Tag: Rep. Stephenson

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 29, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

We are now halfway through the legislative session, and time is flying by at the Capitol. Here are a few updates from this week:

Putting a “cop on the beat” in the Student Loan Industry

Minnesota is currently experiencing a student loan crisis.  Student loan debt is now the second largest type of debt held in the United States, surpassing credit card debt (only mortgage debt is higher).  There are 775,000 Minnesotans holding student debt totaling $27.1 billion.

The student loan system is endlessly complex and every day we hear stories of how the student loan companies abuse and confuse Minnesotans.  That is why I authored House File 1424, which creates a Student Loan Advocate inside Minnesota’s Department of Commerce.  The role of the advocate is simple: to be on the side of Minnesota’s students and student loan borrowers.  To help them navigate the endless web of rules and forms that characterize our student loan system.  To answer their questions, and help them avoid small mistakes that have big consequences.  The Advocate will also police bad behavior by student loan companies and enforce a new “Borrower’s Bill of Rights” that the bill creates. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 29, 2019”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 22, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

Another busy week at the Capitol!  Here are a few highlights:

Working Towards a New River Crossing

One of my goals for this year is to make some meaningful progress on the longstanding need to build a new Mississippi River crossing between Ramsey and Dayton. Everyone in the northwest suburbs knows that a new river crossing is needed, but no progress has been made on this issue for almost 20 years.

This week, we took a big step forward. At my request, representatives from the cities of Champlin, Dayton, Ramsey, and Anoka, as well as Hennepin County, Anoka County, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation all sat around the same table to discuss the path forward. It’s going to be a long road, but I was encouraged that everyone agreed that it is time to have this conversation. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 22, 2019”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 15, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

Every day that I have the honor of serving you and our community at the legislature, I continue to be inspired by your stories. I have been working on several bills that are inspired by the stories I’ve heard, with the intention of making Minnesota better for everyone. Here are some of my updates from the past week:

Consumer Protection for College Graduates

Along with the rest of the country, Minnesota is experiencing a student debt crisis. Minnesotans currently are burdened by $27.1 billion in student debt, an amount that has increased by 127% since 2007. Part of the problem is that the student loan system is endlessly complex and difficult to navigate. To make things worse, student loan servicing companies are known to engage in deceptive and misleading practices. As I talk to people with student loans, I hear one consistent complaint: there is no one on the side of the student. This year, I am working hard to change that. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 15, 2019”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 8, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I hope everyone is having a good week. I spent this week advocating for legislation that would create a safer and more environmentally friendly Minnesota, and I am excited to share these updates (as well as a few others) with you. See below:

Clean Energy

Monday was a big day at the Capitol. I was honored to stand behind Gov. Walz as he announced his plan to get Minnesota to 100% carbon free energy by 2050. One core element to the Governor’s plan is my bill, Clean Energy First (HF1405), which requires that any new power generating facilities built in Minnesota be renewable except under exceptional circumstances.

As I stood with the Governor, I thought about my daughters. I thought about how I want them to be able to enjoy the same Minnesota I know and love. I thought about how I want them to be able to pass that same Minnesota along to their own children. I think about that every day that I’m lucky enough to do this job, and that’s why I’ll keep fighting. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 8, 2019”

Rep. Zack Stepehenson (HD36A) Update: March 1, 2019

 

Dear Neighbors,

We have now reached the end of week eight of the legislative session, and time is flying by at the Capitol! Here are a few updates from this week:

Local Transportation

Friday morning was a big moment for several transportation projects that are critical for Champlin and Coon Rapids.  The House Transportation Committee had hearings on my bill to add a third lane to Highway 10 between Hanson Blvd and Round Lake Blvd, as well as my bill to take the first steps towards building a new bridge over the Mississippi River between Dayton and Ramsey.  Highway 10 has been in desperate need of improvement for years.  Traffic between Anoka and Blaine is a nightmare. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stepehenson (HD36A) Update: March 1, 2019”

Minnesota House Unanimously Approves Bill to Repeal “Marital Rape Exception”

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The Minnesota House today unanimously approved legislation authored by Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) that would help to support victims of sexual assault by getting rid of the “voluntary relationship defense,” which shields perpetrators from prosecution in certain instances if they are married to the victim.

Bill language for HF 15 is available here. Video, audio, and high-resolution photos of Rep. Stephenson’s remarks are available upon request. 

“Courageous Minnesotans like Jenny Teeson who are coming forward to tell painful personal stories are the inspiration behind this legislation,” said Rep. Stephenson. “Repealing the state’s ‘marital rape exception’ is an example of how the Legislature is putting Minnesotans’ values into action. We care about one another, and we want to hold perpetrators accountable when they hurt the people we love.”

HF 15 received significant coverage in the news following its introduction and several emotional public hearings. Jenny Teeson of Andover, MN shared her experience of being drugged, raped, and videotaped by her former husband. When she sought justice, the legal system said her case could not proceed because of a law that Stephenson has been working to repeal.

Rep. Stephenson can be reached by phone at 651-296-5513 or by email at rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn.

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: February 14, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’re having a good week! Now that we have finished the sixth week of session here at the Capitol, I have a lot of updates for you. Several pieces of legislation that would improve the lives of Minnesotans have made significant advances this week. Here are a few of them:

Net Neutrality

It is hard to think of a more significant consumer protection issue in Minnesota today than the need for net neutrality. Given the amazing power of the internet, how it has come to impact literally every corner of our lives, it is absolutely essential that every Minnesotan has access to a free, fair, and open internet. Today, internet service providers have the power to decide, free from any limitation, what we see when we open our browsers. They can speed up your access to websites that feature products they favor. They can block your access, or simply slow down to the point that it effectively blocks your access to the services they dislike.

This is why I have authored a bill that would enact net neutrality in our state. The bill (H.F. 136) would make it illegal for internet service providers from engaging in such anti-consumer behavior, and prohibit the state from doing business with providers that do not agree to act in accordance with net-neutrality principles. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: February 14, 2019”

Sen. Latz & Rep. Stephenson Renew Efforts to Protect Net Neutrality for Minnesotans

SAINT PAUL, MN – On Wednesday afternoon, Senator Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park), Representative Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) and legislators held a press conference to announce their commitment to protecting Minnesota consumers in response to the 2017 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reversal of net neutrality. Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.

“This is a significant consumer protection issue in Minnesota,” remarked Rep Stephenson. “Given the amazing power of the internet, and how it has come to impact literally every corner of our lives, every Minnesotan deserves access to a free and fair internet.”

By incorporating these consumer protections, internet companies would be prohibited from charging businesses, individual consumers, and educational institutions for the convenience of faster speed support for their websites, and would ensure that websites with less traffic or the financial ability to pay for faster speed support are protected. Continue reading “Sen. Latz & Rep. Stephenson Renew Efforts to Protect Net Neutrality for Minnesotans”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: January 31, 2019

 

Rep. Zack Stephenson (36A) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you warm- and safe! With these dangerously frigid temperatures upon us, the Minnesota Energy Assistance Program may help anyone you know who is experiencing difficulties with their heating bills. More information about the program and how to apply can be found here.

Additionally, if you are interested in learning more about how to reduce your own energy use, the Department has compiled some simple tips here.

It’s been a whirlwind of activity since I was sworn in to represent Coon Rapids and Champlin at the Capitol. I’ve appreciated hearing from so many constituents eager to see positive change. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: January 31, 2019”

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”