Legislative Update
Dear friends and neighbors,
This week we heard lots of bills in committee and on the floor.
Yesterday, we heard House file 13 on the floor. HF 13 eliminates the duty to retreat before using reasonable force in defense of oneself or others, ensuring that law-abiding citizens are not forced to second-guess their ability to protect themselves in life-threatening situations.
Rep. Wiener introduced House File 812 in the Taxes Committee. This bill proposes cutting Minnesota’s lowest income tax bracket to provide relief for low-income earners, making the state more competitive with its neighbors. The bill aims to put more money back into taxpayers' pockets, particularly benefiting those earning under $38,000 annually.
In Commerce a bill was introduced to keep insurance premiums low for Agriculture producers and small businesses. This way our communities are not impacted by rising premium costs.
Click here to watch my weekly video update.
In Judiciary Committee Rep. Zeleznikar introduced House File 1233. House File 1233 intent is to uphold Title IX protections for women's sports by clarifying that female-only teams do not violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The bill responds to Minnesota court interpretations that include gender identity under sexual orientation protections, arguing that Title IX was designed to ensure fairness and equal opportunities for female athletes.
On Monday we heard Peggy Scott’s House File 12 or “Preserving Women’s Sports Act”. HF 12 states that only students of the female sex may participate in an elementary or secondary school athletic team or sport that an educational institution has restricted on the basis of sex to women or girls. All 67 Republicans voted for the proposal, and all 66 Democrats voted against it.
On Monday before hearing Rep. Scott’s bill House Republicans held a rally to preserve women’s sports. Riley Gains who has been a huge advocate for fighting to keep biological men out of women’s sports came and spoke. It was very inspirational to hear her speak. Ben Utecht and Jack Brewer were also here at the Capitol for the Preserving Women's Sport's rally. They both played football at the University of Minnesota and the NFL and spoke on behalf of the bill.
 Riley Gaines
 Jack Brewer
 Ben Utecht
Visitors
Thank you to everyone who visited this week!
 This week I met with Sherm Syverson with Sanford EMS Health. He works with the Wheaton Ambulance service.
 I met with Minnesota Citizens for the Arts from Fergus Falls.
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