Dear Neighbors,
The legislature hit the ground running this session and the first three weeks have been a blur. I have to apologize for this being my first bulletin of the session, but I’ve been assigned to 5 committees and between attending committee meetings, meeting with constituents and other stakeholders and preparing my own bills to be introduced and heard, this has been my first real opportunity to sit back and reflect. I spent the three-day Martin Luther King Jr. birthday holiday weekend in my office finalizing the language for my own housing, data privacy, healthcare and transportation bills.
This session, I will be serving on these five committees:
- Transportation
- Health
- Taxes
- Property Taxes
- Veterans and Military Affairs
Minnesota is facing several critical issues and we are taking action on all of them to meet the needs of all Minnesotans. We are united in purpose and action and will continue to act quickly to improve our state. I encourage you to pass along my newsletter and Facebook page to your neighbors and community members so they can stay in touch with all we are accomplishing.
This has been an eventful start to the session. I am honored that I get to serve as your Representative during such a critical time in our state’s history!
Passage of PRO Act
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, the House passed the PRO Act which protects Minnesotans’ right to contraception, the right to carry a pregnancy to term, and the right to abortion, and guarantees the right to privacy for personal reproductive health decisions. It also prevents interference by anti-choice politicians who seek to enact or defend medically unnecessary barriers to comprehensive reproductive health care. We heard loud and clear that Minnesotans want their reproductive decisions to be between them and their doctor. I’m proud that we are going to be able to enshrine this undeniably right into state law.
The companion to the PRO Act, which repeals unconstitutional, outdated, and burdensome laws that deny reproductive freedom and autonomy, passed its first committee and will continue to work through the process.
Tax Conformity was Signed into Law
Last week, Governor Walz signed the federal tax conformity bill into law. This bill will make several changes to bring Minnesota into conformity with federal tax law resulting in over $100 million in tax cuts for families and businesses while simplifying our tax filings, this year. The fact we were able to get this critical bill out the door in the second week of session is a testament to our commitment to efficient and smart governance. This bill passed both chambers of the legislature unanimously. I look forward to continuing this momentum for the remainder of the year as we look to make this a historically productive session.
Public Safety Action
This week, the Public Safety Committee passed HF 25 which will make one of the largest investments in public safety in state history. We will make a comprehensive investment of over $300 million in 2023 in a variety of critical programs to improve safety across the state. We are taking a holistic approach, funding everything from violent crime investigation, community crime prevention, crisis response, criminal investigation, and criminal apprehension. This bill recognizes the very real need to improve our response to violent crime to improve case closure rates immediately, while funding efforts to prevent the factors which lead to these crimes. This bill will make a real impact in the near term and long term. Our transit safety bill will be reintroduced by Rep Brad Tabke and me this coming week.
Other Critical Bills
There are many important bills moving through the House right now, here are a few especially critical ones you should be aware of:
- 100% Renewable Energy: We must take climate action now to guarantee the future of our next generations. This bill passed its first hurdle on Wednesday.
- Conversion Therapy Ban: No one should be forced into ‘therapy’ which calls into question their very identity and existence. Read about this bill here.
- Driver’s Licenses for All: Our bill to allow all MN residents to apply for and earn their driver’s licenses, no matter their immigration status, passed the Transportation Committee last week and is continuing to work through committees. This bill will make our roads safer while restoring justice and dignity to our immigrant neighbors.
Other bills making their way through the process include the appropriation of the state matching funds to unlock hundreds of millions of federal infrastructure act dollars for state infrastructure projects, legalization and regulation of adult-use cannabis, equal rights amendment, earned sick and safe time for all Minnesotans, voter protection and restoration of the vote. We are hard at work showing that the government can work well, and it can work quickly.
Keep in Touch
Don’t hesitate to reach out if I can provide any assistance. Please follow me on my Facebook page for further updates and invite your friends and family to do so as well.
Thanks for the honor of representing you at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Steve Elkins
Representative, District 50B
Minnesota House of Representatives