Dear Neighbor,
Here is wishing you and your family a blessed Easter. I hope you are able to spend extra time in the company of friends and loved ones this holiday.
As for official business, are some of the latest notes from the Capitol:
Religious freedom
Religious freedom continues to be a major focus in the House. The latest developments this week came after Republicans sought to address an issue related to religious freedom, but the majority then put that project on indefinite hold.
A press conference took place Monday, with dozens of religious leaders from around the state joining Republicans in calling for religious freedom to be restored in the Minnesota Human Rights Act, protecting religious organizations and faith-based schools against claims of gender identity discrimination.
Shortly thereafter, the majority tabled a House Republican motion to bring forward legislation to make that happen. It was the third time this session they had at least temporarily blocked a Republican attempt at restoring religious freedom language to the HRA, following committee votes in both the House and the Senate.
When faith leaders in Minnesota first raised concerns over this issue a number of months ago, many assumed it was a simple oversight that could be easily corrected during this legislative session. It is unfortunate we have now gotten to a point where the majority in both the House and Senate have voted against restoring religious freedom in the Human Rights Act, and it’s becoming clearer this was not a mistake or omission last year. It seems intentional, which is not sitting well with so many Minnesotans that hold their religious beliefs so dear.
Before last year, when gender identity was included (or subsumed) within the MHRA definition of sexual orientation, the still-existing religious exemption for sexual orientation covered gender identity claims as well.
When a new, separate definition of gender identity was created last year, there was no corresponding religious exemption added. This issue caused alarm among Minnesota’s faith community and House Republicans worked with religious leaders to craft H.F. 3926, which ensures religious organizations and faith-based schools can, among other things, hire teachers and ministers consistent with their mission and values.
It remains unclear when – or if – the Democrat-controlled House will revisit that bill. At least one faith-based school already is facing an employment complaint at the department of human rights because of the removal of the exemption.
Meat-cutting grants
A bill (H.F. 4930) I authored to provide additional funding for the state’s Meat Education and Training Grant Program received a hearing this week in the House’s workforce development committee and was received well. This grant program is only a couple years old, but applications have come in at twice the rate of funds that have been available. Local meat markets have been making something of a comeback with the closure of large processing plants and as people look more and more to locally sourced meats. The hope is my bill is included in an omnibus package later this session.
The Legislature will return to the Capitol on Tuesday as we near the final stretch of the 2024 leading up to our scheduled May 20 date for adjournment. Look for more news and notes soon and, until then, have a good weekend and please be safe on the roads.
Sincerely,
Paul