2024 Session Wrap-Up
Dear Neighbors,
The 2024 Legislative Session adjourned on May 20, and this two-year biennium has been one of the most productive in state history. This term, we worked towards a better future for Minnesotans and made progress on so many challenges currently facing our state.
We made great progress tackling issues like gun violence prevention, health care reform, and consumer protection, priorities that previously stalled under divided government. But there is still more work to do.
House DFL lawmakers will continue working with our neighbors and community members to lower the cost of living, deliver economic security for working families, and ensure everyone has the tools they need to thrive.
After setting a transformational two-year budget last year, House DFLers built off 2023’s historically productive session by enacting more solutions to grow the state’s middle class and ensure all Minnesotans have the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their families.
Bills Passed into Law
This year I was proud to author legislation that requires notices and public hearings for hospital closures (HF 3700), to address the string of rural hospital closures we are seeing statewide, which was included in our final Health agreement.
I was also proud to coauthor critical bills helping working-class Minnesotans. We passed bills to reform our health care prior authorization process to remove barriers to health care (HF 3578), a bill to prevent the misclassification of workers (HF 4444), and legislation that requires full ticket price transparency for concerts, sporting events, and more (HF 1989).
End of Session Action
Last year the Legislature passed our major two-year budget bills, and this year the House built on that progress by passing small supplemental budgets alongside more substantial policy changes in major committee areas. Working alongside the Governor and our Senate counterparts, we reached final agreements on all major budget bills.
You can find nonpartisan summaries about the final agreements here: Transportation, Labor and Housing, Energy and Agriculture, Public Safety and Judiciary, Commerce and Cannabis, Jobs and Economic Development, Environment and Natural Resources, K-12 Education, Higher Education, Human Services, Health, and Elections.
These are all great bills, but as a member of the Economic Development, Health, Taxes, and Sustainable Infrastructure committees, I’m especially proud of our efforts there.
We also passed a gun violence prevention bill that includes tougher penalties for straw purchasers and a ban on binary triggers, a bill that will increase wages for rideshare drivers while keeping companies operating in Minnesota, a health occupational licensure and scoping bill, legislation improving our child welfare services and addressing racial disparities, and a tenant’s right’s package.
Slow Mow Summer
You’ve probably heard of “No Mow May” and may have even participated in making your lawn more pollinator-friendly! While it’s a catchy slogan, researchers from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab have modified the popular campaign due to additional research on best practices for pollinators and lawn health.
“Slow Mow Summer” takes the sentiment of “No Mow May” and expands it to the entire growing season! Because guess what? Bees need food AFTER May, too. Many bee species do not even emerge from hibernation until June or July, when self-heal, ground plum, lanceleaf tickweed, or calico American aster may be blooming in your lawn.
Mowing after lawn flowers bloom instead of before is the main goal of “Slow Mow Summer.” You can learn more about how best to help native pollinators, like Rusty Patched Bumblebee, survive and thrive here!
Stay Connected!
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Warmly,
Andy Smith,
State Representative