Dear Neighbors,
This week has been defined by long nights as debates on our budget bills stretch on. Here is an update from the Capitol:
House Floor Votes
The House continues to debate and pass supplemental budget and policy bills on the floor, covering important issues such as education, labor, housing, the environment, and more. Our work this year builds on last year’s historic successes and works to improve the lives of working and middle class Minnesotans. Recently, the House has passed:
- A broadly bipartisan bill investing $240 million in our outdoors, clean water, parks and trails, and cultural heritage from the Legacy Amendment fund.
- A K-12 Education bill that boosts resources for the READ Act to improve literacy, moves forward solutions for student wellbeing, and enhances support for teachers.
- An Environment and Natural Resources bill with new investments in tree planting, improving air quality, holding repeat polluters accountable, and tackling solid waste and recycling.
- A Children and Families bill that reforms our child protection system and builds on historic investments in economic support for families, food security, and emergency shelter.
- A Transportation, Labor, and Housing bill that invests in railroad safety and public transit, enhances worker rights and safety, improves housing stability for renters and seniors, and funds homelessness prevention.
We passed a Pensions and Retirement bill with bipartisan support, which prioritizes educators’ retirement security, improves our pension systems’ health, and strengthens the benefits retirees can expect. Also passed was a bill addressing the “kidfluencer” industry that safeguards young content creators with protections for safety, fair compensation, and future financial security.
Gun Violence Prevention
Over the week we passed a slate of bills that will reduce gun violence in Minnesota and save lives. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the United States and it's time that we take action to make Minnesota a safer place to live. Our bills require the safe storage of firearms, require the report of missing firearms, crack down on straw purchasing, and ban binary triggers. I’m proud to have voted for each one of these critical bills that will save lives.
Arbor Day Celebration
Friday, April 26th is Arbor Day, and DFLers are taking action to protect our environment and honor trees' vital role in our ecosystem. This year we are investing millions in tree planting grants for communities around our state.
Thursday on the House floor, members of the House Environment Committee distributed White Oak, Black Cherry, and Cranberry Bush saplings from Schumacher’s Nursery in Heron Lake, Minnesota. I’m looking forward to bringing my sapling back home and watching it grow!
Join a State Board, Council, or Committee!
The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State recently released a notice of vacancies for various state boards, councils and committees that are accepting applications. Any Minnesotans interested in public service are encouraged to apply! There are positions for people from all backgrounds and professions, from cosmetologists to engineers.
You can find the full list of vacancies here.
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.
I’m making progress on working down my backlog of constituent emails. If I haven’t responded to your email, yet, you should expect to hear back from me soon.
Thanks for the honor of representing you at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Steve Elkins
Representative, District 50B
Minnesota House of Representatives