Dear Neighbors,
This week, a special election in Roseville provided clarity on something most of us have known since last November: voters delivered a tied Minnesota House of Representatives.
DFL Rep-elect David Gottfried will join us in the Minnesota House next week, returning the body to an even 67-67 split. The bipartisan power-sharing agreement my DFL colleagues and I fought for ensures that the governing of the House will now reflect that tie, with committees having balanced membership and DFL and GOP co-chairs. For me, I’ll assume my role as DFL Co-Chair of the House Capital Investment Committee next week.
This means that bills don’t only need bipartisan support to pass the House - as has always been the case this session - they now need bipartisan support to even pass committees. Ideally, this would mean that we’re spending less time on hyper-partisan bills that have no chance of passing the House, which has been the case too many times these last few weeks.
A tied House will be a unique, historic experience. Thanks to our power-sharing agreement, I can effectively advocate for our community in these uncharted waters, and I look forward to doing work that reflects the will of the voters.
Real ID Taking Effect in May For real this time - beginning May 7, 2025, Minnesotans 18 years of age or older will not be able to use their standard driver's license or identification card to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities. Instead, they will need one of three options: - Minnesota REAL ID driver's license or identification card.
- Minnesota Enhanced driver's license or identification card.
- Other federally-approved forms of identification. They are listed online here, but include:
- U.S. passport or passport card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
- U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
If you are not sure which license type is right for you, check out the Driver Vehicle Services’ website here.
Stay Connected As we turn this new page in this year’s legislative session, now is a crucial time to reach out to share any questions, comments, or ideas you have on how to make our community and state better. A tied House presents new opportunities, and there’s no shortage of things I believe we can work on together. You can reach me at rep.fue.lee@house.mn.gov or 651-296-4262. You’ll hear back from me or our Legislative Assistant, Tenzin.
I look forward to hearing from you! Sincerely,
Fue Lee
State Representative |