Tag: Michael Nelson

Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update: October 8, 2019

Neighbors,

I wanted to let you know about a few opportunities to weigh in on some important issues facing our state, and give a quick update on our mini-session in the Winona area!

Minnesota Values Project

The Minnesota Values Project is an ongoing partnership between Minnesotans and elected officials. We’re working together to create a shared vision for the future of our state, and your input is an important part of this process! You can let us know what’s important to you, your community, and Minnesota by taking a quick survey here.

Join a Statewide Conversation about Historic Fort Snelling

Historic Fort Snelling, a 23-acre site located along the Mississippi River, has had many names over the years. The Minnesota Historical Society is asking Minnesotans to weigh in on what it should be called. You can share your opinions by taking a survey or attending one of the upcoming public meetings. More information about the survey and public meetings is available here. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update: October 8, 2019”

Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update: September 18, 2019

Neighbors,

I hope you had a wonderful summer and are having a smooth transitioning to fall and back to school schedules!

I wanted to touch base on several events the House DFL is putting together this month.

The cost of insulin and prescription drugs

We are holding a series of Community Conversations outside of the Capitol to address the soaring cost of insulin and prescription drugs. The meetings, in Burnsville, Richfield, St. Cloud, and Shorewood, are an opportunity for Minnesotans to share personal stories, learn about solutions under discussion at the Legislature, and put pressure on Big Pharma to end price gouging. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update: September 18, 2019”

Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update: June 4, 2019

Neighbors,
On May 25th, we completed our state budget. Though we won’t return until February 11th, I look forward to working with our community year-round to make our state a better place to live.By working across the aisle and building positive relationships with our Republican Senators, I proudly sent the long-awaited $6.6 million in Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funding to the Governor’s desk. In the State Government bill, we also passed provisions to keep voters’ political party private when voting in primaries without their neighbors, bosses, and strangers knowing their political preference. We fully supported the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ funding requests to take care of the needs of those who have served our country.

Below is a brief overview of a few of the major budget areas we passed. If you want to read in further detail, full summaries of all the budget bills we passed are available here.
Continue reading “Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update: June 4, 2019”

Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update: May 13, 2019

An update is available in Hmong here, Somali here, and Spanish here. 

Neighbors,

Members from the House and Senate have continued to meet in conference committees that are dedicated to reconciling differences between sections of our House and Senate state budgets.

In some cases, the differences are pretty big. As Chair of the State Government committee, I’ve led our negotiations and asked the Senate to appropriate the full $6.6 million given to Minnesota by the federal government to keep our elections safe from outside interference. Without giving a reason why, the Senate has continued to stubbornly refuse appropriating the money, even though all 49 other states have. With a week left of the legislative session, it’s important that the Senate gets serious about protecting and securing our elections. You can always follow along by watching here.

We’re also far apart on education funding. These graphs are a comparison of House and Senate education budgets for the school districts in our community. Our budget was inspired by the teachers, students, parents, and administrators who have spoken out at the legislature about the need for more school funding to make sure that all Minnesota students have access to a great education.

Continue reading “Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update: May 13, 2019”

UPDATE: State Government Committee to hold public hearing this afternoon

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Co-Chair Michael Nelson (DFL – Brooklyn Park) will hold a joint House/Senate State Government Conference Committee this afternoon at 4:00 PM to go over sections of the budget on which the House and Senate agree.

WHAT: Meeting of the House/Senate Conference Committee on the State Government budget, HF 1935
WHO: Rep. Michael Nelson (DFL – Brooklyn Park), committee members
WHERE: Room G-23, Capitol
WHEN: 4:00 PM, Thursday, May 9

The House budget appropriates the full $6.6 million allocated by the Federal Government to improve Minnesota’s election security, accessibility, cybersecurity, and to modernize the statewide voter registration system. The Senate does not allocate any of the Federal money, leaving it on the table. Minnesota has four years to allocate and use the funds, a portion of which would be used on projects that could take four years to complete.

 

State Government Finance Committee Releases Proposed Budget

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA  – State Government Finance Committee Chair Michael Nelson (DFL – Brooklyn Park) today announced a proposed budget (H.F. 1935) for the State Government Committee and the Elections Finance Committee. The bill includes measures to make Minnesota’s elections more secure and accessible, and ensure a complete and accurate U.S. Census count.

“Civic engagement is not a spectator sport in Minnesota,” said Rep. Nelson. “We consistently lead the nation in voter participation and stand on a strong history of ensuring every Minnesotan is included and counted in our society. Our proposal reflects a continued commitment to upholding those fundamental values.”

The budget also includes provisions to: Continue reading “State Government Finance Committee Releases Proposed Budget”

Rep. Mike Nelson (HD40A) Update: April 5, 2019

Neighbors,

On Wednesday, Governor Tim Walz delivered his first State of the State address. He laid out his vision for our state by using real stories about the struggles and strengths of Minnesotans. He emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation between the two parties, and the House and the Senate, to focus on serving Minnesotans.

Help America Vote Act Update 
I hope that bipartisan spirit carries over to the Help America Vote Act negotiations. Secretary of State Steve Simon and I have continued to fight for full funding in order to secure our elections, though Republicans have been hesitant to agree, or even show up to our negotiations. This is an issue that has historically had broad bipartisan support, clearly demonstrated by the fact that every single other state has begun using money allocated from the Federal Government.

You can learn more from a recent KARE11 segment here.

Minnesota Values Budget

Budgets are more than just spreadsheets and numbers — they’re a reflection of our values and morals. The Minnesota Values Budget invests in a state that works better all of us. It is based on the fact that Minnesotans care about their neighbors and want to see them succeed just as much as they do their own families.

Learn more by reading MPR’s coverage here.

Continue reading “Rep. Mike Nelson (HD40A) Update: April 5, 2019”

Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update; March 25, 2019

Neighbors,

In 2017, more than 400 Minnesotans died of opioid overdoses. Last week, I voted in favor of legislation to hold Big Pharma accountable for their role in creating this crisis. Minnesotans shouldn’t have to foot the bill for the tragedy that these companies have inflicted on our communities. The legislation would support a wide range of addiction prevention, education, intervention, treatment and recovery strategies – it passed by a 94-34 vote.

Big Pharma has collected billions in profits over the years and has not had to pay a dime to help Minnesotans get treatment or help law enforcement keep our communities safe. This is wrong, and it’s time they start contributing to the solution. Holding big corporations accountable is the right thing to do and I am proud to support this bill. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update; March 25, 2019”

Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update: March 12, 2019

Neighbors,

I hope you’re having a great week! There’s a lot happening at the Capitol these days – here’s a quick recap on the big developments.

Health care 
Minnesotans have come forward to share powerful stories about the high – and rising – cost of Insulin and other pharmaceutical drugs. We need to hold big pharma accountable for prescription drug price-gouging. Last year 26-year-old Alec Smith died because he was forced to ration his monthly supply of insulin. After getting off his parents’ health insurance, he could no longer pay the $1,300. Minnesotans simply should not die because they can’t afford health care. The House DFL has a comprehensive plan to address the cost of insulin. It includes:

The Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act (HF 485) allows Minnesotans who are unable to afford their insulin to get their prescription filled in emergencies. It also authorizes pharmacies to fill a temporary supply of insulin for patients whose prescription is out-of-date. Reimbursements for pharmacies would be paid through a fee on Big Pharma insulin manufacturers. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Nelson (HD40A) Update: March 12, 2019”