Dear Neighbors, We are entering the final weekend of the 2024 legislative session and are expecting to work late into the night on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. All bills that are to become law must be passed by 11:59 PM on Sunday. Things are rapidly changing and evolving this time of year and for that reason, I will wait to give you a full recap when the dust settles early next week. As always, I am so grateful for your support and look forward to spending more time back home and meeting with all of you once the legislative session is complete. Please do not hesitate to reach out to set up a time to meet for coffee and chat about the things that matter most to you. Peace Officer Memorial DayWednesday was Peace Officer Memorial Day, a time for our nation to pause and remember the brave men and women of law enforcement who have been killed in the line of duty.  On Wednesday evening, I attended the annual Law Enforcement Memorial Association program at the Memorial on the grounds of our State Capitol. This year’s program was especially moving with the Burnsville tragedy still fresh in all our minds. It was a solemn event where the law enforcement community could gather and remember those we have lost. To all our law enforcement officers and their families, thank you for putting on the uniform every day in service to our communities. We cannot thank you enough. Conference Committee WorkI was honored to be named to my second conference committee earlier this week. Conference committees are made up of members from each legislative body, appointed to reconcile the differences between two versions of a bill that has been passed by both the Senate and House. Each conference committee usually has either three or five members from both the House and the Senate. The conference committee that I was appointed to is for House File 2609 which increases the penalties for straw purchasers. Straw purchases occur when someone buys a firearm and then gives it to an individual who is prohibited from possessing firearms. It’s been nice to serve on this committee and extend the conversation about why it’s so important to increase these criminal penalties to prevent straw purchasing in the future, and to propose ways to improve problematic language related to binary triggers that was unnecessarily included in the bill. |