Dear Neighbors,
I'm excited to announce that House DFL and Republican leadership reached an agreement to co-govern over the next two years. This follows weeks of contentious negotiations where our primary sticking point was the Republican’s unwillingness to seat fairly elected Rep. Brad Tabke. Thankfully they conceded this point and we could come to a reasonable agreement. I’m proud that the DFL caucus fought for our democratic values and won!
The agreement says that Republicans will govern as a majority until we return to a 67-67 tie, which we expect following the March 11th special election in Roseville. At that point, all committees will have equal representation from both parties with co-chairs leading. In fact, the agreement is largely what we proposed four weeks ago, but it took a while for Republicans to exhaust their various power grabbing tactics.
I want to acknowledge the community leaders, advocates, and constituents who met with me to share their priorities while I denied quorum. Your input directly shapes my legislative agenda, and I will continue to advance our shared values here at the House. Thank you all for your support, I can’t wait to continue to represent you at the Capitol!
Working Outside the Capitol
During the negotiation period I was hard at work advancing our shared values in district. Here is some of what I worked on recently:
- I met with stakeholders regarding bills addressing permitting reform by the MPCA. I talked with businesses and several other groups about the bill language that was introduced in the Senate and how it compares with the Governor’s proposal.
- Had a great meeting with some of the Leaders at St John’s Hospital. They are doing a number of things that improve care and outcomes for folks in our community.
- Joined my colleagues at Face to Face in St. Paul. They reviewed a project they have that would house at risk youth and youth that have high barriers that would include supportive services.
- I joined several of my colleagues meeting with Catholic Charities at Dorothy Day for a tour of their operations. Most importantly to learn of their legislative agenda that addresses the needs of some of the most vulnerable in our society.
Resisting Federal Overreach
I have heard from many of you about your concerns with the radical actions being taken by the Trump administration. I want to assure you that I will use all of my power to resist every illegal, hateful, racist, xenophobic, and discriminatory action coming from the federal government. I will fight to protect the rights of our LGBTQ, Black and Brown, and immigrant communities. Our diversity is our strength and I won’t back down from that. This is one reason why it was so critical for the House DFL to maintain a fair power-sharing agreement. We are now in a much stronger position to push back against these evil actions.
Keep in touch
It is easy to stay connected to news from the State Capitol. Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website.
Please continue to reach out with any input, ideas, or feedback about the issues important to you. I value hearing from you, so call (651) 296-5363 or email any time at rep.peter.fischer@house.mn.gov. You can find my information on my House website.
Sincerely,
Peter Fischer