Tag: Senate District 46

CAPITOL UPDATE APRIL 23, 2021

This week the Senate continued to pass budget bills. Last week, the Senate passed the Judiciary and Public Safety omnibus – the committee on which I serve as the ranking DFL member. The committee was given a $90 million target, which allows for some investments in the state’s court and corrections system, and in some public safety requests. Of the target, $20 million was reserved for disaster assistance for our local communities.  

The bill, however, is a stark portrait of what the Senate Majority’s priorities aren’t; the bill contains no policing and criminal justice reform, no expansion of proven justice programs, and little in the way of reducing the intersectional causes behind crime and recidivism.  

Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz (SD46) Update: April 23, 2021”

CAPITOL UPDATE APRIL 9, 2021

Latz Leads Successful Effort to Add Criminal Sexual Conduct Statutory Reforms to Judiciary & Public Safety Budget Bill

In March of this year the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in the case State v. Khalil that under current Minnesota law, an individual charged with sexual assault of a person that is mentally incapacitated due to consumption of drugs or alcohol may not be found guilty if the victim is voluntarily intoxicated, due to a poorly written definition found in state statute. This decision received significant media and social media attention and brought renewed focus to ongoing bipartisan efforts to reform Minnesota’s criminal sexual conduct statutes, found in much of the recommendations of the Criminal Sexual Conduct Statutory Reform Working Group.

On Wednesday I joined Senate and House colleagues in announcing a fix to this statute with bipartisan support and stakeholder agreement. On Thursday, my amendment to encapsulate the working group’s recommendations was adopted in the Judiciary Committee.

Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz (SD46) Update: April 9, 2021”

CAPITOL UPDATE MARCH 12, 2021

Today marks the first policy deadline in the Senate and House. Although committee meetings are growing longer, I was able to met virtually with several constituent groups to learn what issues are on their minds. AFSCME members spoke on the importance of Paid Family and Medical Leave and expanding broadband, both issues I have supported.

Our wonderful advocates from Living Well and Hammer explained on of their priorities this session is SF1319, a bill to provide additional money to the home and community based healthcare providers to deal with additional Covid19 issues.

I also met with Girls Scouts from St. Louis Park, who spoke about the way Girl Scouts has helped them overcome challenges. They also love the camping and horseback riding experiences, and of course, the cookies.

Paycheck Protection Program Forgiveness

The Senate passed bipartisan legislation Thursday to match the federal government’s tax-exclusion for forgiven Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans received by businesses in 2020. About 102,400 businesses received $11.3 billion worth of loans in Minnesota. Typically, forgiven loans are taxable at the state and federal level, but Congress made special exceptions last year. Conforming to that measure will cost Minnesota $409 million over the next two years. 

The bill also includes a $28 million tax exemption for unemployed Minnesotans who collected the additional $600-per-week Pandemic Unemployment Compensation approved by Congress for 17 weeks in 2020. The Senate’s bill allows eligible Minnesotans to subtract 18% of these payments from income for 2020. 

I voted in favor of the bill.

Policy Deadlines 

Today marks the first policy deadline for the 2021 legislative session. Any legislation considered further must have passed out of policy committees in either the Senate or the House. Friday, March 19th is the second policy deadline. Senate bills and House bills containing policy items must be out of policy only committees in both bodies.

Updated Guidelines

Today Governor Walz announced an ease in many restrictions as the vaccine roll out continues. Below is additional information to guide your decision making in the coming months.

The longer days are giving us a hint of the summer to come, and while we have not eradicated Covid19, more and more Minnesotans are being vaccinated. Please continue to follow best practices: regular hand washing, social distancing when possible, and wearing your mask for yourself and your neighbors.

Regards,

Ron Latz

CAPITOL UPDATE MARCH 5, 2021

This week I continued my virtual constituent meetings and committee hearings. It continues to be an honor to serve even in a remote capacity. The pace of session is increasing as the policy deadlines approach and committee hearings are being extended into evening hours. 

Committee Updates

This week in Judiciary Committee we heard legislation intended to close a loophole in Minnesota’s criminal statutes dealing with torture.

Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz (SD46) Update: March 7, 2021”

CAPITOL UPDATE MARCH 1, 2021

Last week the Senate dealt with several important matters that will impact our district and state. The key items are detailed below for your information. As for me, I met with several constituent and stakeholder groups, all virtually of course. Last week’s meetings included Epilepsy MN advocates and constituents participating in Fund Our Futures, an organization including members of ISAIAH, Education Minnesota, AFL-CIO, MAPE, Take Action, and several other groups who came together to promote strong on-going investments in infrastructure, students, and working families.   

Gun Reform

As the chief author of several gun reform measures, I met with House authors Rep. Dave Pinto and Rep. Kelly Moller, and stakeholders from the Police Chiefs, Sheriffs, Minnesota Police and Peace Officer Association, and County Attorneys. These bills, known as Extreme Risk Protection Orders (SF1431) and Firearm Purchase Background Checks (SF894) face no future in the GOP controlled Senate. Despite the reasonable measures and broad support, the opposition remains strong in the legislature. I continue to work with advocate groups including Protect MN, Everytown for Gun Safety, and a new group Gun Sense, to broaden support for safe gun laws. My joint press release on my most recent reform measure may be found here.

Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz (SD46) Update: March 1, 2021”

CAPITOL UPDATE FEBRUARY 19, 2021

This week, SD46 members hosted the first of several virtual town halls. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us and submit questions. The full video is available here and future dates will be announced through this listserv again as well.

VACCINE CONNECTOR

Vaccines continue to become available and now all Minnesotans have an option to enroll and be notified when they are eligible with the new vaccine connector launched this week. You can visit this site here.

ST LOUIS PARK TENT REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM 

St. Louis Park-based businesses may apply for a 50% reimbursement for rental or purchase of an outdoor tent or other eligible expenses through a new City of St. Louis Park program. To be eligible, businesses must be under specific restrictions from current state emergency executive orders such as restaurants, breweries, distilleries and fitness facilities, and must have no more than 50 full-time equivalent employees to be eligible for the program. Maximum reimbursement amount is $5,000 with one reimbursement allowed per business. 

Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz (SD46) Update: February 19, 2021”

Dear Neighbor,

On Tuesday, January 5, 2021 I was sworn in to serve another term representing SD46 in the State Senate. It continues to be an honor and privilege to serve the communities of St. Louis Park, Plymouth, Hopkins, Medicine Lake, and Golden Valley. I will serve on the Judiciary and Public Safety Policy and Finance Committee (where I am the DFL ranking member) as well as the Civil Law and Data Practices Policy Committee.

There are many pressing issues to be addressed in our state. The continued effort to contain and slow the spread of COVID-19, the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, and creating and passing a two-year balanced budget, are several major tasks on our legislative agenda. In the coming weeks, I will be sharing a newsletter more closely focusing upon my work and the work of the legislature.

However, this would be an incomplete letter without addressing the insurgency in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. Armed individuals spurred on by the President’s rhetoric and total disregard for the Constitution and our duly elected government violently breached the United States Capitol. This was an attempted coup – shall I say insurrection, sedition, treason – by those who have deeply bought in to the repeatedly disproven claims that the election results in President-elect Joe Biden’s favor are fraudulent. Four years of inflammatory, conspiratorial and violence-encouraging messages from the White House – and their repetition and amplification by some political leadership at the state and national levels – have led to this and I fear this may be the beginning of repeated, coordinated actions against government. It is incumbent upon leaders across the nation to speak out in condemnation of this and to continue the difficult work of supporting and defending the U.S. Constitution in the face of domestic terrorists. 

Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz (SD46) Update: January 8, 2021”