Please join Representative Backer, Representative Murphy, and myself this Saturday, April 29th, at 9:00 am at the Dalton Community Center for a town hall meeting about education and parental rights.

On Friday, April 21, the Minnesota Senate heard three bills that all passed off the Senate floor: HF 16, HF 366, and HF 146.  I voted against these three bills and here's why:

HF 16 bans certain therapy practices in the state of Minnesota.  We all agree children and vulnerable adults should be protected from mistreatment and egregious therapy practices, but this proposal goes beyond that.

Putting regulated counselors in a spot where they are limited from having the kind of dynamic conversations a child needs means a child will get inadequate support from their counselors. This is especially bad for minors and vulnerable adults because those initial conversations are sometimes the most important ones a young person could have as they go through their own personal journeys.  This goes beyond regulating a specific action and instead could lead to lawsuits regarding the First Amendment.

HF 366 pushes further abortion legislation since the Governor signed the PRO Act.  Since the Dobbs ruling, states are having debates about pregnancy, abortion, and the care and rights of unborn children.

This divisive legislation pushes Minnesota towards extensive litigation over constitutional issues with other states.  The choice to extend the laws of Minnesota beyond our own borders is likely unconstitutional.

HF 146 inserts the state of Minnesota into the private family matters of people from other states regarding transgender therapy.  It’s particularly concerning to many Minnesotans to see minor children undergo physical treatments that could have a lifelong impact on their body’s development.

Click the photo below to watch a short video of my thoughts on HF 146.

On Wednesday, April 19, the Minnesota Senate adopted a bipartisan amendment I introduced to the Health and Human Services budget bill.  This amendment contains SF 659 language to expand the scope of practice for a Doctor of Optometry and increase Minnesotans’ access to high-quality eye care.

Under this amendment, Minnesota optometrists can administer drugs by injection around the eyelid and prescribe oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, oral antiviral medication, and oral steroids. This will allow optometrists’ scope of practice to better match the training that they receive in optometry school. 

This amendment was adopted to the bill and the bill was later passed through the Senate.  To read further, visit the Minnesota Senate Republicans website.

This Friday, April 28, the Minnesota Senate will hear HF 100.  This bill would legalize the use of recreational cannabis in the state.  This bill passed in the Minnesota House of Representatives on Tuesday, April 25.

With Gratitude,

Senator Jordan Rasmusson

District 9