Neighbors, Thank you to everyone who attended our District 18 Town Hall on Saturday. Sen. Frentz, Rep. Brand, and I were impressed by the number of district residents who attended and thank you for the interesting conversation.  Short, but busy week at the CapitolThe snowstorm resulted in the cancellation of committees and floor session the last half of the week to allow legislators to travel to their districts before the weather deteriorated. Even with the shortened schedule in St. Paul, the Minnesota House still passed consequential bills. On Monday, the catalytic converter theft prevention legislation was approved. The bill prohibits scrap metal dealers from purchasing a catalytic converter not attached to a motor vehicle unless the catalytic converter contains identifying markings connecting the device to a vehicle. Furthermore, scrap metal dealers must collect certain information to aid law enforcement and enter data into an electronic database. Penalties for not complying with the law include a fine of up to $10,000 for unlawful possession and sale. Catalytic converter theft is a problem throughout Minnesota. Minnesota ranks in the top five for catalytic cover thefts. In November of 2022, a federal takedown of a catalytic converter theft ring of over a half-billion dollars included more than a dozen search warrants across Minnesota. Also on Monday, on a bipartisan vote, the Minnesota House passed legislation to ban the discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” The legislation would ban conversion therapy on children or vulnerable adults, prohibit conversion therapy from being offered under medical assistance coverage, and eliminate the misrepresentation of services or products associated with conversion therapy. This is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of supporting our kids and families and I was proud to vote ‘yes.’ Video of the floor session can be found on the House Info YouTube Page. Community and the CapitolJust before our town hall on Saturday, Sen. Frentz, Rep. Brand, and I met with business leaders at an excellent forum in Mankato hosted by ISAIAH, on the paid family leave bills moving through the legislature. I was grateful for the invitation and appreciate ISAIAH for all their good work to bring everyone together.  Recently, Manager of Mankato’s ECHO food shelf, Deisy De Leon Esqueda, testified in support of my farm to food shelf bill. You can watch the House Agriculture Committee video here.  On Tuesday before the storm, I spoke virtually with a Social Work Policy class at MNSU. We had a great conversation touching on community safety, mental health access, substance use disorder policy and many other issues. These future leaders echoed questions members of my committees have raised on these topics. Stay Connected with the LegislatureThe Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website here. I welcome your questions and comments anytime. You can send an email to rep.luke.frederick@house.mn.gov or call me at (651) 296-3248. Also, please visit and “like” my Facebook page for more Capitol and community updates. Thank you for the privilege of representing you in the legislature. Sincerely, Luke Frederick State Representative |