Tag: Zack Stephenson

Rep. Zack Stephenson Update: March 18, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

Early this week, the Minnesota Legislature unanimously passed a sweeping bill designed to prepare our hospitals for the COVID 19 epidemic. We worked all day long and deep into the night, with the final vote coming at 3:30 am. The situation was made all the more sober by the fact that we had to alter our voting procedure to follow the MDH social distancing guidelines. As you can see on my Facebook post, we can’t all fit on the House floor and stay six feet away from each other, so about half of us had to monitor the debate from the gallery or the hallway, only briefly entering the chamber itself when it was our turn to vote.

BLOOD DRIVE

The COVID-19 epidemic has caused a critical shortage in Minnesota’s blood and platelet supply. I know our community is eager to come together as we confront the COVID-19 crisis and so I am sponsoring a blood drive at the Coon Rapids location of Memorial Blood Centers. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson Update: March 18, 2020”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 13, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

The COVID-19 situation continues to evolve by the hour. We all have a role to play in preventing its spread to keep our neighbors and community safe. As we are likely to face increasing challenges, the legislature’s responsibility is to ensure Minnesota is prepared to respond. We are taking proactive, swift, and thoughtful action to address this issue.

Public health officials in Minnesota are working around the clock to prepare for and stop the spread of COVID-19. At the Capitol, the House, Senate, Department of Health (MDH), and Governor’s Office are in near-constant communication to ensure we can quickly work to prevent further outbreak.

On March 10, Governor Tim Walz signed into law legislation that authorizes nearly $21 million for our public health response to COVID-19. I’m glad that the legislature moved quickly and collaboratively (the funding passed with unanimous support in both the House and Senate) to provide the Minnesota Department of Health with additional resources. But there is more we need to do. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 13, 2020”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: February 28, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

This week, the legislature received an updated state budget forecast from the Minnesota Management and Budget Agency, showing a positive one-time balance. The forecast shows challenges for Minnesota, because costs go up and our forecast doesn’t count them. As a result, significant budget deficits are inevitable in the future. These deficits undermine our ability to deliver a quality education, good roads, and health care for Minnesotans and is why it’s important for us to exercise caution, especially as federal uncertainty looms with foreign trade wars and the recent Coronavirus outbreak. I’ll continue to support legislative strategies that promote wise budgeting and responsible fiscal management.

Coronavirus Update

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization to monitor the outbreak and share information with local health officials.

MDH has information on their website about their current efforts, which include: Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: February 28, 2020”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: February 14, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

The Legislature is back in session! As I returned to the House floor for the start of session, I was once again moved beyond words by the faith that my neighbors have placed in me. I work every day to be worthy of that trust.

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My colleagues and I didn’t waste any time hitting the ground running. On our first day of session, the House prioritized the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act, which passed yesterday out of the Commerce Committee, where I am vice-chair. Minnesotans deserve access to affordable insulin they rely on to survive. It’s unconscionable that pharmaceutical manufacturers are price-gouging people living with diabetes and I’ll keep fighting to make sure they are held accountable. I voted to advance the bill forward.

Town Hall Meetings and Survey

I hope you can join Speaker Hortman, Senator Hoffman, and me to share your input at one of our town hall meetings this weekend. Democracy works best when it’s accessible to our communities, which is why we are holding one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. Here are the details:

Saturday, February 15 at 10:00-11:30 a.m. at Anoka County Library, 11440 Crooked Lake Boulevard Northwest, Coon Rapids, MN 55433

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Sunday, February 16 at 2:00-3:30 p.m. at Brooklyn Park Library, 8500 West Broadway Avenue, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443

hjkIf you haven’t had a chance to take my 2020 survey, please share your thoughts with me here.

Champlin’s Trout Ice Fishing Contest

I had a blast over the weekend as judge of the first ever Champlin Trout Ice Fishing Contest. A special thank you to Mayor Ryan Karasek for organizing such a great event. It was great talking with everyone, seeing the fish come in, and even watching kids play hockey (though it might have been even more fun to fish!). Congratulations to the winners!

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Stay in Touch

Please continue to reach out with ideas, suggestions, and questions. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome feedback. My phone number at the Capitol is 651-296-5513 and my email address is rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn. Follow me on Facebook for additional updates.

It’s an honor to represent our Champlin and Coon Rapids neighborhoods in St. Paul!

Sincerely,

Zack Stephenson
State Representative

Speaker Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 11, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

This email update includes information on upcoming town halls and takes a closer look at the tax bill passed and signed into law in 2019.

Town Hall Meetings on February 15th and 16th

I’m hosting two town hall meetings with Rep. Zack Stephenson and Sen. John Hoffman on February 15th and 16th. Details are below. The Legislative Session starts today — so there is a lot to talk about! We hope you can join us for this early session discussion.

coon rapids town hall
Coon Rapids Town Hall
Saturday, February 15th, 10:00-11:30 am
Crooked Lake Library
11440 Crooked Lake Blvd NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433 Continue reading “Speaker Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: February 11, 2020”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: January 28, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

Last year’s legislative session ended with a compromise between the DFL-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate, which resulted in a balanced budget that protected Minnesotans’ health care and invested in our schools. With the 2020 legislative session right around the corner, I’m looking forward to building on our bipartisan success and continuing to deliver on our shared values for Champlin and Coon Rapids. The Legislature will return to St. Paul on February 11. I hope you’ll take a moment to take a brief survey to share your input with me ahead of the 2020 session.

You’re Invited

Join me at Champlin City Hall for a discussion about how climate change is impacting Minnesota and what our state government can do about it. I’ll be joined by scientists and policy experts from Fresh Energy, Clean Energy Economy, and Sierra Club. The event is free and open to everyone.

Here are the details: Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: January 28, 2020”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: December 11, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

Season’s greetings! I hope this finds you well and enjoying the holiday season with friends and family.<

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Last week, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released the 2019 November Budget and Economic Forecast, showing a projected balance of $1.332 billion for 2020-2021. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: December 11, 2019”

Rep. Zack Stephenson Update: November 7, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the cooler weather. It’s been a busy summer and fall.

Here’s an update from the Capitol:

Fighting Back Against Predatory ‘Robo-Calls’

We all have experienced it — the perpetual buzz on our mobile phones from familiar numbers, with a local area code, that are actually “spoof” calls, commonly known as ‘robo-calls.’ These calls aren’t just a nuisance — swindlers also use them to prey on senior citizens, vulnerable adults, and landline phone users, many of whom do not have caller-ID. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson Update: November 7, 2019”

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Trump Administration’s Repeal of Net Neutrality: Rep. Stephenson Urges Action on Minnesota Legislation

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today a federal appeals court issued a ruling mostly upholding the Trump Administration’s 2017 repeal of net neutrality. Despite the federal nature of the ruling, the court decision clarifies that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cannot block states from adopting their own net neutrality rules.

Representative Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) chief authored legislation during the 2019 session that would enact net neutrality in Minnesota. The bill would make it illegal for internet service providers from engaging in 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 “Federal Appeals Court Upholds Trump Administration’s Repeal of Net Neutrality: Rep. Stephenson Urges Action on Minnesota Legislation”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: August 1, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

Amid discord and divide in Washington D.C., Minnesota stands out as a national leader. As one of the only divided state legislatures in the country (Alaska being the other), the DFL-led House and Republican-led Senate found compromise and delivered on a two-year state budget. Balancing the budget in a bipartisan way wasn’t the only thing we got done- Republicans and Democrats together fought to keep Minnesotans safe, protect workers from stolen wages, and to address the opioid crisis that is devastating families across the state. Many of these new laws went into effect on July 1. A few other significant pieces of legislation I authored and co-authored for our state and community also went into effect.

Locally for our community, I garnered bipartisan support in the House and Senate to take the first steps towards building a new bridge across the Mississippi River 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. Even with competing regional projects among our split state legislature, I fought for its funding in the final transportation budget bill and was successful. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will begin the highway corridor and bridge improvement planning study for the new river crossing soon.

One new law that that I authored took effect earlier this month and will help victims of sexual assault by getting rid of the “marital rape exception.” This antiquated decree was used to shield perpetrators from prosecution in certain instances if they were married to the victim. Jenny Teeson is one of the brave Minnesotans who shared her experience with me 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 the old law. Every Minnesotan deserves justice when they are the survivor of a crime, and I am proud to have carried the bipartisan bill to move this law out of the 19th century and recognize rape is a crime regardless of marital status. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: August 1, 2019”