Legislative Update – April 12, 2024
We have had another busy week of committee hearings and House floor sessions, but I was glad to take some time to meet with my intern, Paul Goff, who is currently a junior at the University of Minnesota. Paul also has local connections to our district, with family in Northfield, and he did his first year of college at St. Olaf College! I’m glad to have him with us this session to help out and see the legislative process firsthand.
Paul shared this message about his experience so far at the House: “I wanted to get a first-hand look into the bodily functions of American politics from inside the halls of capital. My experience so far has been worthwhile, balancing focused direction with independence to pursue what I am passionate about stimulating my growth in the realm of politics in all areas.”
The Undergraduate Internship Program is run by our nonpartisan Sergeant At Arms' Office, and pairs interns with State Representatives every year. Program applications open in the fall, and you can find more information here.
You can hear more about the past week in the legislature and the bills I am working on in my weekly radio interview with KYMN 95.1 The One by clicking the link below.
Northfield Historic Bridge Square
This week I was proud to present my bill to fund improvements to Northfields Historic Bridge Square and Riverside Park to the House Capital Investment Committee. The City of Northfield has been holding extensive public meetings and engagement sessions on the future of this space and I was glad to have city administrator Ben Martig there to testify in support.
This bill would help improve our public space and pedestrian areas for future generations and would continue our city's strong tradition of using Bridge Square for events throughout the year. You can watch the hearing here.
Combatting Junk Fees
This week I was proud to vote for two bills that protect Minnesotan consumers from deceptive and unfair business practices by ending junk fees and requiring ticket price transparency.
We are all familiar with buying a ticket to a concert, sports game, or other event and seeing extra “service” and “convenience” fees added that provide no additional value to consumers. The DFL are passing legislation to require fair, transparent ticket prices and other important protections for consumers. Ending these practices is the right thing to do and will help Minnesotans plan and budget better in the future.
Innovation in First-Time Homeownership Models
Housing is a major issue I hear about in our community and across the state. SO MANY Minnesotans struggle to find affordable housing or secure their first home. Working-class people and families are increasingly stuck in long-term rentals, unable to purchase their first home because of “missing middle” of affordable starter housing.
This crisis was highlighted in this MPR article about needing to make at least $100,000 a year in order to own a home in the Twin Cities as well as a Star Tribune article about a possible alternative model my bill would provide funding for.
One possible solution is through modular homes, which are built right here in Minnesota and are 30%-60% cheaper than site-built homes. I’ve seen these homes firsthand and believe this could be one creative solution to our housing shortage, which is why I authored legislation putting state funds towards a pilot grant program to help cities hook these homes into local infrastructure.
Thank you to Rice County Commissioner Galen Malecha for testifying in support of the bill! You can read more about the proposal here.
House Floor Votes
This week the House began passing policy bill packages in major issue areas building on the work of our historically productive 2023 session and improving the lives of Minnesotans. So far the House has passed:
- Bills supporting our Departments of Military Affairs and Veterans Affairs, which passed with unanimous support!
- A bipartisan higher education policy bill that includes the clean energy sector in our Workforce Development Scholarship Program and expands support in higher education for students who have a disability.
- An early education policy bill focused on strengthening our pre-kindergarten and school readiness programs.
- A bipartisan transportation policy package that improves road safety, DVS wait times, child passenger safety, and consumer protections.
- An election bill that addresses voting rights, election disinformation, and school board appointments.
- A public safety package that passed unanimously and includes bipartisan provisions that protect victim-survivors and make our system more just.
- A labor policy bill that includes provisions to strengthen the minimum wage, ban shadow non-competes, and increase pay transparency.
- A K-12 education policy bill that prioritizes policies to improve the experiences of students in Minnesota schools while also making sure the state is measuring and holding schools accountable for meaningful academic outcomes.
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