Dear Neighbors,
As the legislative session continues to ramp up, I want to hear more about the issues facing you and our community. That’s why I’ve created a 2024 Legislative Session survey that is specific to our district and local issues. The survey only takes a few minutes to fill out, and you can share it with friends, family, and neighbors.
You can also stay up-to-date on my work at the legislature by following my official State Representative Facebook page here.
Mental Health Support for Officers
I’m glad to report that a bill I authored and passed last year to support law enforcement officers with mental health care is already having a positive impact! The law provided $150,000 from the Department of Public Safety to Adler Graduate School to provide scholarships and materials that help therapists better counsel law enforcement officers.
As someone who wishes there was more mental health support when I was working in law enforcement, this bill was deeply personal to me, and I am thrilled that law enforcement are receiving more support.
You can watch this WCCO story (New program aims to give Minnesota's police officers better mental health support) or read this MinnPost article (‘Money well spent’ on Minnesota law enforcement officer mental health.) to learn more about the program and its impact.
Bill Presentation
This week I presented my bill prohibiting city rental licensing of group homes in the House Human Services Policy Committee. I was proud to work on this legislation with ARRM, the Association of Residential Resources, a nonprofit that supports people living with disabilities. This legislation addresses recent examples of cities using their rental laws to keep group homes out of their areas.
We must ensure that those living with disabilities are able to live in safety and dignity and can fully participate in our communities. Thank you to all those who testified in support of the bill, you can watch the full hearing here.
Gun Violence Prevention Hearing
Firearms are now the number one cause of death for U.S. children. Last year, DFLers passed red-flag laws and universal background checks to protect Minnesotans against gun violence. In the two months since our red-flag law went into effect, it has already been successfully used to remove firearms from dangerous individuals who threatened violence against others or suicide.
But our work isn’t done. On Thursday, the Public Safety and Children & Families committees held a joint hearing on two pieces of gun violence prevention proposals I am proud to support. DFLers presented legislation that would set standards for safe storage of firearms, and another that requires lost and stolen firearms to be reported promptly to law enforcement. These are common-sense, pro-public safety bills and I am proud to support them.
Stay Connected!
Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account. 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