Legislative Update: May 3, 2024

Neighbors,

The House continues to debate and pass supplemental budget and policy bills on the floor, covering important issues such as education, labor, housing, the environment, and more. Because we only have a few weeks left in session, and our time is limited, we’re now spending a lot of time on the floor on these bills. On most days we’re going from 11am to midnight. Our work this year builds on last year’s historic successes and works to improve the lives of working and middle-class Minnesotans. Recently, the House has passed: 

• A broadly bipartisan bill investing $240 million in our outdoors, clean water, parks and trails, and cultural heritage from the Legacy Amendment fund. 
• A K-12 Education bill that boosts resources for the READ Act to improve literacy, moves forward solutions for student wellbeing, and enhances support for teachers. 
• An Environment and Natural Resources bill with new investments in tree planting, improving air quality, holding repeat polluters accountable, and tackling solid waste and recycling. Included is my bill to create a product stewardship program to responsibly recycle the estimated 180,000 – 300,000 boat shrink wrappings.
• A Children and Families bill that reforms our child protection system and builds on historic investments in economic support for families, food security, and emergency shelter. 
• A Transportation, Labor, and Housing bill that invests in railroad safety and public transit, enhances worker rights and safety, improves housing stability for renters and seniors, and funds homelessness prevention. I had three of my bills included:
  •  HF 4988 makes several changes to the transportation greenhouse gas emission impact assessment.
  • HF 3900 allows for a quicker expansion of the electrical grid.
  • HF 4242 calls on DOLI to periodically amend the state building code so that new residential construction is 70% more energy-efficient by 2038. 

We passed a Pensions and Retirement bill with bipartisan support, which prioritizes educators’ retirement security, improves our pension systems’ health, and strengthens the benefits retirees can expect. Also passed was a bill addressing the “kidfluencer” industry that safeguards young content creators with protections for safety, fair compensation, and future financial security. 

Minnesota’s Climate Progress!

You may have seen MPR’s recent climate story - Report finds Minnesota outpacing the country in carbon-free electricity. Minnesota has produced more than half our energy from carbon-free sources for the fourth year in a row, and seen a 10% annual drop in greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector!

The report, released by Clean Energy Economy Minnesota and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, shows clearly that the steps we are taking at the Legislature to address and combat climate change are working. We can’t afford to backtrack on our progress.

Minnesota is leading the way toward a cleaner, greener future! House Democrats are taking action on climate change with the urgency required, and we will keep working to accelerate our transition to carbon-free energy sources. 

Passing Gun Safety Legislation 

Lost and stolen guns are often used in crimes, or end up in the hands of those who may cause harm to themselves or others. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, roughly 266,000 guns were stolen across the U.S. per year from 2017-2021. Of these, only 3% were stolen from federally licensed gun dealers, while 95% were stolen from private citizens, equivalent to one every two minutes, and a quarter are never reported to law enforcement.

This week we passed legislation to help prevent gun trafficking, assist in recovering lost or stolen guns, make firearm owners more accountable for their weapons, and give our law enforcement another tool to help keep our communities safe and free of gun violence by requiring lost or stolen firearms to be reported to law enforcement within 48 hours after they are known to be lost.

We also passed legislation strengthening Minnesota’s laws around straw purchases, which occur when an individual buys a firearm for someone ineligible to purchase or possess them. H.F. 2609 updates the state’s straw purchasing law to increase the penalty from a gross misdemeanor to a felony.

Finally, we passed H.F. 4300, which requires the safe storage of firearms, an important step to prevent access by children and others who should not have access to guns. This bill requires firearms be stored either unloaded and equipped with a locking device or placed in a locked firearm storage unit (e.g., a gun safe) or a locked gun room, where it may be either loaded or unloaded. The safe storage of firearms will save lives.

All Minnesotans deserve to be safe in their communities, and this legislation is a step in the right direction. I was proud to vote yes on these bills.

Arbor Day Celebration

Friday, April 26th is Arbor Day, and DFLers are taking action to protect our environment and honor trees' vital role in our ecosystem. This year we are investing millions in tree planting grants for communities around our state.

Thursday on the House floor, members of the House Environment Committee distributed White Oak, Black Cherry, and Cranberry Bush saplings from Schumacher’s Nursery in Heron Lake, Minnesota. I brought my sapling back home and am watching it grow!

Meeting with Constituents!

Meeting with "Children First" of St. Louis Park!

Habitat for Humanity!

Update on the Sun Sailor

With the rise of the Internet and digital media, there are more and more communities in the country that are losing their community newspapers. It’s a real loss to communities, and to our democracy. 

Our local St. Louis Park newspaper is moving to a paid subscription model - I’ve signed up and believe it’s crucial to support local journalism. 

Stay in Touch

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at rep.larry.kraft@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-7026. For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Larry Kraft

State Representative