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*May 12, 2023*






Legislative Update

We've done quite a bit this week, including passing conference reports off the House Floor. Most of these bills are passing along party lines. Still to come are bills on Early Childhood, Public Safety and Judiciary, Commerce, Environment and Energy, State Government, Education, Taxes, Transportation, Workforce and Economic Development, Health, Human Services, Cannabis, and Paid Family Leave. With all of this work left to do, House Democrats announced early this week that they plan to adjourn session early, with a goal of finishing on Thursday, May 18 instead of the constitutional adjournment date of May 22.

Most of these conference committees are still completing their work, however a lot of the negotiations are being done behind closed doors, with no input from the public or other legislators. Even Republican members of the conference committees are largely locked out of the process. This process is stifling the voice of the minority in the House and Senate, and that's not how laws should be made.

On Monday, the Veterans bill came back largely the same as it left the House floor, and I was proud to vote in support of our veterans again. The bill once again passed with unanimous support.

We also debated the Housing committee report on Monday, but unfortunately it came back from conference committee with a lot of problems, and I could not support it. The bill imposes a quarter-cent sales tax increase for Metro counties, which is the most regressive tax we have in Minnesota. The bill is also weighted towards housing in the metro, and largely ignores the need for workforce housing in Greater Minnesota. It also does nothing to address the burdensome regulations that make it so expensive to build new housing at all levels in Minnesota.

On Tuesday, we heard both the Legacy conference report and the Higher Education one. The Legacy bill allocates money from four funds: the Clean Water Fund, the Outdoor Heritage Fund, the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and the Parks and Trails Fund.

The Higher Education bill was unfortunately one I could not support. While everybody wants to make sure we have a strong higher education system, we need to make sure we're investing our funds in the right places. This bill funds administration instead of students, and provides inadequate funding for campus safety, which has become a serious concern for students and parents in recent years. The bill came back from conference with even less school safety funding than it left with.

In addition, it spends $80 million to fund free college for some students, which was paid for by cutting scholarships for underrepresented teacher candidates and degrees in high-need industries. Finally, the bill includes a massive spending increase at a time when student enrollment is declining. This bill could have been written in a much more effective way.

We found out late last night that the Public Safety and Judiciary conference committee removed an amendment [ [link removed] ] intended to protect children from the language of the bill. This new, vague?language opens the door to pedophiles being a protected class under the Human Rights Act. This change was made by the members of the Conference Committee so there was no Republican input, and Republicans have been shut out of good-faith efforts to work with Democrats to correct this issue.

As always, I am here to represent your voices in the House. If you see me in the district, feel free to stop and talk to me about issues coming before the House.

Mothers Day

On Thursday, we celebrated Statehood Day, the 165th anniversary of Minnesota becoming a state. I was able to see the electrolier (chandelier) lit in the Capitol Rotunda, which only happens ever year on May 11th.

This weekend is the fishing opener, and I wish you all good luck and safety as you head out on the water!

This Sunday, we celebrate all the mothers in our district - Happy Mother's Day to you!







Please Contact Me

It?s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don?t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. I am here to serve you!

Bernie

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321 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
651.296.6316







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