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Dear Neighbors,
Governor Tim Walz announced yesterday that he will call legislators back to convene a special legislative session beginning at noon on Friday, June 12.
Since we adjourned on May 18, the House hasn’t stopped working on additional measures to address economic hardships Minnesotans are encountering as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaker Hortman immediately convened a select committee dedicated to Minnesota’s Pandemic Response and Rebuilding. To date, two meetings have been held; the first focused on personal protective equipment (PPE) concerns from nurses, and the most recent examined COVID-19’s impact on Minnesota workers and businesses.
The virus has upended everybody’s lives and my primary focus for the special session will be delivering solutions that provide robust economic relief for our communities and businesses. A jobs and local projects or “bonding” bill will also be important to help our economy recover and create sorely needed jobs.
The killing of George Floyd has prompted a global response urging us to reimagine what our public safety systems look like in the United States. Last week, the Legislature’s People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus announced a package of proposals that include:
- Reform the investigation and prosecution process of officer-involved deaths and wrongful actions
- Increase police accountability and transparency
- Raise standards of conduct and support officer excellence
- Partner officers with the communities they serve
- Repair and build community trust and create community-centered public safety
These proposals would no doubt look different in different Minnesota communities. I will continue to focus on commonsense initiatives that address the broader crises of racial injustice, social and economic inequities, and institutionalized prejudice. Everybody in our Rosemount, Apple Valley, and Coates communities deserves a chance to achieve the same opportunities - stable housing, a decent public education, affordable health care, and safe neighborhoods.
If you’d like to watch the POCI Caucus’s press conference, you can check it out here.
Keep in Touch
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions about the special session, or anything else of interest or concern.
I appreciate hearing from you and value your input.
It’s an honor to represent you in St. Paul.
Sincerely,
John
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