Legislative Update - March 3, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
Thank you to everyone who came out Tuesday night for our legislative town hall with Senator Kelly Morrison! It was a great opportunity to provide an update about all the progress we have made so far and what we have planned for the rest of the session. We had a great turnout and I thank you all for showing up to ask questions and share your opinions!
Funding Math Corps!
I was proud to present my bipartisan bill to increase funding for the Minnesota Math Corps in front of the Education Finance Committee. Math Corps uses AmeriCorps tutors to help teachers in the classroom and get students back on track to math proficiency—and it outperforms the national average growth in math learning. As a former AmeriCorps member, I know this work’s importance and was glad to present this great bill!
House Floor Votes
Last month, the House DFL passed bills to increase the maximum reimbursement rates for all Child Care Assistance Program providers and increase the amount of child care stabilization grants. I was proud to support these investments to help kids, families, and communities thrive. We also passed a bill guaranteeing all workers receive one hour of Earned Sick and Safe Time for every 30 hours worked, so Minnesotans do not have to choose between recovering from an illness and earning a paycheck.
Last week, we passed three bipartisan bills on the House floor, including a bill banning the dangerous and discredited practice of “conversion therapy” for minors and vulnerable adults. We also passed legislation to create an Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls. Finally, we passed a bill to crack down on catalytic converter theft, deterring thieves and bad actors in possession of catalytic converters, and giving local law enforcement another tool to deal with these crimes.
This Thursday, we passed legislation dedicated to ending homelessness in our state by investing in emergency services programs, transitional housing, outreach, and a pathway to stable housing for all Minnesotans. We also voted to ratify labor agreements for state employees and put new guardrails into state law to prevent unconscionable price gouging during times of emergency such as a pandemic or natural disaster.
Climate and Energy Committee Update
We have been hard at work in the Climate and Energy Committee, which I chair, working to make energy more affordable for Minnesotans while also preparing for and combating climate change. We heard a bill to lay the groundwork for increasing our energy storage, which is a critical component of our transition to a clean energy economy. The bill would set goals and guidelines for energy storage, and award grants to those who develop energy storage systems. Increasing storage will save consumers money and increase reliability in renewable energy systems like solar and wind.
We heard legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in existing buildings. Right now, buildings use 40% of the energy consumed in Minnesota and this bill would be an important step in lowering greenhouse gas emissions. We also discussed increasing funding for Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs), which have been providing assistance for over 20 years to communities across Minnesota to transition to cleaner energy sources.
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