Dear Neighbors,
Last week, we continued to pass our budget bills off the House Floor. I am proud to support budget proposals to ensure Minnesota is the best place to work, live, and raise a family. Key themes and messages from this week include solidarity, unity, and accountability.
Earlier this week, two local mosques were violently attacked, resulting in fire damage to both. There continues to be an increase in legislative attacks against LGBTQIA2S+ communities and senseless acts of gun violence across the nation. DFLers stood together in strength as they condemn these hateful acts and boldly say, hate has no home here. You belong here.
Here’s the latest from the Capitol.
Our Three Newest Laws
Last week, Governor Walz signed three bills into law, all of them making Minnesota a more welcoming, science-following, rights-protecting state. We banned conversion therapy, protected access to abortion, and did the same for gender-affirming care by making Minnesota a safe state for trans refuge. These vital new laws loudly proclaim Minnesota will take you, as you are, with open arms.
Signing the Trans Refuge bill into law is monumental to our trans community, especially our trans youth. The criminalization of our existence by extremist Republicans across the country is mounting, and when our community is mentioned in the headlines, it’s often about hate-motivated attacks, dehumanizing fabrications, and attempts to diminish our right to live. But today is a good day in Minnesota. As a state, we stand on the right side of history by boldly welcoming and celebrating our trans community. In a time of vulnerability and fear, we choose to love and accept our neighbors and relatives for who they are and who they will become. I want to thank Senator Erin Maye Quade for leading this bill in the Senate.
This is also a time to celebrate and acknowledge the influential organizers behind this movement, our youth. Our beautifully weird, eclectic, and fabulous queer agenda is to continue to show up in spaces that were designed to shut us out, and we’ll continue to be joyous. Our joy is an act of resistance, and we won’t rest until all our liberation efforts succeed.
Budget Bills
These past few weeks have been long, some nights going up until midnight. While this time during the legislative process is most daunting, I find great joy in knowing we’re passing many overdue bills. Minnesotans deserve relief and support now. That is why I was proud to vote to pass these bills.
Minnesota’s Largest Tax Cut
Collectively, the bill delivers the largest tax cut in state history with credits, rebates, and other provisions designed to maximize benefits for workers, families, and seniors. It also addresses years of rising property taxes and underinvestment in local communities. The House DFL tax bill reforms our tax code to improve fairness and equity across the board. Between 2018 and 2021, the adjusted gross income of filers of those earning less than $20,000 annually fell by 9% while the AGI of filers over $500k grew 117%. Minnesotans expect those who profited most during the pandemic to pay their fair share. With a worldwide reporting requirement for multinational corporations hiding income in offshore tax havens and a millionaire tax on the top 0.8% of all earners, we will have the necessary revenue to invest in children, families, homeowners, seniors, and the most vulnerable Minnesotans now and in the future.
Jobs & Labor Budget Bill
For Minnesota to maintain its strong economy, it’s vital we support working parents by ensuring our kids have top-notch childcare. But in Greater Minnesota, affordability isn’t the only barrier to accessing childcare – availability is also a critical problem. Our budget bill invests in our childcare system to support our families, enrich our kids, and make sure childcare staff earn a living wage.
Legalization of Adult-use Cannabis
Advocates and changemakers have been working on this legislation for nearly a decade. The versions constantly changed to reflect the need and justice for our BIPOC communities. I am beyond proud of my colleagues for finally passing the bill off the House floor. Minnesota’s current cannabis laws are doing more harm than good. By creating a regulatory framework, we can address the harms caused by cannabis, establish a more sensible set of laws, improve our healthcare & criminal justice systems, and ensure better outcomes for communities. Minnesotans deserve the freedom and respect to make responsible decisions about cannabis use themselves.
Human Services Budget Bill
Communities are facing an urgent need for dedicated, compassionate individuals to provide care for people with disabilities, seniors, and vulnerable Minnesotans. With a tight labor market and demographics shifting, House DFLers are stepping forward with solutions to ensure everyone can live in their communities with the care and dignity they deserve while ensuring workers are supported on the job. Moreover, we must protect the working rights of our long-term care facility workers and invest in nursing homes. We cannot continue to expect workers to provide quality care when they are not making a livable wage.
Health Budget Bill
As the assault on reproductive freedom continues across the nation, Minnesota stands in unwavering support of reproductive rights. The House DFL Health bill increases funding for reproductive health care and protects reproductive privacy and access by repealing harmful and archaic anti-abortion language in statute for decades. The House DFL stands with Minnesotans who want to make their own reproductive health care decisions without interference from politicians.
Stay connected with the legislature
It is easy to stay connected to news from the State Capitol. The Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website.
Please continue to reach out with any input, ideas, or feedback about the issues important to you. I value hearing from you, so call or email any time.
It’s an honor to represent our community in the Minnesota House.
Sincerely,
Leigh Finke
State Representative – 66A
Committee Assignments:
Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy
Human Services Policy
Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
Legacy Finance
Legislative Assistant
Robin Mercer-Taylor
robin.mercer-taylor@house.mn.gov