Legislative Update - March 17, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
We are halfway through the 2023 legislative session and are continuing to move forward on our priorities to make Minnesota a better state for everyone! Here is an update from the last couple of weeks at the Capitol.
Ban on No-Knock Warrants
As a former police officer, I know what it is like to put my life on the line to protect my community. Last night, I presented a bill that would prohibit courts from issuing or approving no-knock warrants in front of the Public Safety Committee. I asked my fellow legislators a question: “Is the pursuit of justice worth avoidable deaths?”
I believe we need to take no-knock warrants off the table in order to save the lives of innocent bystanders, police officers, and people who are in the right place but on the wrong sheet of paper. Recent data has shown that no-knock warrants are unsafe and have killed 81 citizens and 13 officers between 2010 and 2016.?No-knock warrants also conflict with the right to self-defense,?which is particularly important in Minnesota, where 40% of residents are lawful gun owners.
Minnesotans have a constitutional right to privacy and to defend themselves in their home, which no-knock warrants unnecessarily infringe upon. I thank the father of Amir Locke for testifying tonight and urge the legislature to pass this bill and ensure that other innocent bystanders like Amir do not lose their life to no-knock warrants. You can read my statement on the bill here.
Executive Order Protecting Gender-Affirming Healthcare
Earlier this month, I was proud to stand with Representative Leigh Finke, Governor Walz, and Lieutenant Governor Flannagan when the Governor signed an Executive Order protecting the rights of Minnesota’s LGBTQIA2S+ community to access gender-affirming health care.
Minnesota can be a beacon of hope for the transgender community and today's executive order is the first step. The next step? Passing Representative Leigh Finke's Trans Refuge Bill on the House Floor. You can read the Queer Caucus’ statement on the E.O. here.
Floor Votes
This month, we passed legislation dedicated to ending homelessness in our state by investing in emergency services programs, transitional housing, outreach, and a pathway to stable housing for all Minnesotans. We also voted to ratify labor agreements for state employees and put new guardrails into state law to prevent unconscionable price gouging during times of emergency such as a pandemic or natural disaster.
Last week, The Minnesota House unanimously passed a bill that would enhance child welfare protections under the 1985 Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act, known as MIFPA. The legislation also affirms the state’s policy on Tribal-state relations, including the recognition of Tribes as sovereign nations and the recognition that Tribes have the inherent authority to determine their own jurisdiction for Indian child custody or child placement proceedings.
This Thursday, the House DFL passed legislation to provide emergency rental assistance to Minnesotans facing housing insecurity. The cost of rent and the number of evictions are increasing at a time when the protections and resources provided at the height of the pandemic are going away. We must deliver a lifeline to families as we continue our work to address the state’s housing crisis.
Stay Connected!
To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out at rep.brion.curran@house.mn.gov or 651-296-4342, and I will be happy to help. If you were forwarded this email and you’d like to subscribe, click here. If you have a friend or neighbor who would be interested in receiving these, please forward this and encourage them to subscribe!
Sincerely,
Brion Curran
State Representative