Legislative Update – May 5, 2023
This morning I joined fellow legislators and Governor Walz as he signed the Democracy For the People Act. As a member of the Elections Committee, I am proud of the work that we did this year to expand voting access, protect our election and poll workers, and close dark money loopholes in election laws.
Amid a busy couple of weeks here at the Capitol, I was proud to be joined by Rev. Rachel McIver Morey from Northfield United Methodist Church who led us in a pitch-perfect pre-session prayer! You can watch the video here.
I am glad to share that we have now passed all of our budget proposals off the House Floor. You can read into the specifics of our budget proposals in the House Public Information articles written on each: Higher Education, Legacy, Environment and Clean Energy, Housing, Veterans, Elections, State and Local Government, K-12 Education, Agriculture, Transportation, Early Learning, Children & Families, Jobs & Labor, Human Services, Pensions, Commerce, Judiciary & Public Safety, Tax, and Health.
Agriculture Budget Update
On April 20, the House approved the Agriculture budget bill, funding $48 million in new investments for farmers, land, and food production in Minnesota. The bill includes a state-run grain indemnity fund, provisions to increase food access, and protections for soil health. It also includes my bill to fund a $100 million investment in broadband expansion—the largest in state history!
I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to serve as Vice Chair of the Agriculture Committee this session and to help build a balanced budget that represents rural and urban farmers, big and small ag, food access for Minnesotans, and investments that will pay off generations from now. You can watch my comments on the House Floor here!
This Monday I attended our first Agriculture “conference committee” meeting. Conference committees are made up of members from each chamber appointed to reconcile the differences between two versions of a bill—in this case, the Agriculture budget bill. I am dedicated to creating a bill that helps support our emerging and generational farmers while being responsible stewards of the land, air, and water we all need to thrive in Minnesota.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Tuesday evening we passed our proposal to guarantee that workers have access to Paid Family and Medical Leave. No one should be forced to choose between earning a paycheck and taking care of themselves or a family member, but the United States of America is the only developed country in the world that does not guarantee some sort of paid leave for our workers.
Enacting Paid Family and Medical Leave will help to make Minnesota the best state in the nation for children and families. It complements all the other work we are doing to help Minnesotans afford their lives, like investing in affordable housing, providing free school meals, and reducing health care costs. I was excited to cast my “yes” vote for this legislation.
I want to thank chief author Ruth Richardson, legislators and policy-makers who came before me, and all the advocates from our district and across the state, for their tireless work on this issue throughout the years! Now it’s on to the Senate so please keep up the pressure to make sure we get it over the finish line to make it more humane to work in our state.
Legalizing Adult-Use Cannabis
On April 25, the Minnesota House passed H.F. 100, legalizing adult-use cannabis for those over the age of 21 and expunging the criminal records of people previously convicted of low-level cannabis offenses. The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, sets up a safe, well-regulated marketplace with consumer protections and funds to address health and public safety concerns. I voted “yes” because we know that prohibition has done more harm than good, and a legal marketplace will increase safety for those who currently partake and economic opportunities—including in Minnesota’s agriculture sector.
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Sincerely,
Kristi Pursell
State Representative