Legislative Update – May 24, 20242024 Session Wrap-UpDear 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 strengthening 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 LawThis year I was proud to author a couple of critical pieces of Climate and Energy legislation that made it across the finish line and will soon be law! Our final agreement included my bill speeding up residential solar panel permitting and approval through the SolarApp+ system (HF 5171), as well as my bill improving and expanding the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy loan program (HF 3946), which helps commercial properties make their buildings more climate-friendly and pay for those improvements over time. I also coauthored many important bills that will help Minnesota families, including medical debt reform, geothermal investments, and broadband infrastructure and services improvements. I was also a proud coauthor of my colleague Rep. Lucy Rehm’s bill to expand pollinator habitat and native prairies across our state!  End of Session ActionLast 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 Climate and Energy, Health, and Judiciary Finance and Civil Law 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.  |