Legislative Update – February 17, 2023
It is hard to believe that we are already over a month into the legislative session: I have been working hard to get my first bills introduced, as well as meeting with constituents and our partners in local government. I was glad to meet with Heather Taylor Ducharme from Helena Township and Diane Johnson of Wheatland Township to discuss how the legislature can better support our rural townships! As always, I spent my Friday morning on the Morning Show on KYMN 95.1 FM which you can listen to here.
First Bill Hearing – Supporting Ag Co-Ops
This week I had my first-ever bill hearing on my bill to restart a grant program to support groups who start agricultural co-operatives! The bill was heard in the Agriculture Committee, which I am the vice-chair of. My bill would help support folks in our area and across the state should they attempt to start up a co-operative business with other growers. Ag co-ops might open up the opportunity for farmers to diversify their on-farm income, support emerging crop markets, and keep more wealth in our rural communities while giving more control to the farm families themselves. I was joined by testifiers from Minnesota Farmers Union, the Shared Ground Farmers’ Cooperative, and the Department of Agriculture who testified in support of my bill! You can watch the bill hearing here and read the bill here.
House Floor Votes
My colleagues and I have been working hard to pass legislation to make Minnesotans’ lives better. In the past month, we passed the Drivers Licenses for All bill, which restores legal driving privileges to our undocumented neighbors that were revoked in 2003. We passed a bill designating Juneteenth as a state holiday as well as the “Restore the Vote” Act, which puts Minnesota in line with 21 other states that restore the right to vote to individuals convicted of a felony once they are released from incarceration.
We also took up bills to expand public safety, voting for legislation to boost funding for the state’s public defenders—who currently suffer from understaffing and pay equity issues compared to public prosecutors and a bill to increase funding for our Attorney General’s office to help counties prosecute complicated criminal cases.
Last week, the House voted to pass two important bills aimed at addressing food insecurity in our schools and community. We passed a bill to provide free breakfast and lunch for all Minnesota school kids. One in four students who experience food insecurity do not qualify for existing free and reduced meal programs—this bill closes that gap and removes the stigma of being a part of these programs. We also passed legislation to deliver $5 million in emergency funding for food shelves considering record numbers of visits to food shelves last year. I’m grateful to have an inside view of the incredible need in Rice County since my spouse is the Food Access Program Director and oversees food distribution at both Northfield and one Faribault food shelves operated by the Community Action Center. I am proud to support all these important bills!
MinnesotaCare Buy-In
I joined Speaker Melissa Hortman, Majority Leader Long, and members of our faith, labor, and healthcare groups to unveil our proposal to establish a MinnesotaCare “public option”, letting all residents buy in. Our press conference even got national media attention in U.S. News! Right now, MinnesotaCare is a health care program available only for Minnesotans with low incomes. It is incredibly popular because it delivers simple, comprehensive, trusted coverage to families with no other affordable options. My family has been on MinnesotaCare and I said I’d be one of the first to sign up again if and when the income threshold is removed, I am dedicated to doing whatever we can to bring this program to more Minnesotans who are struggling with high healthcare costs.
Stay Connected!
To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out at rep.kristi.pursell@house.mn.gov or 651-296-0171, and I will be happy to help. If you were forwarded this email and you’d like to subscribe, click here. If you have a friend or neighbor who would be interested in receiving these, please forward this and encourage them to subscribe!
Sincerely,
Kristi Pursell
State Representative