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Dear Neighbors,
Thank you to everyone who joined me, Rep. Jim Davnie, and Sen. Patricia Torres Ray at our latest town hall! If you weren’t able to participate, you can watch the event here. While I’m looking forward to meeting community members in-person as vaccination rates increase, I’m grateful we’ve been able to connect virtually through the pandemic to keep our communities safe.
As our work continues at the Capitol, I wanted to give you an update on where things stand. Legislators are busy ironing out details of a new state budget in conference committee work groups. I’m negotiating with Senate Republicans as a member of the State Government, Elections, and Veterans Conference Committee and am advocating for our community in other areas as well. Governor Walz is expected to call for a special session in mid-June, so we’re working hard to reach agreement on a budget that reflects our values of investing in kids, families, workers, small businesses, the environment, and impacted communities.
I have to be honest that reaching consensus in a divided legislature has been difficult. In committee after committee, Senate Republicans have stood in firm opposition to policies that Minnesotans support and instead held up negotiations to please their corporate and right-wing base. For example, instead of reaching agreements on funding our state government, they continue to push for a voter ID law Minnesotans rejected in 2012 that would create unnecessary barriers to exercising the freedom to vote. They’re threatening to shut down state parks and most of the environmental arm of our government unless Governor Walz halts progress on the clean cars initiative. They’re also against many of the critical police reform and accountability measures necessary to help keep everyone in our community safe, including our Black, Brown, and Indigenous neighbors.
Whether it’s ensuring everyone in Minnesota has access to earned safe and sick time and paid family leave, fully funding our schools, or supporting the predominantly BIPOC-owned small businesses that were damaged after the unrest, the Senate Republicans have turned their back on the interests of Minnesotans and pushed the legislative process behind closed doors. Republican obstruction will not stop the House DFL Majority from doing the work that Minnesotans sent us here to do. We’ll continue fighting for the priorities that will keep our communities healthy and safe; our environment clean; and our kids, families, and workers thriving. Together, we need to push past Republican intransigence to pass a budget that helps people and small businesses recover from the impacts of COVID-19, invests in Minnesota’s future, and tackles the racial and economic inequities that are holding our state back.
As we approach special session, I will continue to pass on updates on progress at the Capitol. To stay informed on what’s happening at the Capitol, please keep reading these weekly newsletters and consider sharing them with your friends and neighbors.
Happy Pride Month
Finally, I’d like to wish you all a happy Pride Month! We should be supporting members of our LGBTQ+ community throughout the year, but this is a great opportunity to show some extra appreciation and recommit to continuing the fight for human rights.
Please don’t hesitate to call or email me if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance. You can reach me at rep.emma.greenman@house.mn or 651-296-4200.
Sincerely,
Emma Greenman
State Representative
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