Dear Neighbors,
I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the improving weather, summer is almost here and school is almost out for the year! This week has largely consisted of conference committee meetings where a few members from the House and the Senate come together to work out the differences in our budget bills.
We are just a couple weeks away from the end of session so I’ll be able to share the final shape of these bills soon!
Meeting with Educators from Edina
Thank you to Erica and Mary Jo - amazing teachers in Edina Public Schools for visiting me this week at the Capitol to discuss the importance of teacher pensions and funds to support kids and educators this session!
Student Policy Work and Visit to the Capitol
It was great to have a visit last week from Zach, an Edina resident and student at Blake High School who is doing research around legislation on gun safety. We discussed many other important policy areas including fiscal policy and he was able to join my session intern and I on the House Floor.
Election of New Regents to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents
Monday evening the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate held a joint Session and elected the following to the University of Minneosta’s Board of Regents:
- Robyn Gulley, 2nd Congressional District
- Mary Turner, 3rd Congressional District
- Tadd Johnson, 8th Congressional District
- Penny Wheeler, At-Large Seat
Congratulations to all four as they embark on the important work of supporting the University of Minnesota! To learn more about the great work Regents contribute in these vital roles you can read more here.
Upcoming End of Session Town Hall
Join me and my fellow Legislators who represent Edina at our end of session town hall! We’ll go over everything we accomplished this year (quite a bit) and answer your questions. It will take place on Wednesday, May 24th from 6 - 7:30 p.m., location is TBD so stay tuned.
Last week we worked day and night to pass several critical budget bills, and this week we passed Paid Family Medical Leave. All of the budget bills below are the House positions and are currently in joint conference committees with the Senate to have the final details negotiated.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
This week, the Minnesota House passed Paid Family and Medical Leave. The bill provides Minnesota workers up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for family or themselves. The program is funded by a small employer and employee contribution, meaning lost wages from time off will be recovered by the State fund, not employers.
Every day in Minnesota, workers face the impossible choice of either going to work to earn a paycheck or staying home to take care of themselves or a sick family member. While some workers have jobs that provide paid sick leave, thousands of Minnesotans do not have access to a single paid day off. The bill is now headed to a conference committee so the final details can be worked out between the House and Senate.
Public Safety
- Our public safety budget makes record investments in law enforcement and crime prevention measures.
- Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. we can’t allow that to continue. Which is why our bill contains red flag laws and improved background checks, making all of our children safer.
- With increased funding for things like the Bureau of Criminal affairs more crimes will be solved across the state making every community safer. We also invest in community crime prevention to prevent crime and violence before it happens.
Judiciary and Civil Law
- We fully fund public defenders and civil legal services so you can get the help you need no matter your income.
- We also increase funding for the Department of Human Rights so we can better track and stop hate crimes.
Health
- Our health budget makes transformational investments that make health care more affordable for everyone.
- It repeals outdated and harmful laws which restrict access to reproductive care. With this bill we are taking a firm stance to guarantee everyone can access the care which is best for their health.
Stay in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.heather.edelson@house.mn.gov or 651-296-4363 with your input or questions. You’re also welcome to follow me or ‘like’ my official Facebook page for additional updates.
Do you want to visit the Capitol or have an issue you want community members to know about to be included in my newsletter? Please email rep.heather.edelson@house.mn.gov. I am always happy to have community members and residents visit the Capitol!
Thank you for the honor of representing our Edina and Bloomington residents and families in the Minnesota House!
Sincerely,
Heather Edelson
State Representative - District 50A (Edina and Bloomington)