Dear Neighbors -
The extra hour of daylight and this beautiful weather has provided comfort and a ray of hope from the news coming out of Washington. I hope you take a minute to take a walk by the creek, play in the park, or just sit in the sunshine in our beautiful community. I’m looking forward to spending the weekend away from the Capitol out and about walking my dog around the lake, stopping for coffee, lunch and maybe even ice cream, and doing a little birthday shopping for my niece. If we cross paths -- give me a wave or stop by to chat!
Returning to Shared Power on Monday
Many of you have followed the GOP House leadership’s actions that resulted in a constitutional crisis. The power-sharing agreement reached to end that crisis stipulated that the House will be governed by shared power between the DFL and GOP based on the results of the special election in Roseville and Shoreview.
This Tuesday, DFLer David Gottfried won the election with 70% of the vote and will be sworn in on Monday, March 17th and DFLers will be back to full strength. Starting Monday, Democrats and Republicans will share control of committees and will have to have agreement before anything can get to the House floor and that will last for the rest of the 2025-26 term.
Fighting for Workers
The last 6 weeks that Republicans have been chairing House Committees we’ve been fighting their efforts to roll back Paid Family Leave, Earned Sick and Safe Time, a ban on non-competes, and other worker protections.
This week, Republicans were set to vote on a proposal to delay Paid Family Leave an entire year. More than 60,000 people will give birth in Minnesota next year. They’re all counting on us to deliver paid family & medical leave when we said we would: January 1st, 2026.
That’s why Democrats united to defeat Republicans’ efforts to strip Paid Leave away from workers. Republicans knew this bill wasn’t going to pass, and they knew that Minnesotans support Paid Family and Medical Leave by a three-to-one margin. Instead of debating their “delay” bill, they tabled it on the House Floor. DFLers will continue to oppose any efforts to kill Paid Leave in Minnesota.
I’ve spoken up in multiple committees about why defending Paid Leave is so important to me and thousands of Minnesotans across our state. You can watch my comments here.
But starting next week, I will officially begin serving as the DFL vice-chair of the Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Committee, fighting for worker's rights and unrigging the economy. Democrats are committed to protecting the gains we made last term in protecting workers rights and continuing to expand protection and support for workers in Minnesota.
FIghting Back Locally
On Thursday, House DFLers defeated two GOP anti-abortion bills. One that would funnel taxpayer dollars to so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” which are deceptive, unlicensed organizations that do not provide reproductive healthcare but market themselves as a resource for those struggling with an unplanned pregnancy. Another bill would put politicians in charge of Minnesotan’s most private, personal healthcare decisions based on the myth of “born alive” abortions–which do not happen in reality.
Republicans decided their priority in a temporary advantage was to attack Minnesotans’ right to reproductive healthcare–and they failed. Both bills were based on litigating old Republican talking points and would do nothing to actually solve the massive problems we have in our healthcare system. In Minnesota, we believe in a person’s right to reproductive healthcare, and I was proud to vote to uphold that principle last night.
Fighting Back Nationally
Minnesota continues to lead the nation when it comes to protecting our neighbors against the chaos, cruelty, and corruption coming out of the Trump/Musk Administration. States like ours have become the firewall for blocking Trump’s unconstitutional actions, and we’re continuing to make progress.
This week, Attorney General Keith Ellison won another case against Trump when a judge held Trump’s termination of a member of the National Labor Standards Relations Board unlawful and void, going so far as to call the move “blatantly illegal”. The NLRB is an independent agency focused on protecting workers, and Trump’s attacks on the NLRB are just part of his anti-worker and pro-billionaire agenda. Here in the State Legislature, we’ve also seen multiple anti-worker bills pushed by MAGA legislators, and we’re working hand in hand with unions and advocates to defeat them.
Minnesota also joined a lawsuit of 21 states to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education and protect students in Minnesota and across the country who will be harmed by these massive layoffs and cuts to programs that help teachers teach and students learn. Governor Walz and legislative leaders have also been speaking out about the damage this could do to our public schools and state budget.
Last week, I highlighted a March 13 Town Hall with AG Ellison focused on the work we’re doing to protect Minnesotans against the Trump administration. If you weren’t able to make it, you can watch a recording of the event on AG Ellison’s Facebook page here.
Stay in Touch
Thank you for your time, energy, and all you do to make our community a great place to live, work, and play. Always feel free to reach out to me with your input and ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. My email is rep.emma.greenman@house.mn.gov or you are always welcome to call me at the Capitol at 651-296-4200 and follow my Facebook page for updates.
It’s an honor and a privilege to be your State Representative. I'm very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together and look forward to the work we have ahead of us. Together, we can create a stronger, brighter future for all Minnesotans!
Best,
Emma Greenman
State Representative