Dear Neighbors, It was a shorter week in the Minnesota House with a break in recognition of Passover. At this point in the legislative session, we have less than a month left to finish our work, which includes the passing of a Capital Investment bill to invest in infrastructure throughout the state. Next week, as Chair of the House Capital Investment Committee, I’ll start the process of unveiling our proposal to invest in these projects. If you’re interested, you’ll be able to watch that committee hearing live on Monday at 1pm, here. Cannabis Policy & Tenants' RightsWhile we continue to work on policy and supplemental bills that are the culmination of committee work this year, there are also some important stand-alone bills that we’ve been working on too, like our efforts to responsibly legalize adult-use cannabis and provide support for Minnesota’s renters. Last year, we legalized adult-use cannabis. However, buying cannabis legally at a licensed retail business in the state is not set to begin until early next year. The Cannabis Policy bill we passed this session is meant to expedite the process of setting up a good, legitimate marketplace for cannabis to displace that illicit marketplace we currently have. You can read more about what the bill contains here. We also passed a strong Tenants’ Rights Policy Bill, which includes provisions to safeguard tenants’ right to organize, protect tenant survivors of domestic violence, clarify tenants’ rights to emergency services, prohibit rental discrimination based on public assistance, and more. More details in the bill are included here. Arbor Day CelebrationFriday, April 26th is Arbor Day, and DFLers are taking action to protect our environment and honor trees' vital role in our ecosystem. This year we are investing millions in tree planting grants for communities around our state. |