Bipartisan Bills Passed Wednesday Night
I'm happy to report that the House passed several bills with strong bipartisan support on Wednesday night! The bills address a range of ?smaller? issues that don?t make the headlines but that will have significant impact on Minnesotans.?
I want to highlight them as they are good examples of the bipartisan work that often happens but is rarely covered by the media.? Despite sharp differences on major policy issues, there are still a number of things we work together on to move forward for the state.? Read more about the bills below:
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1. Enhancing Workers' Compensation (HF 4661): This bill makes several technical and policy changes to workers' compensation statutes to ensure better support and fairness for hardworking Minnesotans. These updates include streamlined claims processes and improved benefit structures, and the bill was approved unanimously.
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2. Strengthening Cooperative Housing (HF 3800): This bill clarifies and codifies existing statutes on cooperative housing, promoting growth and stability in this essential housing sector. This is a technical bill that has broad support from stakeholders. The author noted that additional changes will still be forthcoming in the Conference Committee process, which I have some process concerns about, although I support the goals of the bill.?
If the language can?t be amended to the author?s satisfaction by the time it leaves the House Floor, I think it is being unduly rushed.? We saw so many mistakes made last year as dozens of bills were pushed through without proper vetting, that this year has been dubbed the ?Fix-It Session.?? This is not good policymaking and does not serve the people of Minnesota well, as they are forced to comply with laws that everyone knows are not ?right? and it creates enormous uncertainty for businesses, employees, housing providers, and others.??
Minnesotans should be able to rely on the laws we create ? not have to wait for ?fix-it session? to get a whole new set of directives or regulations.? I voted ?no? on this version and will hope to support the final bill that emerges from the Conference Committee.
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3. Refining Parenting Time Laws (HF 3204): This bill aims to streamline the laws regarding parenting time. The adjustments are aimed at ensuring that children benefit from meaningful relationships with both parents after a divorce, as long as it is in the best interests of the child.?
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4. Reforming Spousal Maintenance (HF 2895): This bill reforms spousal maintenance laws to provide more predictable outcomes. This bill was crafted with input from legal experts and community feedback, aiming to protect the financial stability of individuals post-divorce while ensuring fair treatment for both parties.
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5. Reporting Required for Veterans Given Diversion (HF 3304): This bill requires comprehensive reporting on the effectiveness of diversion programs for veterans as it relates to the Veterans Restorative Justice Act passed last year. This ensures accountability and helps us tailor these programs to better meet the needs of our veterans while being able to accurately measure the program's effectiveness and outcomes.
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