Dear Neighbors,
I’ve been so busy I haven’t sent out as many updates as usual this year. Thank you for your patience, I have lots to share! The committee I chair, Judiciary Finance and Civil Law, has worked efficiently and passed dozens of bills since the session began. Several of these bills have already passed off the House floor, including my bill to update the Safe at Home program to protect victims of violence.
In addition to many ongoing discussions about how the budget surplus should be spent, we are working on many policy bills at the Legislature. Here are some of the bills I’m carrying this year:
Justice System Reform
Since being named Chair of the Judiciary Committee, one of the areas I have focused on is our public defense system. The right to counsel in criminal proceedings is a Constitutional right, and it is well settled law that it is the obligation of states to fund this right. Unfortunately, as a state we have never held up our end of the bargain and the system is in crisis, with public defenders carrying unsustainable case loads due to low pay and low staffing. We have an opportunity to set things right this year with House File 2738, which would fund public defense at a level to at least meet minimum caseload standards. Coverage of this issue can be found here:
AmeriCorps Week
This week is AmeriCorps week! I would like to acknowledge and honor the commitment of the millions of Americans who have chosen to serve their country through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors. It is a truly formative experience and I encourage you or your loved ones to consider serving your community in this important way. As an AmeriCorps alum, I am proud to support this program and I hope others will too!
Ramsey County Service Centers
Ramsey County Service Centers offer in-person assistance with a wide range of county services including Navigator assistance with enrollment information connections to county programs, computer access and secure document drop boxes. Service Centers provide residents with more accessible connections to all county programs. You may visit any center and you do not need to travel to a specific building for certain services. Click here to use an interactive map of available county services. All sites follow public health guidelines for COVID-19.
Affordable Housing for All
I have heard from many of you that housing affordability is a major concern. The House DFL is proposing major investments in housing to solve this crisis. We’re proposing to build more homes Minnesotans can afford, save the affordable homes we already have, provide pathways to home ownership and out of homelessness, and ensure tenants are protected from unfair practices and can stay in the homes where they already live. We have a golden opportunity this session to invest in solutions to create more housing options and lower costs throughout the state, which will in turn create more economic opportunity for families, businesses, and our state’s future.
Stay in Touch
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance or if you have questions or feedback that you’d like to share. You can follow me on Facebook and you can reach me by email at rep.jamie.becker-finn@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-7153. Also please note that I have a new assistant, Mikayla, who started earlier this month.
Please find time to go outside this weekend and enjoy the warmer weather!
Sincerely,
Jamie Becker-Finn