Tag: Minnesota House of Representatives

Minn. House members, advocates to unveil series of gender-based violence prevention initiatives

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – On Tuesday morning, members of the Minnesota House of Representatives will be joined by victim and survivor advocates for a press conference to launch “Gender-Based Violence Prevention Week” in the House Public Safety Division. This week, the panel, chaired by Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL – Saint Paul), will hear a variety of bills regarding the topic, including training for law enforcement on investigations of sexual assault, ending the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women endemic, repeal of the “marital rape” exception and other initiatives as part of a comprehensive effort to end gender-based violence.

WHAT: Press conference to launch “Gender-Based Violence Prevention Week” in the Minnesota House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Division.

WHO: House Public Safety Division Chair Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL – Saint Paul), Rep. Kelly Moller (DFL – Shoreview), Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL – Coon Rapids), Rep. Mary Kunesh-Podein (DFL – New Brighton), Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (DFL – Roseville), advocates for victims and survivors of gender-based violence including representatives from the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW), Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA), and Reviving Sisterhood.

WHERE: Room B971, Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, 55155

WHEN: Tuesday, January 29, 2019, 9:00 a.m.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force Receives First Hearing

St. Paul, Minnesota  – On Tuesday, January 29, Representative Mary Kunesh-Podein (DFL – New Brighton) will present legislation creating a new state task force to address the endemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Minnesota (H.F.111) in the bill’s first public hearing before the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee. There is currently no state or national system in place to collect data on missing and murdered Native women in Minnesota.

The task force will provide analysis regarding the systemic causes behind the number of missing Native American women in the state. The goal of the task force will be to better understand the causes of violence against Indigenous women and to reduce and prevent violence where it is happening. The task force will include members of the indigenous community, law enforcement, policymakers and the public.

What: First hearing on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force

When: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 12:45 p.m.

Where: Capitol 120

Who:

Chief Author Rep. Kunesh-Podein

Nicole Matthews: executive director of Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition

Rene Goodrich: Bad River Tribal Elder

Dolly Boswell: sister of missing woman

Mysti Babineau: Red Lake enrollee

Mary Lyons: elder

 Stats and Figures:

  • Murder is the third-leading cause of death among American Indian/Alaska native women.
  • 5,712 cases of MMIWG were reported in the U.S. in 2016 and only 116 were logged in a DOJ database.
  • Misclassification is a serious problem. From the 1960s through the early ‘80s, the Seattle Police Department used “N” to signify either Negro or Native American.

Minnesota House Corrections Division to meet at MCF–Stillwater Wednesday

Saint Paul, Minnesota – The Minnesota House Corrections Division will hold an informational hearing at the Minnesota Correctional Facility – Stillwater next Wednesday. The panel, chaired by Rep. Jack Considine (DFL – Mankato) will hear testimony from stakeholders about concerns in state correctional facilities and the resources needed to address them to ensure everyone, personnel and offenders alike, are able to come home safely.

Limited public seating is available to observe the hearing via livestream in the Warden’s House.

The following are contraband: cell phones, tobacco products, weapons, simulated weapon, pocket knives, mace, handcuff keys, and drugs.

 

The Minnesota Department of Corrections website will provide a link to watch streaming video of the hearing. Continue reading “Minnesota House Corrections Division to meet at MCF–Stillwater Wednesday”

House HHS Policy Committee to visit Mille Lacs for opioid crisis discussion

St. Paul, Minnesota – Members of the Minnesota House Health and Human Services Policy Committee will hold an informational hearing Friday at the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe regarding the impact of opioids among Minnesota’s Native communities. The committee is traveling to Mille Lacs to hear testimony from tribal representatives to determine how to best develop collaborative strategies to end the state’s persistent opioid crisis.

Those scheduled to testify include: Cathy Chavers, Chairwoman, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa; Pam Hughes, Substance Use Disorder/New Moon Program Director, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa; Faron Jackson, Tribal Chairman, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; and Jon Priem, Chief of Police, Prairie Island Indian Community.

WHAT: House Health and Human Services Policy Committee informational hearing to discuss the impact of opioids on Minnesota’s Native communities.

WHO: Committee Chair State Representative Rena Moran (DFL – Saint Paul); committee members, representatives of tribal communities.

WHERE: Grand Casino Mille Lacs Convention Center, 777 Grand Avenue, Onamia, Minn, 56359.

WHEN: Friday, January 25 at 1:00 p.m.

 

Rep. Stephenson Announces New Plan to Deliver State Financial Assistance to Furloughed Federal Employees

St. Paul, Minnesota – In response to the federal government shutdown, Representative Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) and Senator Matt Little (DFL-Lakeville) are fighting for federal employees affected financially in Minnesota.

Both legislators have introduced bipartisan legislation that would allow for federal employees who are furloughed, or working without pay, to apply for interest- free personal loans.  Minnesota is home to over 17,000 federal employees and contractors, and over 6,000 are currently furloughed or required to work without pay because of the shutdown.

“Today should be payday for thousands of federal employees across Minnesota,” Rep. Stephenson said. “Instead, workers are being forced to make impossible decisions about which bills to pay.  It’s time to release the hostages kept captive by the federal shutdown and give our federal workforce the financial security they’ve earned.”  Continue reading “Rep. Stephenson Announces New Plan to Deliver State Financial Assistance to Furloughed Federal Employees”

Representative Kunesh-Podein Statement on Equal Rights Amendment

St. Paul – Today, Representative Mary Kunesh-Podein participated in the first public hearing of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) bill before the House Government Operations committee. If approved, the ERA bill (H.F. 13) would put an Equal Rights Amendment on the ballot in Minnesota in November of 2020 to amend the state constitution to read, “Equality under the law shall not be abridged or denied on account of gender.” If ratified, the amendment will take effect on January 1, 2021.

Rep. Kunesh-Podein, who is the chief-author of the bill, released the following statement:

“Minnesotans deserve nothing less than constitutional equality and a government that upholds our basic values of fairness,” said Kunesh-Podein. “Gender discrimination must receive the highest level of scrutiny – assumed equality is not enough. Our state should work for all of us, no matter what we look like or who we are.”   Continue reading “Representative Kunesh-Podein Statement on Equal Rights Amendment”

House Transportation Chair Hornstein to Hold Hearing on ‘Hands Free’ Bill

Minnesota State Capitol

St. Paul, Minnesota — On Tuesday, January 22, the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee will hear HF 50, the bipartisan ‘hands free’ device legislation to prohibit the use of cellular phones and devices while driving, with the exception of hands free mode. Safety advocates, supporters, and family members who have lost loved ones due to distracted driving are expected to testify. Of those, Greg LaVallee, whose son was killed by a distracted driver while on a run, will be sharing his story.

WHO: Chair and Chief Author Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Minneapolis), committee members, safety advocates, Paul Aasen of the Minnesota Safety Council, Greg LaVallee, and other families who have lost loved ones due to distracted driving

WHAT: Committee hearing on HF 50, the ‘Hands Free’ device bill

WHEN: Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 12:45 p.m.

WHERE: Room 10, State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, Minn. 55155