Dear Neighbors,
We’re back in the swing of things at the State Capitol! I have been busy in our committee hearings, meeting with constituents and others, and introducing bills.
Bill Introductions
The majority of the bills I have introduced so far have bipartisan support. These include the following: funding for victim services, protecting confidential communications between domestic violence victims and advocates, creating an ombudsperson to help homeowners who are members of Homeowners Associations, and ensuring sexual assaults of military members are properly investigated. I also have two bonding bills on the behalf of the city of Arden Hills. You can find the bills I’ve authored here. I will be introducing additional bills in the upcoming weeks.
Talking to Groups
I’ve had the opportunity to talk to numerous groups who have been at the Capitol for their “days on the hill.” These include law enforcement, victim advocates, and probation/corrections officers. As the DFL lead on the Public Safety Committee and as someone who has spent my career working in the criminal legal system, I frequently connect with groups whose work relates to public safety.
Community Events
Sometimes my meetings take me outside of St. Paul. Recently I attended a New Brighton City Council planning meeting. Rep. Feist and I also had the pleasure of judging a History Day contest at Edgewood Middle School. The future is bright for these incredible students!
Talking to Constituents
It has been wonderful meeting with constituents both in person and virtually over the last couple of weeks. Below is a constituent who visited me on behalf of the Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. They do great work advocating for safe and affordable housing for everyone. I look forward to working together to advance policies that help house those who need a little help!
Extreme Risk Protection Orders are a Useful Gun Violence Prevention Tool
I helped lead the effort to pass the ERPO (“red flag”) law to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a danger of harm to themselves or others. The law went into effect on January 1, 2024. In one year, 135 cases were filed in Minnesota courts. Courts granted 95% of temporary petitions and 78% of requests for longer removal. Those whose guns were temporarily removed through ERPOS included people who threatened murder-suicide and those who directed violent threats at law enforcement. You can read more about the data here.
Protecting People and our Democracy
While I do work across the aisle in a bipartisan manner, I also will not tolerate policies that harm Minnesotans, such as Republican policies that are aimed at hurting trans and immigrant communities, and those that protect the wealthiest over everyday Minnesotans. In addition, much harm is being done at the federal level by Trump, Musk, and Congressional Republicans. These include funding freezes/uncertainty that is harming Minnesotans. If you or your organization has a specific example of these impacts, please do not hesitate to reach out to me and to our Senators and Congresswoman McCollum. Attorney General Keith Ellison has useful information about his work to combat federal government overreach, here.
Cold Weather Protection and Weatherization
As cold weather sets in, I want to share a quick reminder that Minnesota’s “cold weather rule” is now in effect, which protects residents from having their electric or natural gas service shut off until April 30.
To ensure your service is safe from disconnection, you must make and keep a payment plan that you and your utility provider agree on. More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s website.
Also, an initiative the state legislature strengthened in 2021 may help lower costs. While older homes have their charm, many homeowners needing basic home improvements like repairing windows, removing asbestos, repairing cracked foundations or siding often face challenges paying upfront for these pre-weatherization measures. Minnesotans using CenterPoint or Xcel Energy can schedule an appointment with the Home Energy Squad to visit their homes to identify low cost energy-saving solutions. Each visit is approximately two hours, and during that time, the Home Energy Squad will perform various energy-saving tests, inspect your insulation, heating and cooling systems, and water heater. Learn more here.
Stay In Touch
Please feel free to contact me directly with your viewpoints or if I can be of assistance. My email is rep.kelly.moller@house.mn.gov and my phone number is 651-296-0141.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
Sincerely,
Kelly Moller
State Representative