While these past two years have been challenging politically in Minnesota, I wanted to update you on three victories for the faith community that we saw this session. I worked with members of the faith community on three major issues: sports betting, the Human Rights Act, and the misnamed Equal Rights Amendment. 

One of the major issue that was debated at the Capitol this year was the expansion of mobile sports gambling. Many groups of faith, including the Minnesota Catholic Conference and the Minnesota Family Council, and I had concerns on the impact sports betting would have on problem gambling in Minnesota. The Star Tribune recently profiled the worked that I did with a group of bipartisan Senators to stop this bill from passing this year. If you wish to read the Star Tribune article, click here. 

If the state is to legalize sports gambling, there needs to be greater safeguards in place to protect individuals from problem gambling. I look forward to having further discussions on this topic in future legislative sessions. 

On Tuesday, May 7, after weeks of negotiations, Senate Republicans amended the 2024 Minnesota Human Rights bill with language that reinstates religious liberty protections that were removed by a Minnesota law passed last session. This clarification restores religious liberties in Minnesota and provides important protections to our religious organizations. At least 15 religious communities and organizations—Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Evangelical Christians, and others—have expressed their support for the restoration of religious exemptions.

The statutory exemption, contained in the amendment, puts the statutory framework with religious exemptions in the Human Rights Act back in line with the U.S. and Minnesota Constitutions. It outlines a broad array of activities by faith organizations that are exempt from claims of discrimination. Both the amendment and the final bill passed the Senate with unanimous support, and the bill has since been signed into law.

Another victory for the faith community and Senate Republicans was blocking what Democrats misnamed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). This year, the Minnesota House passed their version of the bill that would have added abortion language into the Minnesota Constitution; however, this bill failed to pass the Senate before adjournment. 

One of the most significant issues with the proposed ERA language is its potential to cancel out the protections for religious liberty that Republicans enshrined into the 2024 Human Rights Act. Minnesota has long been a leader in ensuring equal rights for all its residents, with decades of laws designed to prevent discrimination. These protections ensure that Minnesotans are treated equally under the law. However, the new push for the ERA seeks to expand its scope far beyond the original intent, from 1923, of safeguarding women against discrimination. The ERA’s broad language would undermine Minnesota’s longstanding protections guaranteed to religious organizations so they can operate consistently with their faith traditions. The ERA could jeopardize the very freedoms Republicans protected with our amendment to the Human Rights Act.

I recently joined Productive Alternatives and community leaders at the open house celebration for the new Hoffman crisis stabilization unit. While serving in the House of Representatives, I passed legislation to set statewide payment rates specific to crisis stabilization units. These crisis stabilization units are four-bed facilities that provide mental health services to our neighbors experiencing a mental health crisis.

I am grateful that this rate restructure helped open the new Hoffman unit, marking a significant milestone for mental health services in our region. Thank you, Productive Alternatives, for getting this project to the finish line! If you wish to read more on the new CSU in Hoffman, click here.

Through my role on the Senate Human Services Committee, I was grateful to have secured a temporary funding provision related to the property rate for PioneerCare nursing home in Fergus Falls. This will provide an estimated $500K in funding to support their work caring for our seniors. To read the full story, click here.

I encourage constituents to reach out to my office with any questions or feedback as we prepare for the 2025 legislative session.

To send an email, use this mail form.

To send mail to my office:

Minnesota Senate Building

95 University Avenue W. Room 2409

St. Paul, MN 55155

To call my office:

651-296-4875

With Gratitude,

Senator Jordan Rasmusson

District 9