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Dear Neighbors,
Thank you for the many letters from community members deeply saddened by the loss of George Floyd. We have seen our community come together to honor this senseless tragedy and share the stories of so many who have experienced injustice.
I am grateful for the coming together of neighbors for the silent vigil and grateful for the thoughtful care and space provided by our local officers during the event. I sat quietly among the group in that moment, as it was not my role that day to lead, but to follow, not to speak, but to listen. I am so enormously proud of our community for granting that space and allowing others to share their truth. I also could not be more proud of our Maple Grove High School students for organizing a peaceful march and finding a way to channel their anger, fear, frustration, and sadness in a way that both fights for justice and seeks to create a more equitable and inclusive way forward.
Special Session Begins
Today, legislators reconvened for special session at noon. With the onset of COVID-19 in the middle of March, much of our work will focus on unfinished business, aiming to deliver more economic security for our communities and businesses. I am pleased to report the first bill we approved includes $62.5 million in grants for small business impacted by the public health pandemic. With nearly all of our businesses reopened at partial capacity, this aid could not come at a better time to help them get back on their feet. The first $60 million in the bill comes from the federal CARES Act, and $2.5 million from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Emergency Loan Program.
My colleague and author of the bill Rep. Stephenson said it perfectly: “owning a small business is more than your livelihood, it’s your identity.” As a small business owner myself, I know the hard work of putting your heart and soul into creating your business, and making deep personal sacrifices to build your business from the ground up. I know so many business owners who feels these words too.
Our Maple Grove and Osseo small businesses are vibrant and form the building blocks that make our community thrive. I was glad to support the measure.
Additional Measures to Consider for Special Session
Additional priorities for me include honing in our focus on addressing dire needs of Minnesotans hit hardest by the pandemic. Many are still struggling to make mortgage or rent payments. Broadband internet is lacking in many of our neighboring communities and it’s impacting folks’ abilities to access telemedicine and needed resources. Our personal care assistants, who haven’t had a modest raise in years, are still providing critical in-home care to our most vulnerable populations and most susceptible to contracting the virus. We also must act on a robust jobs and local projects or “bonding” bill. It will be important to help our economy recover and create sorely needed jobs.
Re-imagining our Public Safety in Minnesota
This special session also gives us the opportunity to pass much needed racial justice & police accountability legislation that has been led by People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) legislators and community members--The Minnesota Police Accountability Act 2020. I have been heartened by the many letters from local law enforcement and family that are ready and willing to be part of the solutions and provide input to make our departments stronger and safer in our communities. I am honored by this response. This package will contain a number of common sense provisions that reform accountability, reclaim community oversight, and re-imagine public safety. Tomorrow, the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Committee will hold an in-depth hearing to review and vet these proposals:
- Data Practices Modifications for Peace Officers (Her)
- Retroactive Repeal of Statutes of Limitations (Vang)
- Warrior Training Prohibited (Richardson)
- Choke Hold Ban (Moran)
- Duty to Intercede (Becker-Finn)
- Police Residency Reform (Hassan)
- Data Collection and Regulatory Reform/etc. (Mariani)
- Arbitration Reform (Her)
- Law Enforcement Oversight Council Reform (Gomez)
- Use of Force Reform (Becker-Finn)
- Prosecutorial Reform (Becker-Finn)
- Investigatory Reform (Mariani)
- Cash Bail (Noor)
- Public Safety Peer Counseling Debriefing (Noor)
- Police Officer Critical Incident Review (Kunesh-Podein)
- Community Led Public Safety (Gomez)
- Mental Health Training (Richardson)
- Autism Training (Richardson)
- Restore the Vote (Moran)
Keep in Touch
Please always feel free to contact me at rep.kristin.bahner@house.mn with suggestions or questions. Don’t hesitate to let me know how I can be of assistance.
It’s an honor to represent our Maple Grove and Osseo families in St. Paul.
Sincerely,
Kristin Bahner
Your State Representative
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