 Neighbors, Here’s the latest on the situation in the House. Last Friday, January 24th, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the House Republican attempted power grab of the last two weeks violated our state constitution. Every GOP action, including the election of a Speaker and appointment of committees, was unlawful and illegitimate. In November, voters elected an equal number of Democrats and Republicans to represent them in the House. Now, it’s time for the GOP to start working together with Democrats to develop a fair power sharing agreement so we can return to the Capitol to govern as Minnesotans intended. In addition to honoring the will of the voters across the state, Republicans also must respect the results of the election in Shakopee where voters elected DFLer Brad Tabke to represent them. Instead, Republicans are refusing to commit to seating him, which could disenfranchise 22,000 voters. Never before in Minnesota history has a legislator been kicked out when they have done nothing wrong, and to do so would gravely subvert the free and fair elections Minnesotans expect. Rep. Tabke won on election night, won in a recount, and won in court. DFLers look forward to returning to the Capitol once we have an agreement with Republicans that respects the will of the voters. Republicans keep saying we need to just “show up”. But what they’re not saying is that if we show up without an agreement about how things will work, they will use a temporary 1 seat advantage to overturn an election, and organize the House so we’re in a minority situation for 2 years, even though we’ll almost certainly be tied by mid-March. This would empower them to advance their agenda, including taking away reproductive freedoms, eliminating paid family leave, rolling back progress to address climate change, and ending free school meals for kids. You can see some of this in the “fake bills” that were introduced during the past two weeks. Our proposal is simple and I think quite fair: Honor the will of the voters. That means don’t overturn an election. And Republicans can run the House while they have an advantage, but when the House returns to the 67-67 tie that the voters sent on election night, we must return to a fair, co-governing model. I continue to be very busy preparing bills (including with Republicans), having meetings with constituents, meeting with stakeholder groups for committees on which I serve, and attending community events.  I joined my District 46 partner Rep. Youakim to visit with St. Louis Park’s League of Women Voters to talk about session and legislative priorities. Senator Latz was there too, but had to leave before this picture was taken. There’s a lot to talk about this year!  The progress we've made in Minnesota toward a sustainable and clean energy future is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of many dedicated individuals and organizations. I joined many of my colleagues on the Energy Committee in a meeting with Blue Horizon Energy and Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association to discuss important solar energy and storage issues.  I’m hopeful we can get a local jobs and projects bill done this session. Rep. Youakim and I, along with SLP Mayor Nadia Mohamed, Councilmembers Dumalag and Brausen, and city staff, hosted the co-chair of the HouseCapital Investment Committee, Fue Lee, for a tour of two potential bonding sites in St. Louis Park. I think we made a strong case for state support for the continued evolution of our road, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure.  Also as part of the Transportation Committee, we visited with Metro Transit and Metropolitan Council for a tour of their bus garage. It was great to see their pilot EV bus charging infrastructure, and hear about their plans to significantly expand it over the next couple of years. Did you know that the transit system here is the 15th largest in the U.S.?  On Martin Luther King Day, I attended a National Day of Racial Healing event at Westwood Nature Center. It was an inspiring evening filled with deep and thought-provoking conversations. Each table was expertly facilitated by a student from St. Louis Park Public Schools or Benilde-St. Margaret's. There also was an excellent panel, wonderful singing by SLP HS students, and a clear call to action by our Mayor Nadia Mohamed to close the event. Housing workOne of the areas that will be a big focus of mine this session, as it was last session, is housing. We need to build a lot more housing in Minnesota, but it’s really important that we build it in the right places, so we don’t make people have to drive further and further to live their lives and worsen our climate change impacting greenhouse gas emissions. I was interviewed for a Star Tribune housing article that just came out, and was quoted in the first few paragraphs. Recycling Champions TrainingOn February 5th, St. Louis Park will be holding its next Recycling Champions training from 4-6 p.m. at the Municipal Service Center, 7305 Oxford St. The Recycling Champions program was created to engage residents who are interested in learning more about recycling. Through the program, residents serve as ambassadors in the community and share what they learn with family, friends and neighbors. Those interested in the training can sign up by emailing recycling@stlouisparkmn.gov or learn more at stlouisparkmn.gov. |