Dear Neighbors,
I want to thank everyone who joined Rep. Alicia Kozlowski, Sen. Jen McEwen and me for our recent Virtual Town Hall about Paid Family & Medical Leave. We’re especially thankful to Sen. Dr. Alice Mann for joining us to talk about the legislation and the positive impact it would have for workers across our state. Video of the event is available on my Facebook page if you weren’t able to join us live.
New State Budget
House and Senate DFL leaders and Gov. Tim Walz have announced a joint framework for a new state budget which will guide our work at the Capitol in the coming weeks. Coming to a bicameral agreement this early is a testament to our shared commitment to work productively and effectively for Minnesotans; in most legislative sessions, this framework isn’t reached until May. On Wednesday, I chaired a hearing of the Ways and Means Committee where we officially approved our House Budget Resolution.
DFLers in the House and Senate have worked closely with Governor Walz to develop a budget outline that’s balanced, aligns with Minnesotans’ values, and addresses the challenges families, neighbors, and communities are facing. At the Capitol in the coming weeks, we will focus on enacting a new state budget that boosts opportunities for students of all stages of learning, makes Minnesota a healthier state, delivers solutions to help Minnesotans better afford their lives, and many more of our shared priorities.
Protecting Rights and Autonomy of Minnesotans
The fall of Roe v. Wade has resulted in a wave of unjust and inhumane laws across the country restricting abortion rights. However, in Minnesota, we value the fundamental rights of everyone to access reproductive health care without any interference from politicians. Last week, the Minnesota House built upon our work to strengthen reproductive freedom in our state by passing legislation known as the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act. The bill ensures protections both for Minnesotans and people across the country coming to Minnesota in need of access to the full range of reproductive health care options.
Other states are also advancing legislation to restrict or outright prohibit trans youth from receiving gender-affirming care, with Iowa being the most recent. Early Friday morning, the House passed a bill to make Minnesota a Trans Refuge state, preventing out-of-state laws from interfering in the practice of gender-affirming health care and helping ensure transgender people are loved, valued, and protected in our state. Gender affirming care is essential for the health and well-being of transgender people. It improves mental health, reduces suicide risk, and improves overall quality of life. While other states are enacting destructive, dehumanizing, and discriminatory laws, Minnesota is leading the way in protecting trans people, their families, and medical providers.
Emergency Rental Assistance
Through much of the pandemic, federal rental assistance allowed Minnesotans to maintain housing stability. Many of those funds dried up in January of 2022, but the economic challenges facing low-income families did not. As a result, Minnesota experienced a skyrocketing eviction rate last year with more than 20,000 filed.
The House recently voted to deliver $50 million in emergency rental assistance to the state’s Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program. All Minnesotans deserve a safe and stable place to call home and this funding is a crucial step to ensure families facing housing insecurity can keep a roof over their heads. House DFLers recognize bold, long-term investments are needed to address Minnesota's housing crisis, but providing immediate relief through programs like the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program is a lifeline for those who are struggling.
Please continue to keep in touch with your input about our work on a new state budget, or any other issue that is important to you. I also invite you to “like” my Facebook page for more frequent updates from Saint Paul. I’m honored to represent you.
Sincerely,
Liz Olson
State Representative