Legislative Update: May 5, 2023

Neighbors,

As we start this final month of the 2023 Legislative Session, I want to provide a quick update on our biggest bill this week and where the House stands.

We are hitting the home stretch here at the Capitol, with committees wrapped up and budget bills having passed the House floor. Now, these bills are in conference committees, so the House and Senate can negotiate differences before they are sent to the Governor for his signature. 

These past few weeks have been long, and while this time during the legislative process has been stressful, I’m happy to know that many of these long-overdue bills have been passed. I’ve been honored to vote Yes on them.

Here’s an update from Saint Paul.

House Passes Paid Family and Medical Leave

Minnesotans believe in caring for one another. Yet the vast majority of Minnesotans don’t have access to paid family & medical leave benefits. This means every day, Minnesotans face impossible choices between losing a paycheck or caring for a new child, an aging loved one, or themselves.  

No one should be forced to choose between earning a paycheck and taking care of themselves or a family member, and Minnesotans have been telling the Legislature for years that our current system isn’t working well for most people. That’s why the House DFL has passed bills to establish a Paid Family and Medical Leave program multiple times in recent years under a divided government. We’ve campaigned on this issue for many years, and now the DFL trifecta will finally move this priority across the finish line.

This bill will help to make Minnesota the best state in the nation for children and families and complements all the other work Democrats are doing to help Minnesotans afford their lives, like investing in affordable housing, providing free school meals, and reducing health care costs.

Agriculture Bill Heads to Conference Committee

I’m proud to have Chaired the Agriculture Committee this year and present a balanced budget that represents rural and urban farmers, big and small farmers, for the environment and sustainability of agriculture. Whether it’s protecting farmers, ensuring our soil remains healthy, or providing food for every Minnesotan – we are making sure Minnesota is a national leader.

This bill, which has $48 million in new investments for farmers, land, and food production in Minnesota, is now in conference committee.

House Passes Housing Budget

Every Minnesotan deserves a safe and affordable place they can call home. With evictions skyrocketing, homelessness increasing, home ownership gaps widening, and a severe shortage of affordable homes to rent or own, it is time for bold action. The House passed the largest housing investment in state history to finally address this crisis. We’re prioritizing a First Generation Down Payment Assistance initiative to create more than 4,000 new first-generation homeowners, and producing more than 1,000 units of affordable rental housing and 1,000 units of affordable homes. This now goes to conference committee.

Stay in Touch

Please reach out to my office if you need assistance with anything. I am best reached through email at rep.samantha.vang@house.mn.gov or please contact my Legislative Assistant Matthew at matthew.sauser@house.mn.gov. I always appreciate hearing from you. You can also follow along on my official Facebook page here. 

Sincerely,

Rep. Samantha Vang

651-296-3709

rep.samantha.vang@house.mn.gov