|
Last week was full of late-night floor sessions as we work to pass supplemental budget packages to build on last year’s historic progress, and this week has continued the trend!
As we complete our final weeks of session, much of the effort has been focused on reconciling House and Senate bills in “conference committees” to draft the final versions. I’ve been appointed to the conference committee on SF 4579. This bill creates new protections and oversight of residential facilities with shared-meter utility billing. It also includes applying “the cold weather rule” protections to shared-meter utility billing. I was appointed to this conference committee due to my excitement to pass this bill after conversations with senior residents in St. Anthony who came to me about exactly this issue. They shared with me copies of their completely mysterious utility bills and wondered what on earth they were being charged for! This bill will ensure that renters in shared-meter facilities will never again be taken advantage of through inflated utility bills.
Here’s a photo with the two chief authors – Rep. Athena Hollins and Sen. Scott Dibble – and Ron Elwood from Legal Aid, who is a fierce advocate for low-income Minnesotans and led the negotiations:
This week, I presented the bill to fund last year’s tax forfeiture settlement in the wake of Tyler v. Hennepin County. Last May, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Tyler v. Hennepin County that when the counties kept any excess proceeds from the sale of tax forfeited land beyond the total delinquent property taxes, costs, and fees owed, this was a violation of the Takings Clause. HF5246 funds the settlement agreement approved by the Attorney General’s Office and counties statewide in response to lawsuits filed on behalf of those harmed by Minnesota’s property tax forfeiture laws. The bill also requires counties participating in the settlement to make a good-faith effort to sell any remaining properties that were forfeited prior to 2024.
Soon, we will also be hearing my bill HF 4822 that creates an entirely new, Constitutional tax forfeiture system for Minnesota. You can read more about my proposal here. Today, we had a unanimous bipartisan vote to support the settlement and a commitment on both sides of the aisle to address and move forward from our state’s problematic tax forfeiture laws.
Recently, the House also passed:
-
A broadly bipartisan bill investing $240 million in our outdoors, clean water, parks and trails, and cultural heritage from the Legacy Amendment fund.
-
A K-12 Education bill that boosts resources for the READ Act to improve literacy, moves forward solutions for student wellbeing, and enhances support for teachers.
-
An Environment and Natural Resources bill with new investments in tree planting, improving air quality, holding repeat polluters accountable, and tackling solid waste and recycling.
-
A Children and Families bill that reforms our child protection system and builds on historic investments in economic support for families, food security, and emergency shelter.
-
A Transportation, Labor, and Housing bill that invests in railroad safety and public transit, enhances worker rights and safety, improves housing stability for renters and seniors, and funds homelessness prevention.
-
A Workforce and Economic Development bill, securing investments for employment and training programs,
-
A Taxes bill improving the tax system for working class Minnesotans by expanding the Child Tax Credit and creating a direct tax filing system.
-
An Elections bill that strengthens our elections for local units of government.
We also passed a Pensions and Retirement bill with bipartisan support, which prioritizes educators’ retirement security, improves our pension systems’ health, and strengthens the benefits retirees can expect. We also approved a bill addressing the “kidfluencer” industry that safeguards young content creators with protections for safety, fair compensation, and future financial security.
|
|
|
On April 26th, Governor Walz signed my bi-partisan bill on transfer-on-death deeds (TODDs). Many of these deeds are prepared correctly with the help of an attorney, but for individuals who cannot afford to hire assistance, they are left to draft them themselves, often resulting in technical errors that render the document invalid upon death. HF 3925 addresses technical aspects of Transfer on Death Deeds to ensure the wishes of a deceased Minnesotan are still legally honored. The bill also extends property insurance by 30 days after death so the guarantor of a property has time to seek new coverage.
The Housing Justice Center, Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, and the Gamliel Network held a joint event last week around manufactured housing. Specifically, the group expressed concerns around the trend of significant rent increases. This is a particular issue when parks are purchased by out-of-state corporations disconnected from the community and the impact of rent increases. I'm grateful to be partnering with the amazing advocates, Rep. Matt Norris, Sen. John Hoffman, AG Keith Ellison and other leaders to address the many issues impacting this important form of affordable housing.
This Saturday, May 11, 2024, Minnesota celebrates 166 years of statehood. The Minnesota State Flag and Seal approved by the State Emblems Redesign Commission early this year will become the official state emblems. This is a culmination of months gathering input from and engaging with Minnesotans to find consensus on a flag and seal that represents the best of all of us.
|
|
|
If you have questions, ideas, or feedback that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Email me at [email protected] or call (651) 296-4331. Also, you can follow my official State Representative Facebook Page.
Sincerely,
Sandra Feist
State Representative
|
|
|
|
|
