Legislative Update- July 19, 2024

Dear Neighbors,

I hope that your summer has been going well, with plenty of time outside with family and friends. Many of us are feeling heightened anxiety about politics these days. Even as we continue to push for an ever-better state and country – I am certainly committed to that – it’s important that we take care of ourselves, including keeping in touch with those we love.

Below are some thoughts on the historic legislative term that is ending, as well a number of other items of interest.

One reason that this newsletter is so lengthy is that it will be my last until later this year; legislators are prohibited from sending messages like these until after the election. But please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns in the meantime. More in “Keep in Touch” below. Take care in the meantime.

Thoughts on the Legislative Term

I’ve previously shared thoughts on the 2023 legislative session. Now that the full 2023-2024 term is concluded, we can put it in full context – as one of the most consequential in Minnesota history. After many years of divided government and gridlock, the DFL-controlled state House and Senate and Governor Walz came together to pass budgets and policies that will have a positive impact for generations.

To provide just a few examples…

• Many more people will have an affordable, stable place to live; we passed record investments in affordable housing, down-payment program (see “Help for First Generation Homebuyers”) below), an improved renter’s rebate, and property tax cuts.
• Our state will be a leader on climate action; we enacted a new 100% clean energy goal, enhanced our energy grid, and invested in rebates for electric vehicles and home energy.
• Our environment will be cleaner; we banned PFAS “forever” chemicals – among other historic protections – and invested in lead-pipe replacement, tree planting, improved air quality, clean drinking water, and environmental justice.
• Those who work will receive fairer compensation, with family-sustaining benefits; we passed Paid Family & Medical Leave, Earned Sick & Safe Time, safety protections at workplaces, and stronger efforts to combat wage theft.
• Seniors will have more money in their pockets; we limited taxes on Social Security income for the vast majority. In fact, everyone will have more money; we also passed the biggest tax cut in state history.
• Our state’s public infrastructure will be in much better shape, and more useful; we enacted a record funding bill and made long-term, dedicated investments in roads, bridges, and transit.
• Our state’s precious democracy will be stronger; we provided greater transparency in campaign funding, restored the vote to disenfranchised Minnesotans, protected election workers, and removed barriers for eligible voters.
• Children will be healthier, better-fed, and safer because of our nation-leading child tax credit (projected to cut child poverty by a third!), universal school meals, and major reforms to the child welfare system.
• Speaking of young people, they will finally receive the #GreatStartMN that they deserve. We made major investments in early care and learning; finally tied K-12 funding to inflation; invested in literacy, student mental health, and counseling; and strengthened post-secondary pathways, including free college for many students (North Star Promise) and a boost to the State Grant program.
• Minnesotans will pay for less for health care and many other goods and services; we put greater limits on Big Pharma, predatory lenders, and insurance companies, including a low cap on co-pays for many prescription drugs (see “Prescription Drug Pricing”) below). And we blocked online ticket sellers and other businesses from adding “junk fees.”
• Minnesotans will be safer from gun violence, because we finally passed my bills for criminal background checks and red-flag orders. In fact, everyone in our state will be safer, and have greater access to justice, because of the criminal legal reforms that we passed, and the increased resources for local law enforcement, crime victims, public defenders, and the judicial branch.
• Minnesotans will be able to live in greater freedom as their full, authentic selves; we guaranteed reproductive rights, banned “conversion therapy,” legalized adult-use cannabis, and became a trans refuge” state (a beacon in the Midwest).

And there is so much more (many of it detailed in my email newsletters).

Note that most of these proposals had been introduced and refined years ago, again held up only because of gridlock. With DFL majorities, they finally broke through, for the betterment of Minnesotans.

This term was exceptional in many ways. But our state’s history has long taught that investments in people – like we made this term – pay off. These investments pay off in health and happiness: we have long scored highly in various measures of well-being. And they pay off financially; we have long had one of the country’s most consistently strong economies, and even after these investments, the budget outlook remains strong, with substantial reserves. This success overall has always been marred by glaring disparities by race and ethnicity – and this term, though there is much more to do, we made substantial progress toward addressing these gaps as well.

At a critical moment for our country, we can be proud to have Minnesota show the way yet again.

National Recognition for Early Literacy

I was thrilled recently to be placed on the national honor roll for Reach Out & Read – one of only five legislators across the country to receive this recognition! Reach Out & Read partners with pediatricians to boosts early literacy and health and support parents and guardians.

Help for First-Generation Homebuyers

Everyone should have a stable, affordable place to live. As mentioned above, one of the many, many positive results of the session is that we are a little closer to this goal. Two new down payment assistance programs recently launched which will help those who are the first in their families to buy a home. The Minnesota Reformer provided a great explainer on the programs; please share it with those who may be eligible! #EverybodyIn.

Prescription Drug Pricing: Share Your Input

Prescription drugs are critical to health, but their pricing is often exorbitant and opaque. The expanded Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act – another accomplishment this session! – will help to provide greater transparency and better cost-management. Your insight is needed! Please complete the Public Input on Prescription Drug Price Transparency in Minnesota form to share how prescription drug prices impact your health care, what affordability concerns you have, and which drugs might benefit from greater pricing transparency. Your experiences will help to guide the Minnesota Department of Health’s ongoing drug price transparency work.

Support for Pollinator-Friendly Lawns

Do you want your lawn to be more pollinator-friendly? Minnesota residents can now apply for “Lawns to Legumes” funding for spring 2025. The Lawns to Legumes program aims to increase habitat for at-risk pollinators in residential settings by providing people with cost-share funding, workshops, coaching, and gardening resources. Apply here to be considered for reimbursement for up to $400 in costs for establishing new pollinator habitats in your yard. The deadline is November 30, 2024.

Refugee Resettlement

I’ve joined several other elected officials in Minnesota, and hundreds more from across the country, in signing a letter to President Biden urging that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program be strengthened. People fleeing persecution deserve safety and the opportunity to build and contribute anew. That was true for the ancestors of so many of us, and it’s true today too. You can read the letter here: https://welcomingrefugees2025.org/.

Clean School Buses

The climate crisis is real and demands action. I’m glad to report on one small but helpful step that was recently announced – funding to replace the country’s existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models. The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which passed in 2021 under the Democratic-controlled Congress and President Biden. It’s gradually making its way to districts across the country – including the St. Paul Public Schools! Our district will receive funding for 25 electric buses. Transforming our state’s and country’s bus fleet in this way is a boost for the planet, for kids’ health, and for school district pocketbooks.

Snelling Avenue Construction

As you may well have noticed, Minnesota Department of Transportation workers are in the middle of a significant construction project on Snelling Ave. There is some work being done between St. Clair and Grand, including building bumpouts and ADA-compliant crossings at intersections. But the bulk of the work is between Montreal and Ford Parkway. In the end, Snelling will have a center median and a new multi-use trail along its east side. Much more detail, including contact info for MNDOT, is here.

Join a State Board, Council, or Committee

The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State has a running list of vacancies for various state boards, councils and committees that are accepting applications. There are positions for people from all backgrounds and professions, from cosmetologists to engineers. If you have an interest in public service, please apply! You can find the full list of vacancies here.

Keep in Touch

Again, this will be my last email newsletter until later this year. Feel free to contact my legislative assistant Caleb or me with anything in the meantime – contact info below. I also encourage you to follow along on my State Representative Facebook page, and sign up for these updates if you haven’t already.

Sincerely,

Dave Pinto  
State Representative, District 64B  
503 State Office Building
(651) 296-4199 

Subscribe to my email updates: www.house.leg.state.mn.us/64b  
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