Dear Neighbors,
I hope you’ve been able to stay safe and warm during our recent cold snap. Thankfully, warmer temperatures are coming this weekend. Here’s a quick update from the Capitol.
Town Hall Meeting
We had a great discussion at last Saturday’s town hall meeting with Sen. Hoffman and Rep. Stephenson. Thanks to everyone who braved the cold to join us! Continue reading “Speaker Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 1, 2019”
We’re wrapping up a busy third week of the legislative session. Here’s a quick update on a few items of note.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
At the start of this week, Minnesotans had the opportunity to honor and remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his work in the fight for equity. The message that Dr. King taught is a challenging one. It’s not enough to resist injustice — but how a person resists matters.
Dr. King had so many memorable quotes, but this one kept coming to mind this week: “Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethic of love to the center of our lives.” Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: January 25, 2019”
Dear Neighbors,
The 2019 Legislative Session is underway. It is an honor and privilege to serve in the Minnesota House. As we embark upon the next two years at the State Capitol, I’m committed to serving in a way that reflects our shared values, and delivering solutions which give everyone a true opportunity to succeed.I also have the additional honor to serve as the Speaker of the House. In my view, the Speaker serves as the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives — not the DFL House or the Republican House, but the Minnesota House. It’s my role to help House members, regardless of party, govern effectively as a team and help Minnesotans succeed. We’ll do that by being inclusive and giving all legislators opportunities to lead, build consensus, and get the work done. We share a trust – to recognize that those who came before us built Minnesota to be a phenomenally successful state. It’s our obligation to keep Minnesota strong for the generations who will follow us.
It was an honor to be joined at the swearing-in ceremony by Joan Growe, former Secretary of State, and former Speakers Dee Long and Margaret Anderson Kelliher — the other two women to serve as Speaker of the Minnesota House. Continue reading “Speaker Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: January 18, 2018”
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — It is no secret that the Minnesota lawmakers sometimes hold raucous legislative sessions. But there’s something even many lawmakers didn’t know.
House GOP leaders installed a “mute button” to cut off their microphones if things got rowdy!
“When we found out about it, we were outraged,” said incoming Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman.
View the complete January 9 article by Pat Kessler on the WCCO TV website here.
From the Minnesota House Public Information Service:
In between meetings on a recent Monday, Melissa Hortman took a moment to check the notifications piling up on her phone. She had a new message from the soon-to-be minority House Republican caucus about what committees they want each member to serve on.
“Not a lot of chicks in that group, not a single woman in here,” Hortman said, scrolling through their lists for each committee. “There’s a statute that says that we have to achieve geographic balance. There isn’t one that says that we have to do anything about gender balance.”
A DFL state representative from Brooklyn Park, Hortman made a splash in 2017 when she criticized a handful of male legislators for playing a card game in a side room while several female legislators of color were speaking on the House floor. Some Republicans were furious and demanded that she apologize, to which she responded: “I’m not sorry.”
View the complete January 7 article by Briana Bierschbach on the MPR News website here.
Representative Liz Olson (DFL-Duluth), Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park), Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley) and others unveil the first 10 bills they intend to offer this session.
Dear Neighbors,
Happy Holidays! This is a wonderful time of the year to spend in the company of loved ones. I hope you and yours have had a joyful holiday season so far, and have a safe and happy New Year as well.
Open positions on boards and commissions
Minnesota’s Secretary of State has announced open positions on over 200 boards, commissions, councils, work groups and task forces. See the link below to check on ways you can serve on one of these advisory boards. https://www.sos.state.mn.us/boards-commissions/
Help available for aging or disabled friends and loved ones
As we gather with loved ones for the holidays, the MN Dept. of Human Services reminds us that this can be a good time to ask elderly and/or disabled friends and family about struggles with loneliness, daily tasks and safety. DHS and the MN Board on Aging offers these helpful resources:
Senior LinkAge Line 1-800-333-2433 or http://www.seniorlinkageline.com/
Disability Hub MN 1-866-333-2466 or https://disabilityhubmn.org/
Reminder: Heating Assistance and Cold Weather Rules
For those Minnesotans under certain income levels, help may be available for payment of energy bills, help with utility disconnections or fuel deliveries, and advocacy with power companies and human service providers. For more information please visit the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s website here.
The Minnesota Cold Weather Rule is now also in effect, which protects residential utility customers from having their heat shut off during the winter months. More information is available from the Public Utilities Commission here.
New Laws
On January 1st, a few more laws passed during the 2018 legislative session go into effect. One of these is a significant expansion of our first responders’ ability to get help following post-traumatic stress disorder. Other topics touched on by these laws include consumer protection, municipal waste collection, and notaries public. Read the full list here.
2019 Legislative Session
The 2019 Legislative Session starts on January 8, 2019, and it will be my honor to continue serving our community at the State Capitol. My top priority as your voice has been to ensure the things our community values are at the forefront here at the Capitol. As always, please contact me anytime with your input. I appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Melissa Hortman
