Jamie on the first day of the 2018 session!
Dear Neighbors,
A lot has been going on at the Capitol this past week. Here’s an update:
Meet House File 3128!
I recently introduced this important legislation that would direct money directly back to our cities! When cities issue tickets, those tickets result in court fines being paid. The revenue from those fines is divided between the city that issued the ticket and the state. All other cities throughout the entire state get to keep at least 2/3 of that revenue but suburban cities in Ramsey County only get to keep ½ of the fine revenue. My bill would make our Ramsey County cities equal with the majority of the rest of the state, raising us to 2/3 back to our cities. A big thank you to the City of Little Canada for bringing this issue to my attention!
Gun Violence
Following yet another mass shooting, this time at a school in Parkland, Florida, I have heard from many constituents who are deeply concerned about preventing further gun violence. Last week, nearly 1000 Minnesotans came to the Capitol demanding that we change our laws to make our communities safer.
As a gun owner, and also a mom and someone who works with domestic violence victims, I believe there are changes we can make to better protect the people of our state. I welcome the opportunity to have public debate and hearings of bills that would improve our criminal background check system (H.F. 1669) and that would allow law enforcement and families to seek gun violence protective orders (H.F. 1605).
Sexual Harassment
Last week, all Minnesota House members were required to attend two hours of training regarding sexual harassment. I was hopeful this training would be one positive step towards making the Capitol a more respectful and safe workplace. Unfortunately, the required training for lawmakers was woefully inadequate. It focused far too much on the fear of some being labeled as a harasser rather than on what victims experience or on identifying behaviors that are unacceptable for a work environment. For more, there are several articles from MPR, The Pioneer Press and The Star Tribune.
I’ve worked for months towards the creation of an independent task force on sexual harassment. While that hasn’t happened yet, I’m committed to ensuring legislators, lobbyists, staff, and members of the public are all safe and respected at the Capitol.
Veterans Day at the Capitol
It is an honor to serve on the Veterans Affairs Committee. Veterans and their supporters are encouraged to come to the Capitol to rally in support of Veterans on March 12th. This year’s event will focus on legislation that will help surviving spouses keep their homes, stopping predatory lending against veteran’s benefits, and increasing access to the outdoors for disabled vets.
What: Veterans Day on the Hill
When: March 12th, 2018
Events:
Pre-Rally with free breakfast from 8:00 to 9:45 a.m. (5th floor of the Veteran’s Services Building)
Rally in the Capitol Rotunda from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. (Capitol)
Meetings with regional legislators from11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (various locations)
This year there will also be a park-and-ride from the Roseville VFW! For more info and to reserve a seat, contact trent@davmn.org I hope to see you there!
It is an honor to represent our community at the State Capitol. If there is ever a way I can be of assistance or if you have questions or concerns, please contact me at rep.jamie.becker-finn@house.mn or at 651-296-7153.
Sincerely,
Jamie