Legislative Update- February 11, 2022

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Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’ve had a good week and had a chance to enjoy the milder weather before our weekend cold snap.

I’m excited to invite you to the town hall meeting I’m hosting along with Senator Latz and Representative Winkler on Zoom on March 2 at 6:30 p.m. We’ll give a brief update from the Capitol and then take your questions. It’s important for me to hear your input!

Please fill out the RSVP form here: https://bit.ly/d46th to receive the Zoom information 24 hours prior to the town hall. We will also stream the event live on Facebook. If you have any questions, please reach out to my Legislative Assistant, Eric at eric.petersen@house.mn.

My regular Community Conversations are wrapping up as committee deadlines approach. The next two opportunities are on February 22nd and March 9th. I hope to see you on Zoom! Please RSVP with Eric to receive the details to join.

Committee Action

Committees continue to work and hear bills. As I mentioned above, committee deadlines have been announced. They are:

1st deadline - March 25, 2022
2nd deadline - April 1, 2022
3rd deadline - April 8, 2022

Committee deadlines are in place to help legislators narrow our focus and prioritize bills with policy or fiscal impacts. The first deadline indicates the date when all bills with a policy component must pass out of all relevant policy committees in either the House or the Senate. The second deadline marks the date bills have been acted upon favorably and have met the first deadline in the other body. We must wrap up all finance bills by the third deadline.

This week, I had two bills up in committees. The first one, HF 895, I presented in the House Commerce Committee and would require underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage for motorcycles. I'm pleased to share it passed and is headed to the General Register. The second bill I presented before the House Education Finance Committee was HF 2751, a bill that establishes a legislative working group on special education tuition billing. This will help the Minnesota Department of Education and stakeholders develop and recommend statutory changes to special education billing. In the Education Finance Committee, we also had testimony on bills to address the special education cross-subsidies our districts are facing, as well as the presentation of Governor Walz and Lt. Flanagan’s comprehensive E-12 education proposal.

No-Knock Warrants

We are all heartbroken following the news of the tragic killing of Amir Locke at the hands of the Minneapolis Police following the use of a no-knock warrant. At only 22 years old, Mr. Locke had his whole life ahead of him; he should still be alive today.

Prior to Mr. Locke’s death, my colleague Rep. Athena Hollins, one of the co-chairs of the DFL People of Color and Indigenous Caucus (POCI), authored successful legislation included in the final public safety budget bill last year to regulate no-knock warrants. It provides a process to be followed regarding the issuance of no-knock warrants, requires a chief law enforcement officer and another superior officer to review and approve warrant applications, and generally prohibits the issuance of these warrants in drug possession cases.

This week, Black legislators, supported by House DFL Leadership, stood together to announce new legislation establishing tougher restrictions on no-knock warrants statewide, which builds on the law we passed last year. Rep. Hollins is working with stakeholders on this new legislation with the goal of a public hearing next week. You can watch the press conference here.

Connected to Community

I had the opportunity to meet with a group of amazing school nurses this week. They are taking care of students with complex and growing needs. One third of Minnesota school districts do not have a licensed nurse within their district. We must invest in more mental health resources for our students!

It was also Minnesota Fire Day at the Capitol! I was glad to connect with both Hopkins Fire Chief Dale Specken, St. Louis Park Fire Chief Steve Koehring, and Golden Valley fire fighter Ken Bence about how we can continue our partnership on legislation that keeps our hometown heroes safe and healthy.

I also had the chance to meet with Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, Hopkins' Schools Superintendent on the good work she is doing as well as constituents visiting on behalf of the Minnesota Academy of Physician Assistants.

Join a St. Louis Park Board or Commission

Are you interested in meeting new neighbors or getting involved in our community? Consider joining a City of St. Louis Park board or commission! Applications are being accepted until Feb. 28 for both adult and youth positions. Click here to learn more and to apply.

Hopkins Blood Drive

February is American Heart Month. Minnesota is facing one of the worst blood shortages in nearly a decade. You can help save a life by donating blood at a local blood drive on Friday, February 25, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Hopkins Fire Department. To sign up, visit mbc.org/searchdrives and enter sponsor code 0998 or contact Dale Specken at 952-548-6451.

Keep in Touch

Please continue to reach out anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn or 651-296-9889 with questions or input. Email is the quickest way to reach me.

Thank you for the honor of representing our Hopkins and St. Louis Park neighbors at the Capitol!

Have a great weekend.

Warmly,

Cheryl Youakim
State Representative