Dear Neighbors,
We’ve had another busy week! Here’s some of what’s happened:
Transit Safety
This week my colleague Brad Tabke and I introduced our transit safety bill which will provide much needed resources and changes to make our entire transit system safer. The pandemic hit our transit system particularly hard and we haven’t been able to get a bill to solve some of these issues through a divided government. This renewed push would allow for increased fair enforcement and prevention of dangerous behavior as well as fund more personnel to patrol and monitor our system. It’s certainly time that we make our transit system safer than ever.
Reproductive Freedom Conversations
I have received a great deal of correspondence related to abortion, both pro and con, and I wanted to share my thoughts related to our legislation. I campaigned on a platform to support a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health decisions and I support the legislation advancing through the legislature. These bills maintain the judicially established status quo for abortion access in Minnesota. They do not expand access to abortion beyond what exists today, but they cement these rights into law. There are three parts to this legislative package:
- HF1, the PRO act, which the Governor has signed into law, simply puts the fundamental right to abortion already existing in the Minnesota State Constitution, as articulated in the Minnesota Supreme Court’s Doe v Gomez decision, into state law so it cannot be overturned by a future state Supreme Court as Roe v Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court.
- HF91, is a “clean up bill” that removes existing provisions of state law state courts have ruled to be unconstitutional so they cannot be revived by a future court decision as the 1849 South Dakota anti-abortion statute suddenly came back into effect when Roe v Wade was overturned.
- The third bill, HF289, would require so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” to expand their offerings to include accurate information and a full range of support services to pregnant women as a condition for receiving future state funding.
A lot of the correspondence I’m receiving relates specifically to the topic of late term abortion. Late term abortions (24 weeks or later) are extremely rare in Minnesota (there were 5 in 2021, and there were no abortions after 28 weeks). They are invariably related to conditions threatening the life of the mother, such as ectopic pregnancy, or fetal abnormalities incompatible with life outside the womb, such as anencephaly. When a woman has carried a pregnancy for 24 weeks, it is with the hope and expectation it will be carried to term. The decision to end such a pregnancy is alway excruciatingly painful. The regulation of these rare, highly complex, and deeply personal tragedies is simply not a suitable topic for legislation.
Restore the Vote Act
Last week, the Minnesota House voted to pass the Restore the Vote Act. The bill would restore voting rights to individuals convicted of a felony upon completion of their prison term. Twenty-one other states, including our neighbor North Dakota, already restore voting rights upon release, which is an important element in the reintegration of these people into society. This act makes our state more just and democratic.
Improving Safety for all Travel Modes
I have been working on “active transportation” (biking and walking) safety since I was a member of the Bloomington City Council back in the 2000’s and I’m still working on that issue. This year, I’m partnering with the Minnesota Bicycle Alliance on their bike safety bill, which was heard in the House Transportation Committee on Tuesday and is expected to be included in the Transportation Committee’s larger finance and policy bill at the end of the session. This will go a long way toward making our streets safer for everyone no matter how they choose to get around.
100% By 2040
The last eight years globally have been the hottest on record, and Minnesota is among the top states currently seeing rapid changes to our climate. Scientists know climate change driven by fossil fuels is impacting our environment, infrastructure, and our health. Minnesota has long been a leader in clean energy, but partisan gridlock in recent years has hindered attempts to combat climate change.
Last week Governor Walz signed the 100% by 2040 bill, a landmark piece of legislation to help our state address climate change head-on and prepare for a carbon-free future. Action at the state level is urgently needed to help the U.S. meet our climate goals. This legislation will require the state’s utilities to use entirely carbon-free sources for electricity production by 2040. This would put us on track with over 20 other states which have also adopted similar goals. The law includes several “off ramps” that address contingencies that might pose practical obstacles to meeting the goal.
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