Minnesota House 9 , CD3 DFL

DFL lawmakers introduce adult-use cannabis legislation

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, Majority Leader Ryan Winkler and DFL lawmakers introduced adult-use cannabis legislation that will address criminal justice inequities created by our current system and allow law enforcement to focus on more serious issues.

The adult-use cannabis bill is based on conversations with Minnesotans during the statewide “Be Heard on Cannabis” tour, which hosted town hall meetings in 15 communities spanning urban, suburban, and rural parts of the state; met with more than 30 organizations and associations; consulted with the Governor, Lt. Governor, and 13 state agencies; held 250 meetings with individuals and groups; and inspired legislators to work hundreds of hours to produce the bill.

“The failed criminalization of cannabis has resulted in a legacy of racial injustice that can no longer go unaddressed,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, the bill’s chief author. “Adults deserve the freedom to decide whether to use cannabis, and our state government should play an important role in addressing legitimate concerns around youth access, public health, and road safety. Veterans and Minnesotans with serious illnesses like PTSD deserve better access to our medical program, which is not working well for most people. It’s time to legalize, expunge, and regulate.”

House State Government Finance and Elections Committee hears from Minnesotans about the need to defend and strengthen our democracy

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the House State Government Finance and Elections Committee held the first hearing on legislation to defend and strengthen our democracy.

“Today, Minnesotans shared what building a strong, inclusive democracy means to them and their communities,” said Rep. Emma Greenman (DFL – Minneapolis), the author of the bill. “3.3 million voters sent me and my colleagues to the Minnesota Legislature to do the work of defending and strengthening our democracy. I am grateful to stand with all Minnesotans to do the work to build a stronger, more inclusive democracy.”

“Minnesotans hold free and fair elections in extremely high regard, as shown by our consistent leadership in statewide voter turnout,” said Rep. Michael Nelson, chair of the House State Government Finance and Elections Committee. “Rep. Greenman’s legislation, the Democracy for the People Act, steps up during a critical time for our democracy and says that no matter your party, region, race, or age – our democracy needs to work for all Minnesotans.”

Rep. Schultz announces MinnesotaCare Public Option to help Minnesotans struggling with high health care costs

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, Rep. Jen Schultz (DFL – Duluth) was joined by small business owners, faith leaders, and health care experts as she outlined new legislation to help ensure all Minnesotans can access affordable, quality health care. The MinnesotaCare Public Option would allow Minnesotans to enroll in the program to take advantage of lower out-of-pocket costs and access to a strong network of providers.

“Minnesota families, local communities, and our state’s economy are all stronger when everyone has the health care they need. The MinnesotaCare Public Option builds upon a proven program that has served our state well for nearly three decades to expand coverage to more Minnesotans and help tackle high health care costs,” Rep. Schultz said. “COVID-19 also continues to impact the health of Minnesotans, and many of them worry about themselves or a family member getting the virus. The MinnesotaCare Public Option is a solution for this pivotal moment to ensure everyone can count on the care they need, no exceptions.”

A bipartisan initiative created in 1992, MinnesotaCare provides health care for low-income Minnesotans. Rep. Schultz’s legislation would allow Minnesotans beyond the current income guidelines to enroll in the program, paying premiums on a sliding, income-based scale.

The MinnesotaCare Public Option also expands eligibility by eliminating the so-called “family glitch” and allowing undocumented immigrants the option to enroll in MinnesotaCare. Finally, the legislation allows small employers to offer MinnesotaCare coverage to their employees and contribute toward the full cost of their premiums. Currently, many small businesses would like to offer coverage to their workers, but they often find coverage under the small group market unaffordable.

Altarum Healthcare Value Hub also announced results of a new survey showing many Minnesotans are struggling with high health care costs. As COVID-19 adds new fears for Minnesotans already experiencing health care difficulties, support for new solutions – including expanded affordable health insurance options – has increased across party lines.

The MinnesotaCare Public Option legislation received its first committee hearing Tuesday in the House Health Finance & Policy Committee.

Minnesota’s early childhood policies receive national comparison; paid leave and child-care support urged

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – On January 26, the House Early Childhood Finance and Policy Committee received a report from national researchers comparing Minnesota’s early childhood policies against those of other states and urging action on paid family leave and child-care support.

“Every child deserves a great start in life,” said Rep. Dave Pinto (DFL – St. Paul), chair of the committee. “Knowing where our state is falling short is critical to meeting that obligation. And now that we do know, it’s time to act boldly to close gaps and build a brighter future for all of us.”

The report was presented by Dr. Cynthia Osborne, the Director of the Prenatal to Three Policy Impact Center at the University of Texas at Austin. She noted that Minnesota is doing well compared to other states in some respects, having adopted a number of the policies that evidence has shown to improve outcomes for children and their families.

House Ways & Means Committee reviews recommendations to deliver racial justice in Minnesota

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, the Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee reviewed the House Select Committee on Racial Justice’s report to the Legislature. Rep. Rena Moran (DFL – Saint Paul), who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, and Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL – Mendota Heights) served as co-chairs of the Select Committee.

The final version of the report, which the Select Committee approved in December, was released today. It calls on the Legislature to act to dismantle racism through a series of policy recommendations in areas such as economic development, housing, education, public safety, health and human services, and environmental justice.

“It’s time for the Minnesota Legislature to deliberately and thoughtfully devote the capacity we have to address the significant, numerous, and urgent inequities Black, Indigenous, and people of color continue to face,” Rep. Moran said. “It’s about undoing past and present inequities in our laws and practices and working toward building a state and future that positions Minnesota to lead the nation in achieving racial equity.”

House DFLers Introduce New Legislation to Defend and Strengthen Our Democracy

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, House DFL leaders and legislators introduced new legislation to defend and strengthen our democracy, which has been tested by disinformation, division, and attacks on voters that culminated in a violent insurrection at our nation’s Capital. The bill, authored by Rep. Emma Greenman (DFL – Minneapolis), aims to build a strong, inclusive democracy that works for Minnesotans of every race, region, political party, and generation.

“This is a critical moment for our democracy,” said Rep. Greenman. “As Minnesotans and Americans, we must work together to protect and expand the right to vote and build a resilient, inclusive democracy centered on peoples’ needs and voices.”

In response to escalating attempts to undermine free and fair elections, the bill defends Minnesota voters and our democratic institutions. It prohibits intimidating and harassing voters or elections officials and using deceptive practices to disenfranchise voters. The bill also ensures state and local elections officials can access the critical federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds they need for election security and infrastructure.

House Select Committee on Racial Justice issues new report with recommendations to dismantle systemic racism

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Tuesday, the House Select Committee on Racial Justice adopted a new report chronicling persistent racial disparities and detailing specific policies to dismantle systemic racism in Minnesota. Click here to download a copy.

“I’m proud of the Select Committee’s hard work this year to help Minnesotans understand the historical context behind systemic racism, and to give the unacceptable racial disparities throughout the state the attention they deserve,” said co-chair Rep. Rena Moran (DFL – Saint Paul). “Now, it’s time for the rest of the Legislature to follow through on these important recommendations to help Black, Indigenous, and People of Color live healthy, safe, and prosperous lives full of opportunity to reach their full potential.”

The Select Committee’s policy recommendations address intentional and unintentional systemic disparities and inequities based on race. The recommendations – which cover topics including economic development, housing, education, public safety, health and human services, and environmental justice – have the goal of expanding access to the opportunity to build a prosperous state for all Minnesotans.

House Education Finance Committee holds hearing to discuss extending free and reduced-price lunch eligibility deadline

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, the House Education Finance Committee held a remote informational hearing to review a proposal that would give an extension to school districts during the current pandemic to collect forms from families for free and reduced lunch. Currently, the deadline is December 15. The proposed legislation would move it to January 4, 2021. A copy of the draft proposal can be found here.

“With distance and hybrid learning coupled with changes to school structures, it’s been more challenging to connect with families about eligibility for free and reduced-price lunches,” said Chair Davnie. “At the same time we know that the pandemic recession has hit many families hard.”

The committee heard supportive testimony from the Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Independent School Forum, Ed Allies, Hunger Solutions, Schools for Equity and Education, and the Minnesota School Board Association. All organizations stressed the urgency to act due to the challenges families are experiencing accessing and returning the application forms for free or reduced price lunch.

The bill is expected to be taken up on the House Floor during Monday’s special session. Supporting materials can be found on the committee’s website.

House HHS Finance Division considers COVID-19-related long-term care, homelessness funding proposals

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House Health and Human Services Finance Division considered proposals to continue protecting people living and working in long-term care facilities, as well as those experiencing homelessness as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding under the federal CARES Act is set to expire at the end of the year, and these items are among those to be considered during a special legislative session which Governor Walz has called for Monday.

“COVID-19 continues to impact vulnerable Minnesotans, and as 2020 winds down there’s an added sense of urgency to protect people,” said Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), the division chair. “Some of the most vulnerable Minnesotans are counting on these continued investments. If the federal government doesn’t act, the Legislature must be prepared to deliver funding for these key supports.”

The committee discussed proposed legislation authored by Rep. Liebling to fund COVID-19-related priorities supporting Minnesotans in long-term care facilities, including measures to continue COVID-19 testing, a nurse triage line, staff support to monitor COVID-19 transmission, and infection control strike teams. The bill also includes $2 million for a temporary staffing pool that may be deployed to long-term care facilities and other group residential settings experiencing a COVID-19 related staffing crisis.

POCI Caucus Celebrates Historic Diversity of House Committee Chairs

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, the Minnesota House DFL announced the committee structure and chair assignments for the 2021-2022 biennium. With 7 of the 30 committee chairs being members of the Minnesota Legislature’s People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus, this will be the most diverse set of committee chairs in the history of the Minnesota House of Representatives. To mark this historic committee structure, the POCI Caucus released the following statement:

“We are extremely happy that the House DFL is continuing to move in the direction of progress with these historic appointments. This is an incredibly important step in acknowledging that representation matters and supports our ongoing efforts to address systemic racism and the disenfranchisement of People of Color at the Capitol.

“The events over the last year have proven that the status quo is no longer tenable, and our systems must be redesigned to address persistent and unacceptable racial disparities. By empowering voices of Color throughout the committee structure we can draw on our extensive expertise and diverse lived experiences to inform policy that works for all Minnesotans. We are now better equipped than ever to center and amplify historically silenced and marginalized people.”

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