Legislative Update January 13, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
Last week the Minnesota House of Representatives convened at the State Capitol in Saint Paul for the start of the 2023 legislative session. I was sworn into my third term alongside my fellow legislators, and I am excited and ready to get to work on the issues impacting our district and state!
Already this week we got a chance to vote to pass a bill to update Minnesota’s tax code into conformity with federal law. This will result in over $100 million in tax cuts to a wide range of Minnesotans while simplifying future tax filings. This efficient and unified action is just the beginning of an effective legislative session under House DFL leadership. I was happy to cast my vote in support of the bill and am encouraged that the legislation passed unanimously!
Committee Assignments
I am excited to announce that this session I will chair the Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee. Serving as vice chair of that committee last biennium, I was part of many important discussions and now, as chair, I will continue to craft impactful legislation which will make a difference now and for future generations.
In addition to serving as the chair of the Climate and Energy Committee, I will also serve on the Health Finance and Policy Committee, the Sustainable Infrastructure Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee. These assignments will help me continue to advocate for increasing access to quality, affordable healthcare as well as look at ways to leverage resources to update our aging infrastructure here in Minnesota. You can find the full committee rosters here and find upcoming committee hearing postings here.
Climate and Energy Committee Hearings
The Climate and Energy Committee held its inaugural hearing for the 2023 session Wednesday, January 4th at 3:00 pm. At our first meeting, the committee heard staff and member introductions followed by presentations on the impacts of climate change by professors from the University of Minnesota. This week, we heard a presentation on President Biden’s 2022 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and its role in shaping climate and energy legislation on the state level.
The Climate and Energy Committee will meet weekly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:00 pm-4:30 pm in State Office Building room 10. Additionally, hearings will be recorded and live-streamed or posted afterward on the committee webpage which you can find here.
Protecting Reproductive Options
Last Thursday, the Health Finance and Policy Committee, on which I serve, passed HF 1 or the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act.
This bill ensures that all Minnesotans are free to make their own reproductive health care decisions. It establishes the fundamental right of Minnesotans to make individual decisions about reproductive health care, including contraception, abortion, and pregnancy, and prevents politicians from interfering with a person’s fundamental right to make their own reproductive health care decisions.
I was proud to vote in support of the PRO Act in the Health Committee hearing Thursday and look forward to its passage on the House floor this session. The decision of whether or when to become a parent is deeply personal. Personal health care decisions – including the decision to be on birth control, become pregnant, or have an abortion – should be made by a patient and their doctor, not anti-abortion politicians or judges.
Redistricting Update
Last week I was officially sworn in as your representative for the new District 45B. District 45B includes the cities of Wayzata, Deephaven, and Woodland City as well as portions of Minnetonka and Shorewood. You can find a map of the new district here. I am excited to get to work representing this area and am thankful for the opportunity to serve.
If you are unsure about how redistricting affects you, this site will allow you to input your address to find your current representative.
Staying in touch
Please reach out if you have any questions or feedback you would like to share. You can contact me by email at rep.patty.acomb@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-9934.
Sincerely,
Patty Acomb
State Representative