Legislative Update - Our First Bills on the House Floor

Dear Neighbors, 

Last week in the Minnesota House saw more committee hearings, bills being passed off the House floor, and our first bill signed into law. If these past few weeks are setting a precedent for what’s to come, I’m extremely optimistic for what we’ll be able to deliver for Minnesotans this year. 

The Crown Act

The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act was passed off the House floor last week with bipartisan support, and if that name sounds familiar it’s because we’ve already done that in the House twice in recent years. The bill updates the definition of “race” in the Minnesota Human Rights Act to include “traits associated with race, including but not limited to hair texture and hair styles such braids, locs, and twists.” This is one of many proposals we’re championing to build a more inclusive Minnesota.

“In 2023, we should not be asking people to tamp down their identity or their culture.”

Rep. Esther Agbaje, House Author of the CROWN Act

The bill was authored by Minneapolis’ Rep. Agbaje, and to give some context for its multiple passages in the Minnesota House - the past few years of Republican Senate control kept numerous bills (even those with bipartisan support) from advancing any further in the legislative process. Now, with a 1-vote DFL majority in the Senate, the hope is that many bills like the CROWN Act will be given another shot at becoming law this session. 

You can read more about the CROWN Act here. 

Universal School Meals

My bill to provide universal school meals passed its first committee hearing last week! Minnesota is a state that values education and wants to see every child succeed, but that is not possible when 1 in 6 students are trying to learn on an empty stomach.

The bill would remove barriers by requiring schools to participate in a federal program known as the Community Eligibility Provision. This program allows schools to provide meals to all students, regardless of family income.

Funds from the federal government reimburse most costs to school districts under CEP. The bill would require state funds to pick up the remaining tab.

Now is the time for our state to step up and provide the food security families need and the education our students deserve. You can read more about the bill here.

Protecting Reproductive Rights

Politics have no place in a doctor’s office. However, last year the U.S. Supreme Court unraveled a half-century of legal protections guaranteeing the right to an abortion. In response, the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act will be heard on the House floor tomorrow. This bill protects Minnesotans’ right to contraception, the right to carry a pregnancy to term, the right to abortion, and ensures 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. 

Minnesotans overwhelmingly support the fundamental right of individuals to make their own healthcare decisions. The recent overturning of Roe v. Wade sends a clear message that we can’t take these rights for granted. The PRO Act will codify these fundamental rights into law which is essential in guaranteeing reproductive freedom for the long term. We must act now to ensure a future state Supreme Court can’t take away the bodily autonomy of Minnesotans.

If you have any questions about the legislation we’re working on, please feel free to reach out to my office. 

It’s an honor to represent our community in the Minnesota House. 

Sincerely, 

Sydney Jordan

State Representative