Tag: House District 36B

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: July 16, 2020


Dear Neighbors,

I hope you and your family are staying safe during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The Legislature is back in Special Session and working on the many challenges currently facing Minnesotans. We continue to see very concerning spikes in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths around the country. The health and safety of Minnesotans is our top priority. This pandemic won’t go away just because we’d like it to. The emergency is still here.

Working toward police accountability and declaring racism is a public health crisis

We need systemic change in policing that ensures police are accountable to the communities they serve. Under my leadership, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed significant police accountability legislation during the June special session. Our efforts in the Minnesota House are being led by Rep. Carlos Mariani, Rep. Rena Moran, and the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: July 16, 2020”

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: July 1, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you and your family are staying safe, healthy, and enjoying the summer. While it’s been encouraging to see COVID-19 hospitalizations dropping in Minnesota, we’re continuing to see increases in cases, and very concerning spikes in states across the country. Please continue to social distance and wear a mask when in public.

Stay Safe Banner

Minnesota has reached the milestone of a daily capacity of 20,000 tests. If you have symptoms, please get tested. Testing is critical to preventing and monitoring the spread of COVID-19. You can learn more and find testing locations here. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: July 1, 2020”

House DFL legislators announce economic aid plan for destroyed, damaged businesses

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, House DFL legislators who represent the most impacted areas from civil unrest announced the PROMISE Act — a comprehensive plan to help businesses rebuild and recover, many of which are Black, immigrant, and communities of color-owned.

PROMISE stands for Providing Resources, Opportunity and Maximizing Investments in Striving Entrepreneurs. The PROMISE Act is a top special session priority for DFL legislators and is inspired by what many saw and heard from community members and business owners during tours of property damage in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

“We must take immediate action to support and rebuild our wounded communities. The Promise Act will support our communities in an equitable and holistic way so we can rebuild for and by the community,” said Rep. Hodan Hassan (DFL – Minneapolis). “These commercial hubs are the lifeblood of our minority and immigrant communities. By rebuilding with an intentional focus on equity we can avoid the devastating effects of gentrification.”

The legislation would:

  • Create a special panel to review cases and provide direct compensation to impacted individuals.
  • Partner with cities and community organizations to create economic relief programs for impacted businesses and organizations.
  • Give local units of government flexibility and tools to prevent gentrification.
  • Direct the Minnesota Department of Commerce to assist business owners, and require insurance companies to notify the department of any rejected claims.
  • Help with the rising cost of leases for eligible residential and commercial properties.
  • Eliminate the sales tax on the purchase of construction materials used to rebuild damaged or destroyed properties.
  • Provide property and sales tax cuts for eligible properties.
  • Establish a “Metropolitan Area Redevelopment Corporation” to create a long-term plan for equity-driven redevelopment and transformation.

“While we work on long-needed and overdue racial justice and police accountability legislation, we must also help our impacted businesses and communities recover and rebuild,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “These are strong economic and cultural centers of our cities, and we have to help them in a way that promotes equity and prevents gentrification. The extensive property damage and loss in these communities requires us to take urgent action and deliver results.” 

“Our communities and these businesses, many of them minority-owned and already struggling due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, need resources to rebuild,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Today, we’re putting forward a comprehensive plan to help those impacted, that puts equity at the center of our recovery efforts. The Legislature must move quickly to help these communities recover. I want to thank Majority Leader Winkler for agreeing to lead this important work, and the Minneapolis and St. Paul legislative delegations and city staff for their collaborative work on this proposal.”

 

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: June 9, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

All of us are angry and saddened by the murder of George Floyd at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, and we are seeking answers about how we will move forward as a state from this point in history.

The peaceful demonstrations, spontaneous clean ups, food drives, fundraising campaigns, and works of art show exactly who we are as a community: neighbors caring for neighbors. We care about one another and we are going to help each other rebuild, and we’ll move forward together to create real systemic change.

The Legislature will convene for a Special Session starting on June 12th. Passing racial justice and police accountability legislation is a top priority of the Minnesota House of Representatives. This work has been led by our People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) legislators and community members. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: June 9, 2020”

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: May 22, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

The 2020 Legislative Session wrapped up earlier this week. Like nearly everything in our lives, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the session and completely changed our focus. We quickly shifted from an in-person Legislature to one that operates remotely and online while still being open to the public and input.

We enacted four pieces of COVID-19-related legislation with incredible bipartisan effort, and the work will continue.

Monday, May 25 is Memorial Day — a day for us to remember and honor those who lost their lives in the service of our country. While the pandemic keeps us physically apart, we can still remember our fallen heroes and pay our respects. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: May 22, 2020”

Minnesota House to vote on Jobs and Local Projects Bill

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — On Saturday, the Minnesota House of Representatives will vote on a Jobs and Local Projects Bill. The bill requires a three-fifths majority — 81 votes — to pass.

“All Minnesotans deserve safe and inclusive communities,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Updating our aging infrastructure will help our people, communities, and businesses make it through the COVID-19 crisis and provide jobs with wages and benefits that can support a family. Minnesota needs these investments now more than ever.”

“We know that people are hurting from the impact of COVID-19, and we have an opportunity to help in a way that safely creates statewide economic activity,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “Investing in jobs and local projects now will quicken our economic recovery and help Minnesotans thrive for generations. Republicans need to join us in passing a robust jobs and local projects bill.” Continue reading “Minnesota House to vote on Jobs and Local Projects Bill”

Minnesota House Leadership Statement on Transit Safety Provisions in the Transportation Policy Bill

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — On May 14, the Minnesota House of Representatives tabled a transportation policy bill that included transit safety provisions. House Speaker Melissa Hortman, House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, and Rep. Brad Tabke (DFL – Shakopee) released the following statements:

“Transit safety is important to Minnesotans, and we remain committed to addressing this issue,” said Speaker Hortman. “When we placed the bill on the calendar for today, we believed there was an agreement with Republicans on language to address this issue. We are continuing to work to reach an agreement so this provision will become law.”

“The Minnesota House fully intends to take up transit safety legislation,” said Majority Leader Winkler. “As we near the end of the Legislative Session, we are prioritizing areas where we can reach agreement with the Senate and get critical work done for Minnesotans — including transportation investments and transit safety.”

“This is the time to pass transit safety measures so that when the COVID pandemic ends, Minnesotans will come back to a transit system that is more safe and secure,” said Rep. Brad Tabke. “I remain hopeful we can reach a bipartisan agreement to pass legislation before the end of session to benefit both suburban and metro riders.”

 

Statement from Speaker Hortman and Majority Leader Winkler on extended peacetime emergency, new Stay Safe order

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Last night, Governor Walz announced a 30 day extension of the peacetime emergency and that he will allow his Stay at Home order to expire on May 18. The Stay at Home order is being replaced by a new order encouraging Minnesotans to stay close to home but allows for gatherings of friends and family of 10 people or less. Retail businesses will be allowed to resume at 50 percent capacity if they have a social distancing plan, but restaurants, bars, gyms, salons and other venues that attract large crowds will remain closed until June 1.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements: Continue reading “Statement from Speaker Hortman and Majority Leader Winkler on extended peacetime emergency, new Stay Safe order”

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: May 14, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you and your family are continuing to stay safe and healthy as our state continues to weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The Legislative Session will end by May 18th, and I’ll have an update on the end of session soon, but I wanted to let everyone know that the online absentee ballot request tool is now open!

The tool allows registered voters to request that their ballot be sent to them by mail for the August 11 statewide primary and/or the November 3 general election.

To help slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect Minnesotans, I strongly encourage voters to request an absentee ballot and vote safely from home. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: May 14, 2020”

Minnesota House expected to ratify state employee contracts

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives is expected to ratify state employee contracts. Approximately 50,000 state employees are covered under these contracts, and the contracts are currently in effect.

“Our state employees provide essential services for the people of Minnesota — including critical work on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “The Legislature should ratify these contracts, which were negotiated in good faith and that have been in place for months. The Legislature gets an up or down vote, and does not have a role in negotiating different terms. A no vote or a failure to act by the House and Senate means pay cuts and chaos for state employee health insurance benefits. There will be a time to deal with the state budget deficit in the future, and decisions may be made that impact future state employee contracts. State employees and the Administration have fairly negotiated these contracts, and they should be approved.”

“We owe it to those who keep our state running — including during a pandemic — to follow through on our promises to them and their families,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “During this economic crisis, we should protect these essential services and the basic economic security of the people we’re asking to step in to serve all of us.” Continue reading “Minnesota House expected to ratify state employee contracts”