Legislative Update – April 27, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
Yesterday, Three Rivers Park District, which manages over 27,000 acres of parks, trails and other facilities, held their Day at the Capitol—bringing with them information about their work promoting environmental stewardship along with baby lambs for staff and members to visit!
Budget Bill Update
This week we continued to make progress on budget bills. We passed a jobs and labor package to improve workplace safety and reduce economic disparities, a human services budget to address workforce shortages, and a public safety and judiciary package that included funding for our law enforcement, our courts, and common-sense gun violence prevention measures. Last night, the House approved a health care budget that prioritizes reducing access barriers and increasing patient affordability.
Legalizing Adult-Use Cannabis
Wednesday was a historic day at the House as we voted to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state of Minnesota. Our current cannabis laws are doing more harm than good, and passing this bill is far past time. This legislation creates a safe, well-regulated legal marketplace for Minnesotans over the age of 21. It prioritizes automatic expungement of prior marijuana convictions. Finally, the bill will help start-up cannabis businesses to ensure the communities disproportionately affected by prohibition can take part in the economic opportunity created by legalization. I was proud to vote “yes” on this legislation in 2021 and did so again this week.
District Meetings
Yesterday I spent the morning at the monthly South St. Paul Local Issues meeting with the River Heights chamber. Then later at the Capitol it was Dakota County Day at the Capitol and I was glad to join fellow legislators and our county commissioners to discuss their priorities to help ensure equitable funding for transportation, education, and more!
Stay in Touch
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and feedback throughout the legislative session. You can reach me by email at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-6828. You can contact my legislative assistant Sam O'Neill at 651-296-3305 or via email at samuel.oneill@house.mn.gov.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative