Dear Neighbors, It’s been another busy week at the Capitol. With less than two weeks remaining in the legislative session, House DFLers are in the middle of conference committee negotiations with Senate Republicans. I’ll admit, it’s been frustrating that with a nearly $10 billion budget surplus, the Senate Republican Majority has so far refused to come to the table to even negotiate about House policies to help lower the cost of childcare, housing, and healthcare for Minnesotans, or invest in our kids and their schools. There is still time left for the Senate Majority to come to the table to deliver policies that support and invest in Minnesotans -- and we are working hard to negotiate agreements to deliver for Minnesotans if they do. Supporting Our Local Breweries and Distilleries Craft breweries and distilleries are popular places to gather in communities throughout the state. Outdated liquor laws have hindered the growth of some of these businesses, making it more difficult for small producers to compete with legacy brands. This week, we voted to reform Minnesota’s outdated liquor laws. The bill allows small breweries to sell more products directly to consumers, including six- and four-packs of beer and it increases the growler cap so Surly, Summit, Fulton, and other breweries can sell growlers from their taprooms. You can read more about it here. Connecting with Minnesotans I attended the annual Minnehaha Creek Duck Race last Saturday. It was great to see so many members of our community out and enjoying the beautiful weather!  It was great to meet with Jake Wesson on Monday at the State Capitol. Jake is a 10th grader at Washburn and one of the Student Representatives to the Minneapolis School Board! One great part about this job is getting to meet with engaged young folks and hearing about the important work they are doing for our community.  On Tuesday, I visited Fort Snelling to celebrate the opening of the new Plank museum and Visitor Center. I encourage you to check it out if you have a chance!  Stay in TouchThings will move quickly during the last few days of the legislative session. If you’d like to receive more frequent updates from me, please follow my Facebook page. If you have any questions or feedback you’d like to share, you can reach me by email at rep.emma.greenman@house.mn or call (651) 296-4200. Sincerely, Emma Greenman
State Representative |