Legislative Update - April 18, 2023

Dear Neighbors,

We’re back! The spring recess was a wonderful time to recharge my batteries before we begin the final stretch of the 2023 session. Moving forward, we will be spending most of our time passing budget bills. I’m thankful for all the work we have done to get these bills to where they are today. There still could be changes, like ironing out minor differences with the Senate, so nothing is final yet, but it is an exciting time for progress!

Our Progress

Last Wednesday, we passed the House Legacy and Higher Education Budget bills. We also passed a significant package of legislation to safely expand our voting systems.

In 2008, Minnesota’s voters passed the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment because all of us want our state to be a great place to live, work, and play. House DFLers passed legislation investing over $820 million to continue the important work of restoring, enhancing, and protecting Minnesota’s most treasured spaces and places and increasing access for all. The bill also includes the expansion of free park days and arts and cultural education programs. DFLers are expanding opportunities so all communities can access Legacy funding.

We passed our proposed Higher Education budget. With declining enrollment across higher education, we’re providing a record increase in investment for Minnesota’s colleges and universities. Our budget prioritizes a higher education system that is accessible, affordable, and effectively building the skilled workforce Minnesota deserves. 

Last, Thursday, House DFLers passed the Democracy for the People Act. No matter our race, background, or zip code, democracy must include all of us. But a handful of extreme politicians want to set us back, making it harder to vote and creating unnecessary barriers that primarily impact Black, brown, Indigenous, elderly, young, and new Americans. They want to divide and distract us while preventing us from taking on Minnesota’s most pressing priorities. We are taking action to protect democracy for everyone.

Important Information

Each year, Minnesotans enrolled in Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare must have their eligibility reviewed to verify they still qualify for coverage. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, this renewal process was paused, and Minnesotans enrolled in these programs maintained continuous health care coverage. This spring, when the federal health emergency ends, the standard renewal process will resume. 

If you’re among the 1.5 million Minnesotans who rely on Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare, make sure your current contact information is on file, especially if you’ve moved in the last three years. Visit mn.gov/dhs/mycontactinfo or call (800) 657-3672 to update your address, phone number and email address. Also, be on the lookout for official information and instructions about how to renew your coverage, and be prepared with some documentation when it’s time to renew. Learn more at mn.gov/dhs/renewmycoverage.

House DFLers are committed to ensuring all eligible Minnesotans retain their public coverage when renewals restart while connecting those ineligible with other coverage options. Last month, lawmakers approved and Governor Walz signed into law a bill to ease this “unwinding” by investing resources for counties to process renewals, support for MNsure navigators, and making MinnesotaCare available with no premiums through June 30, 2024.

Updates

In coalition with Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, I introduced a bill to clean up the Burnsville Freeway Landfill and remediate the land so the city can use it in the future. This is a $165 million investment in our region. This landfill was started before modern environmental protections, is unlined, sits on top of our ground water and is across from the Minnesota River. A local mine pumps water out for its operation, but when that mine is completely excavated the mining operation will end, the water table will rise, and the bottom of the landfill will mix with our drinking water. Additionally, this landfill could pollute the Minnesota River, affecting all communities downstream. We must act now to start remediation as it is a time consuming project that will take decades; me and my Burnsville colleagues are committed to ensuring our region is protected for generations to come. I applaud the City of Burnsville for continuing their advocacy for the health of our neighbors and environment. In the meantime, I will continue to champion this project in the legislature. You can watch the bill presentation here.

As the weather continues to warm up and the snow starts to melt, I wanted to share that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has announced its free park days for 2023! All entrance and vehicle permit fees will be waived on:

• Saturday, April 22
• Saturday, June 10
• Saturday, September 9
• Friday, November 24

Our state parks showcase the best Minnesota has to offer, including hiking, biking, camping, swimming, skiing, birding, and more. I hope you will take the opportunity to get out and enjoy our state parks this year.

Stay in Touch

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at rep.jessica.hanson@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-4212. For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these regular legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Jess Hanson

State Representative