Legislative Update - May 7, 2022

Dear Neighbors, 

It’s been a difficult and emotional week for many as we learned on Tuesday that the Supreme Court is preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade. The leaked draft brief indicates that the Court’s right-wing majority is poised to disregard half a century of judicial precedent and broad public support for reproductive freedom. If Roe is overturned, access to abortion care will become illegal in most cases in at least 21 states, including our neighboring states of Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Importantly, the Minnesota Constitution protects a women’s right to choose, and 75% of Minnesotans believe in the right to choose a safe and legal abortion. But that has not stopped anti-choice lawmakers in the Minnesota legislature from introducing a Texas-style abortion ban and restrictions to limit reproductive freedom. 

In times like these, we stand up and stand together. As a legislator, a member of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, and as a Minnesotan, I will keep fighting for reproductive freedom and access to safe, legal abortions. Just this week, House DFLers blocked two anti-choice amendments that Republicans introduced just a day after we learned about the Supreme Court’s leaked opinion. We will continue to block these restrictions as long as we’re in the majority.

Making Progress

We finished passing our supplemental budget bills this week! After two weeks of late nights and long debates, we’ve approved the following bills: Agriculture, Housing, Broadband, Legacy, Transportation, State Government and Elections, Veterans, E-12 Education, Higher Education, Public Safety and Judiciary, Environment, Health and Human Services, Jobs and Workforce, Climate and Energy, Commerce, and Taxes. 

If you’d like to learn more about these bills, please click on the links above. They’ll direct you to fact sheets that outline notable parts of each bill. 

Bonus Pay for Frontline Workers

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, last week we passed a bill that will deliver bonus payments to more than 660,000 frontline workers who risked their health to keep our state running during the pandemic. Health care workers, first responders, child care providers, food service and retail workers, and many other essential workers are eligible for these payments. 

When the application process opens in a few weeks, eligible workers will have 45 days to apply for bonuses. If you’d like to be notified when the application process begins, you can sign up for updates at frontlinepay.mn.gov. You can find eligibility information and other details here.

Fighting for Hourly School Workers

In last week’s newsletter, I said I would continue to fight for hourly school workers who were left out of this legislation. On Thursday, I introduced an amendment to provide these workers with the same unemployment benefits that other Minnesotans receive. House DFLers voted to make it part of our Jobs, Labor, Climate, and Commerce bill! This means it will have another chance to be part of negotiations with the Senate and to get signed into law.

Investing in Public Safety and Justice for All 

We passed a Public Safety budget last Friday. This legislation contains resources that communities, local governments, and law enforcement need to keep people safe. While developing the bill, House DFLers focused on addressing the root causes of crime and building trust through accountability. It includes funding for innovative solutions, such as: 

• Investigators who will perform compliance reviews and investigate alleged code-of-conduct violations among officers
• Body cameras for every officer in Minnesota
• Expedited funding for places with the highest crime rates
• Local Community Innovation Grants to help people on the ground prevent violence
• Expanded services for young Minnesotans who are involved with the justice system
• Training in the use of force, duty to intercede, and de-escalation

Supporting Clean Energy and Solutions to Climate Change 

One of the bills we passed on Wednesday contains funding for clean energy and initiatives that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs, and create jobs and economic growth. House DFLers are investing in: 

• The Weatherization Assistance Program that helps low-income Minnesotans make their homes safer and more energy efficient
• Solar for Schools and a similar program to help local governments purchase solar panels and install them on public buildings
• Infrastructure improvements to help communities withstand severe weather and impacts of climate change
• Electric buses and electric vehicle charging stations to help people travel safely and prevent pollution

Defending Our Democracy

I joined Minnesotans who were at the Capitol for a rally on Thursday! It was so good to see people standing together to defend and strengthen our democracy.

If you have any questions or feedback you’d like to share with me, you can reach me by email at rep.emma.greenman@house.mn or call (651) 296-4200.

Sincerely, 

Emma Greenman
State Representative