Dear Neighbors,
I'm excited to announce that House DFL and Republican leadership reached an agreement to co-govern over the next two years. This follows weeks of contentious negotiations where our primary sticking point was the Republicans' unwillingness to seat fairly elected Rep. Brad Tabke. Thankfully they conceded this point and we could come to a reasonable agreement. I’m proud that the DFL caucus fought for our democratic values and won!
The agreement says that Republicans will govern as a majority until we return to a 67-67 tie, which we expect following the March 11th special election in Roseville. At that point, all committees will have equal representation from both parties with co-chairs leading. In fact, the agreement is largely what we proposed four weeks ago, but it took awhile for Republicans to exhaust their various power grabbing tactics.
I want to acknowledge the community leaders, advocates, and constituents who met with me to share their priorities while I denied quorum. Your input directly shapes my legislative agenda, and I will continue to advance our shared values here at the House. Thank you all for your support, I can’t wait to continue to represent you at the Capitol!
Working Outside the Capitol
During the negotiation period, I was hard at work advancing our shared values in district. Here is some of what I worked on recently:
- I visited Northwest Health Sciences University with President Deb Bushway and DFL Health Committee members.
- At the U of M Center for Genomic Engineering we visited the labs where researchers are conducting cutting edge research looking for cures for cancer and rare diseases. The Grossman Center for Memory Research is a leader in the quest for cures to Alzheimer's, ALS and other neurological diseases.
- I attended the Lunar New Year Celebration over the weekend at the Mall of America as a guest of the Chinese American Association of Minnesota. It was an amazing experience at the heart of our community!
- I joined my colleagues in a discussion with St. Paul Corner Drug on the complexity of Rx reimbursement, the challenges the industry faces, and the impact that closures have on communities. I am committed to working on improving the system so that it can work better for independent pharmacies.
Resisting Federal Overreach
I have heard from many of you about your concerns with the radical actions being taken by the Trump administration. I want to assure you that I will use all of my power to resist every illegal, hateful, racist, xenophobic, and discriminatory action coming from the federal government. I will fight to protect the rights of our LGBTQ, Black and Brown, and immigrant communities. Our diversity is our strength and I won’t back down from that. This is one reason why it was so critical for the House DFL to maintain a fair power-sharing agreement. We are now in a much stronger position to push back against these evil actions.
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
rep.steve.elkins@house.mn.gov