  Above: It was an honor to recently be on hand as the St. Cloud Fire Department welcomed new members during a graduation ceremony. Thank you so much for your service to local residents! Dear Neighbor, I hope you had a great Independence Day holiday weekend and were able to celebrate our great nation with friends and family. Here’s a look at the latest from St. Paul: In my last newsletter, I mentioned the cost of some deliveries increased as of July 1 because the party in full control of the Capitol raised nearly 10 billion in new taxes and fees despite an $18 billion surplus. But that wasn’t the only new law to take effect as of this month and here is a look at some other changes: Adult-use cannabis legalized, and prior low-level cannabis convictions expunged Adults aged 21 or older can possess or publicly transport 2 ounces of adult-use cannabis flower, and up to 8 grams of cannabis concentrates. Adults can also possess up to 2 pounds of adult-use cannabis flower in their home. Penalties are established for violating possession limits, making illegal cannabis sales, selling to a minor, and exceeding personal cultivation limits. Criminal records of Minnesotans with petty misdemeanor and misdemeanor cannabis convictions are being expunged. Although the records are not destroyed, they are removed from public view and will not appear in criminal background checks. Universal Background Checks Private transfers of pistols and semiautomatic weapons without a firearms eligibility background check are now prohibited. A gun purchaser is required to apply for a permit to carry first. Private transfers must complete a record of transfer which includes detailed information about the weapon and individuals involved. One big concern about this law is that it puts restrictions on law-abiding gun owners because criminals are unlikely to complete background checks. I applaud stiffening penalties for straw purchases, where someone transfers a firearm to a person who is ineligible to possess one. In fact, I personally co-authored legislation to do this very thing because it's one way we can stop the revolving door that’s fueling Minnesota’s violent crime without infringing upon law-abiding gun owners. Gov. Tim Walz last month conducted a ceremonial signing for a new state law increasing penalties for those acting as "straw purchasers" of firearms from a gross misdemeanor to a felony. Increased penalties for catalytic converter thefts The new law prohibits the possession of a detached catalytic converter with a few narrow exceptions and provides that individuals found with illegally acquired detached catalytic converters could be charged with up to a felony. New labor trafficking law A new law creates a new crime of labor trafficking that results in death with a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $40,000 fine. It also creates enhanced penalties for labor trafficking a person over an extended period or when a labor trafficking victim suffers great bodily harm because of the trafficking. This crime could be punished by up to 20 years in prison and a $40,000 fine if the victim is under age 18, labor trafficking occurs over an extended period, or the victim suffers great bodily harm, and the harm was proximately caused by the labor trafficking conduct of the offender. Permitting electronic signatures on wills A new law allows a will to be witnessed and, where allowed, electronically notarized and completed. You can learn more about these laws and other changes here. Please Contact MeAs noted in a previous email from me, next week brings us to 60 days removed from the end of the 2024 legislative session, at which point House members are prohibited from emailing newsletters such as this until after the November election. That said, I of course will continue doing my job and working to represent the people of District 14A, so please stay in touch and let me know how I can help! You can call me at 651-296-6316, or email me at rep.bernie.perryman@house.mn.gov to communicate one on one. I am here to serve you! Sincerely,  |