leaders is organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council, but participants — like Speaker Hortman and her husband — pay the expenses themselves.
“I’m really looking forward to going to Israel with this bipartisan delegation,” said Speaker Hortman. “This region holds special significance to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. As a Catholic, I’m especially looking forward to seeing sites central to my faith. I’m also looking forward to learning more about the complex political and security issues facing Israel and the region.”
Speaker Hortman will be joined by Reps. Elkins, Kiel, and Theis; and Sens. Bigham, Franzen, and Kiffmeyer, among other participants on the trip.
After arriving in Israel, participants will visit the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, and the Israel Museum, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. They will explore environmental challenges related to the River Jordan, and tour East Jerusalem with a Palestinian-American journalist. Participants will also visit a number of Christian and Jewish holy sites, and Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial and museum.
Later, attendees will visit the Palestinian Authority’s headquarters and Moshav Netiv HaAsara, a community that borders Gaza. Participants will stand on the banks of the Jordan River, learn more about Israel’s security situation on its border with Syria in the Golan Heights, visit the ancient port city of Akko, and receive a guided tour describing Israel’s strategic challenges along the Lebanese border. Participants will also visit Medtronic Israel and Minneapolis’ partner community, Rehovot, and St. Paul’s partner community in the Sovev Kineret region.
Majority Leader statement on need for responsible vaping regulation
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statement responding to the risks associated with unregulated vaping products.
“The risks of unregulated vaping products on the market have emerged as a serious issue, and it demonstrates what happens when products are introduced into the marketplace without consumer protections. As we look to change Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis laws, we want to be sure to protect the health and safety of consumers with a responsible public health approach. Our response to vaping should be similarly deliberate.”
House DFL Statement on Insulin Legislation
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, Governor Tim Walz called on Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka to take action on insulin affordability and begin negotiations with the House. In an October 1st letter to Gov. Walz, House Speaker Melissa Hortman announced that she asked Representatives Howard, Liebling, Halverson, and Mann to serve on an Emergency Access to Insulin Work Group to meet with the Senate and resolve the differences between the House and Senate bills.
Speaker Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements:
“Minnesotans need and deserve access to emergency insulin — which the Senate bill doesn’t provide,” said Speaker Hortman. “The House DFL remains ready to work with Senate Republicans and the Walz Administration to find a solution that serves the needs of Minnesotans and holds the pharmaceutical industry accountable. Lives are at stake and it’s time for Senate Republicans to come to the table and begin working on a compromise with us. Governor Walz and I have named the individuals who can start working on this right away. We continue to wait for Senator Gazelka to name which Senators will speak for the Senate in a work group so we can commence negotiations on a compromise. Simply reiterating that he has taken a position different from ours doesn’t help anyone get emergency access to insulin.” Continue reading “House DFL Statement on Insulin Legislation”
House DFL legislators announce the formation of the Climate Action Caucus
SAINT PAUL, MN — Today, legislators announced the formation of the Climate Action Caucus. House DFLers have created the new caucus to show support for young Minnesotans who are participating in the Youth Climate Strike, a worldwide demonstration scheduled to take place Friday, September 20.
“Climate change is one of the top issues that my colleagues and I hear about from community members, particularly young people,” said Rep. Patty Acomb (DFL – Minnetonka), Chair of the Climate Action Caucus. “As Chair of the newly-formed Climate Action Caucus, I’m looking forward to working with Minnesotans on a bold, comprehensive plan to combat climate change. Together, we can secure a future in which we all thrive.”
Climate Action Caucus members will create an ambitious agenda based on input from Minnesotans. The Minnesota Climate Action Plan will draw on the unique advantages of our state – generous, hard-working people; innovative businesses; world-class colleges and universities; and vast natural resources – to find solutions and establish Minnesota as a national leader in the fight against climate change. Continue reading “House DFL legislators announce the formation of the Climate Action Caucus”
House DFLers announce statewide Community Conversations to address soaring cost of insulin
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Minnesota House DFL lawmakers today announced plans for a series of Community Conversations across the state to give Minnesotans an opportunity to share their concerns and ideas for improving access to insulin and addressing the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. The first roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, August 14 at 10:30 a.m. in Room 120 of the State Capitol. Minnesotans who depend on insulin for themselves and their families and have experienced high costs are invited to join legislators to discuss the next steps to solve this crisis facing far too many Minnesotans.
“Minnesotans shouldn’t lose their lives because they can’t afford the lifesaving medications they need, like insulin,” said Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman. “The DFL Majority in the Minnesota House passed and sent to conference committee a strong proposal that would both help Minnesotans and hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable for the greed that is fueling this crisis. After the work of a bipartisan group of legislators, it’s critical to bring the public back into this process. We need to hear directly from Minnesotans about how this issue affects them and how best to address it.” Continue reading “House DFLers announce statewide Community Conversations to address soaring cost of insulin”
House DFL Leadership Statement on Gun Violence Prevention Legislation
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – House DFL Leadership released the following statements today in response to Governor Tim Walz calling on Senate Republicans to hold hearings on two common-sense gun violence prevention measures that the DFL House Majority passed but were blocked by the Republican-led Senate.
“The DFL Majority in the Minnesota House passed two broadly-supported, common-sense gun safety measures to make our families and communities safer — criminal background checks and red flag legislation,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Minnesotans have been loud and clear that they want the legislature to take action to address senseless gun violence. The House has responded to this call to action. Senate Republicans should listen to Minnesotans and join the DFL-led House in supporting and passing these measures so we can send them to Governor Walz’s desk.” Continue reading “House DFL Leadership Statement on Gun Violence Prevention Legislation”
House Committee Holds Public Meeting to Discuss Improvements to Budget Process
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — On Wednesday, the Minnesota House Subcommittee on Legislative Process Reform held the first of several public meetings to review the legislative budget process and seek improvements. Nonpartisan staff gave an overview of legislative process reform, the budget cycle, and the omnibus bill process.
“Minnesotans expect and deserve a modern, efficient, and transparent legislative process,” said Speaker Melissa Hortman. “House DFLers have led the way in implementing reforms and are committed to improving public engagement in the legislative process.”
“The House DFL has consistently looked for ways to make our state budget process more open and transparent, which is why we established this committee,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “Minnesotans regularly lead the nation in civic engagement – it’s clear that they want and deserve the opportunity to provide meaningful input as new laws are considered.”
“Having recently completed our 17th special session in the last 21 years, we can see that work needs to be done to improve the legislative process,” said Rep. Gene Pelowski (DFL-Winona), Chair of the House Subcommittee on Legislative Process Reform. “I look forward to our efforts to meaningfully address reforms that would allow the legislature to meet its Constitutional responsibility of completing the legislative session on time with a balanced budget.”
In future meetings, committee members and stakeholders will continue to discuss challenges and possible opportunities to making the process of creating a state budget more open and efficient.