Tag: House DFL

House DFL Majority Announces New Community-Centered Public Safety Budget

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Division today announced a new budget built on a community–centered approach to public safety. The budget provides a pathway for Minnesotans to move beyond the criminal justice system, delivers justice for crime victims, and holds those who hurt others and hurt communities accountable.

“Through a community-centered approach to public safety, we can deliberately and thoughtfully engage Minnesotans to determine how we can best achieve the results and outcomes from our criminal justice system,” said Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL – Saint Paul), the Division Chair. “All session long we’ve been committed to working together in this fashion, and I’m pleased that we’ve produced a bill that I believe truly re-envisions public safety in this state.”

The budget bill, HF 2792, contains funding for the Departments of Public Safety and Corrections that provides for those on probation to develop the skills to contribute to society and for young people to avoid incarceration. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Sentencing Guidelines Commission, and the Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Board are also funded. Continue reading “House DFL Majority Announces New Community-Centered Public Safety Budget”

Thursday at 10: House DFL Majority Announces New Budget for Higher Education

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. – The House DFL Majority is hosting a news conference on Thursday, April 4 at 10:00 AM in Capitol Room B971 to announce a new higher education budget that freezes tuition for Minnesota students.

The new budget makes college more affordable for working families, helps develop a talented workforce to address shortages throughout the state, and helps keep students safe and healthy on college campuses, from Moorhead to Mankato to Minneapolis.

Who:

  • Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman
  • Majority Leader Ryan Winkler
  • Rep. Connie Bernardy (DFL-New Brighton), Chair of the Higher Education Finance and Policy Division
  • Students enrolled in Minnesota’s public colleges and universities

When: Thursday, April 4 at 10:00 AM

Where:  Capitol Room B971

Wednesday at 11: House DFL Majority to Announce Health and Human Services Budget

LeSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – On Wednesday at 11 a.m., the House DFL Majority is holding a news conference to announce a new Health and Human Services budget.

The House DFL’s HHS proposal budget lowers the cost of health care, addresses rising prescription drug prices, increases the quality of coverage, and gives patients and their doctors more power over their care.

WHAT: News Conference Announcing House Health and Human Services Budget

WHO: Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman; Majority Leader Ryan Winkler; Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), Chair of the House Health and Human Services Finance Division

WHEN: Wednesday, April 3 at 11 AM

WHERE: Room 181, State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Saint Paul

Statement from House DFL Leadership on Senate Republican Budget Targets

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements on the budget targets released by Senate Republicans today:

“Senate Republicans are using a tried-and-true Republican gimmick of moving the goalposts to hide how much they’re shortchanging Minnesotans,” said Speaker Hortman. “Their budget won’t get Minnesota children the world-class schools they deserve. It will put affordable health care further out of reach for Minnesotans. And the Senate Republican budget won’t increase economic security for our families and give them the chance to succeed. As the House and Senate begin moving budget bills forward, House DFLers are committed to building a state that will work better for everyone.”

“Minnesota will be moving backwards under the Senate Republican budget,” said Majority Leader Winkler. “The choices will be clear for Minnesotans: continue down the Republican path that prioritizes corporations, the wealthy, and health insurance companies; or the DFL budget that will make honest investments in the things Minnesotans value: affordable health care, great schools, safe & inclusive communities, and reliable roads, bridges, and transit. The House DFL is committed to responsible budgeting, correcting the destructive Republican budgets, and building a brighter future for all Minnesotans.”

Speaker Hortman and House DFLers’ letter to President Trump and Congressional Delegation

Today, Speaker Melissa Hortman and Minnesota House DFLers have sent the letter accessible with the link below to both President Trump and our Minnesota Congressional Delegation asking for DED (Deferred Enforcement Departure) protections for Minnesota’s Liberian community be extended.  These are set to expire on March 31, forcing people who’ve lived here for decades, some all their lives, to leave Minnesota and the United States.

Minnesota has one of the largest Liberian communities in the United States.  These people came her seeking asylum from the genocide going on in their country.  The country of Liberia continues to experience unrest.

You can read the letter below: Continue reading “Speaker Hortman and House DFLers’ letter to President Trump and Congressional Delegation”

Minnesota House Equal Rights Amendment Vote

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Last night, the Minnesota House of Representatives was expected to approve the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) bill. If approved by the Senate, there will be a question on the November, 2020, ballot asking Minnesotans to vote on whether our state constitution should be amended to read “equality under the law shall not be abridged or denied on account of gender.”

“Fairness is a fundamental value to Minnesotans. Our state constitution should reflect that,” said chief author Rep. Mary Kunesh-Podein (DFL – New Brighton). “The equality Minnesota women and men have fought for in life, in work, in school and in our major institutions shouldn’t be taken for granted. It should be guaranteed.”

The ERA would create a permanent guarantee of gender equality under law, a cause that gained greater urgency when the #MeToo movement exposed stories of pervasive sexism, harassment and discrimination.

“Assumed equality for women is not enough — our state constitution should be clear that we have equal rights,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “It’s been 99 years since women fought for and achieved the right to vote. It’s long past time to pass equal rights amendments to the state and federal constitutions.”

“Women’s equality is a priority for the House DFL Majority, and we are demonstrating that today,” said Majority Leader Winkler. “Minnesota women deserve equal rights in all aspects of life. Moving this forward and putting equal rights into our state constitution is a positive statement about the Minnesota we want to build.”

A Senate companion, authored by Sen. Richard Cohen, awaits a hearing in the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. If ratified, the amendment will take effect on January 1, 2021.

An additional Minnesota House measure (H.F. 71) would call on the Federal Government to adopt a similar resolution to the U.S. Constitution.

Statement from House DFL Leadership on MNLARS, Andover Landfill funding

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, the Minnesota House passed MNLARS deficiency funding and general obligation bonding for the projects previously funded through the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, including the cleanup of the Andover landfill. Due to their funding source, those projects have been held up in litigation.

Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements:

“Today, the House passed funding so we can continue to improve the Minnesota Licensing and Registration System – to reduce wait times and increase efficiency for Minnesotans. We also solved a problem created by the previous Legislature when they unnecessarily borrowed against the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Further, moving quickly to fund the Andover landfill cleanup is critically important to residents of the north metro area,” said Speaker Hortman. “This is an example of how divided government can work if we’re willing to work together, find solutions, and compromise.”

“House DFLers believe in honest budgeting and solving problems facing Minnesotans,” said Majority Leader Winkler. “We hope this is just the first step as we face much more challenging issues this session.”

House to Hold Hearing on Legislation to Address Skyrocketing Cost of Insulin

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Tomorrow, March 5, the House Commerce Committee will hear several bills to address the skyrocketing cost of insulin, including the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act. The hearing will take place in conjunction with Insulin for All Day at the Minnesota State Capitol, where Minnesotans will share their stories and struggles with access to affordable insulin. Nicole Smith-Holt and James Holt will speak at the rally and testify before the House Commerce committee, sharing the story of their son Alec, who lost his life when we was forced to ration his insulin because he could not afford it.

“In Minnesota, no one should lose their life because they cannot afford the insulin they need to survive,” said Rep. Michael Howard. “I am grateful for the advocacy of Minnesotans across the state who are standing up to Big Pharma and urging leaders at all levels of government to take action. It is time that we listen and move forward with these important bills to make insulin more accessible and affordable for all.” Continue reading “House to Hold Hearing on Legislation to Address Skyrocketing Cost of Insulin”

Minnesota House passes expanded background check and red flag laws

This past Wednesday, in a night full of poignant testimony in the House Public Safety Committee, the Minnesota House took one further step in joining 20 other states (plus D.C.) in passing expanded background checks that would cover all gun sales. Rep. Dave Pinto, a prosecutor in his day job, took the lead on shepherding HF 8 through committee. HF 8 takes the long overdue step in closing major loopholes in Minnesota’s current background check system that allows dangerous individuals the opportunity to obtain guns by way of online or private sales. It’s not just common sense legislation that’s the morally right thing to pass, because it’s worked in other states where it’s been implemented in reducing firearm suicide and homicide rates, it’s also extremely popular among Minnesotans. How popular? 89 percent support in a 2018 poll, popular.

After the expanded background checks passed the Public Safety committee on Wednesday night, the committee then took up the other major prong in a long overdue update to MN gun laws. Namely, having Minnesota join 14 other states (plus D.C.) in having a mechanism to allow “Extreme Risk Protection Orders,” more commonly known as red flag laws. Rep. Ruth Richardson took the lead in shepherding HF 9 through committee Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.

Red flag laws are a necessary component of state’s having adequate gun safety protections. They allow court petitions to temporarily remove weapons when individuals show signs of being imminently dangerous and are invaluable in prevention of mass shooting tragedies, suicides, and homicides. The same poll mentioned above shows 87 percent support among Minnesotans.

Representatives Pinto and Richardson further discuss the passage of these necessary gun law expansions on this afternoon’s episode of the Minnesota Values Podcast produced in-house (pun intended) by the Minnesota House DFL Caucus, Episode 3.