Legislative Update- March 20, 2024

Dear Neighbors,

Greetings from the State Capitol! It’s been a busy March in St. Paul, as we work on initiatives and examine proposals to lower costs, strengthen communities, and grow more opportunities so everyone can thrive in Minnesota. 

As the chair of the House State and Local Government and Finance Committee, I’ve been working with my colleagues and staff to hear bills that make government operations run more efficiently. One of these is a bill I’ve been authoring since 2019, which would let voters choose: should we have an independent, citizen panel of Minnesotans draw our district maps every ten years? This group would work independently from legislative supervision to draw the maps. 

Over the last couple of decades, courts have needed to intervene in the redistricting process and it’s been costly in terms of time, resources, and public trust. This was true in 2020, and to prepare us for 2030, I’m advocating in my bill for unbiased recommendations to produce fairly redistricted lines for future elections. Last week, I participated in a press conference with Common Cause to announce our efforts to move the bill forward this year.

House Approves 101 Environmental Projects 

As Minnesotans, we take pride in our legacy of environmental stewardship. That’s why we passed bipartisan legislation to fund 101 projects across our state that protect our wildlife, water, air, and soil.

The funding, which comes from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, uses a portion of our state lottery proceeds to ensure our environment and natural resources are protected for generations to come. You can find the list of projects here.

Support for Minnesotans Battling Cancer

Minnesotans fighting cancer face mental and physical challenges to overcome an extremely stressful time of their lives, made that much worse if chemotherapy and radiotherapy regimens cause them to lose their hair. I’m carrying legislation to ease some of this stress as treatments are underway, by having health systems foot the bill for prosthetics or a wig.

All patients deserve to live with dignity and are already focusing all of their energy, time, (and money) on their recovery and health; they shouldn't have to worry about how they'll pay for prosthetics or a wig for hair loss during their cancer treatments. I’ll continue to advocate for this legislation to move forward through the legislative process.

Connected to Community

Capitol visitors from our community are the best! It's incredibly important to me to hear directly from Plymouth and Medicine Lake residents about the issues that matter most to them. ??

Your voices are essential in shaping effective legislation and ensuring our government reflects the needs of the people it serves.

Feel free to contact me anytime to meet in person, on the phone, or in our district! I can be reached at rep.ginny.klevorn@house.mn.gov or 651-296-5511.

Grateful for these youth advocates from our area, working hard to make sure we can #KeepLungsLoud and healthy.

Superintendent Chace Anderson and Board Members Milind Sohoni, Heidi Kader, and Dan Ginestra traveled to St. Paul recently for the Association of Metropolitan School Districts’ Day at the Capitol.

Protecting reproductive rights is about ensuring everyone has the freedom to make personal decisions about their bodies and futures. I'm glad to continue supporting reproductive healthcare that's safe and accessible for all in Plymouth and Medicine Lake.

Keep in Touch

Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.ginny.klevorn@house.mn.gov or 651-296-5511 with questions, input, or ideas. I appreciate hearing from you!

For more updates from Plymouth and Medicine Lake, you’re welcome to follow me on my Facebook page.

Thank you for the honor of serving you and our neighbors in the Minnesota House.

Warmly,

Ginny Klevorn
State Representative