Neighbors, In a year of transformational change, the Minnesota House passed one of the more consequential compromise measures. Late Monday, we approved the Judiciary and Public Safety conference committee report. The bill supports law enforcement and victims, and juvenile justice reforms. It also invests in community violence prevention grants, acts against crime, and improves the rehabilitation process. The bill contains two common sense gun violence prevention measures supported by most Minnesotans. The measure now heads to Gov. Walz for his signature.  I joined many members on the House floor for a group photo ahead of the vote on the Public Safety bill. Education Conference Committee Report ApprovedYesterday, the House approved the E-12 Education conference committee report budget, which delivers meaningful investments to support our students and school staff, and stabilizes our public-school funding. In addition to increases in the per-pupil education formula, the bill also links the formula to inflation in all future years to help school districts have more predictability in their financial outlooks. The budget bill also reduces the Special Education cross-subsidy and eliminates the English Learner cross-subsidy by 2027, targeted to the school districts serving students with the highest needs. We also increase investments to recruit and retain teachers of color, so those at the front of the classroom better reflect students they teach. In addition, we boosted investments in The Read Act to expand access to evidence-based literacy instruction. Several Compromise Measures Approved Last Week The Minnesota House approved the Higher Education Budget conference committee report. With declining enrollment across higher education, the report provides a record increase in investment for Minnesota’s colleges and universities to reverse this trend. The House also approved the Legacy Budget conference committee report, which invests in Minnesota’s outdoor heritage, clean water, parks and trails, and arts and culture, including funds to restore, protect, and enhance Minnesota’s prairies, forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitats, with projects covering thousands of acres of land. It also includes funding for the arts and arts education preserving Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage. Lastly, the House approved the Agriculture Budget conference committee report, which, in addition to other provisions, includes funding aiming to provide our neighbors experiencing food insecurity with fresh, healthy food through local food banks. Video of all committee, floor and conference committee debates will be available on the House Information YouTube page. Equal Rights Amendment Resolution PassesLast Thursday, The House passed a resolution to recognize the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The resolution asks the U.S. Senate to remove the extra-textual time limit for ratification of the amendment by the states to allow for states to act so the amendment can by fully ratified and incorporated into the United States Constitution. Minnesota ratified the ERA in 1973.  The Community and the CapitolOn Saturday, my family and I had a great night at the Relay for Life event at John Marshall High School. I was honored to participate in the survivor walk, celebrating my two-year anniversary since ending chemotherapy for breast cancer.  Stay Connected with the LegislatureIt 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. You can find my information on my House website. You can also like my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter. It is an honor to represent you at the State Capitol. Sincerely, Kim Hicks State Representative |