Dear Neighbors, Happy Pi Day! March 14 (3.14) celebrates the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, and always equals 3.14159265 (for short). This constant has been calculated to be over a trillion digits behind its decimal point and continues indefinitely. Fun fact: March 14th is also Albert Einstein’s birthday! As a scientist, I’ve been inspired by several recent events. I was a guest on the Tech Together podcast with Genesys Works, which was recorded at Prince’s studio at Urban Ventures in Minneapolis. Last week, I joined the Stand Up for Science rally at the Capitol, where I addressed the crowd with our fellow scientist Representatives Alex Falconer and Kari Rehrauer. I always love seeing people who are passionate about science! Whether you choose to enjoy pi(e) in the form of math calculations, pizza, or dessert, I hope you and your families have a great day.  Back to the news…Last week, an updated state economic forecast was released. Last November, the state budget forecast showed a $3.7 billion surplus over the current budget cycle, a $616 million positive balance in the upcoming biennium, and our highest budget reserve fund ever. But now, Minnesota’s projected positive balance has shrunk to $456 million. These negative impacts are already being seen in higher inflation and lower economic growth since the new federal administration started, and they are concerning to me. More concerning is the future uncertainty regarding federal worker layoffs, cuts to Medicaid, deregulation of environmental protections, and gutting our education system.  As your representative, I’m committed to supporting an economy where everyone has the ability to afford their lives with a good-paying job, decent access to healthcare, and the opportunity to get ahead. Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress are on the verge of enacting a sweeping tax cut for corporations and the ultra-wealthy, and they’re going to pay for it by slashing federal investments in health care for children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities. This will have dire consequences for the people of Minnesota and our state budget. This latest budget forecast means that the Legislature must be laser-focused on a state budget that helps working and middle-class Minnesotans, not corporations and billionaires who are doing better than ever. It also means that we must protect policies passed last biennium, like Paid Family and Medical Leave. Recent Bills on the FloorThe Minnesota House will enter into our co-governance agreement next week, following the special election this Tuesday in Roseville. Once we shift back into our power-sharing agreement, committees will move to have equal numbers of members from each party and co-chairs who will share the gavel. I view this as an opportunity to work together on the priorities of Minnesotans. Despite House Republicans having controlled committees and Floor agendas, it’s important to note they have wasted almost all of that time on extreme and controversial bills that would have never achieved 68 votes to pass the chamber. Some of these bills include: - HF11: I was ready to defend and vote against this bill delaying the start of Paid Family and Medical Leave. But at the last second, the bill was pulled! This was no doubt because of your emails, phone calls, and rallying at the Capitol. Thank you for showing the Legislature and Minnesota of the good we can accomplish together.
- HF12: A dangerous and discriminatory bill banning trans kids from playing sports. This legislation scapegoated a small and vulnerable group of Minnesotans, and would have opened our kids up to invasive, unnecessary medical investigations to prove that “girls really are girls.” As a mom, I knew the importance of voting against this bill. Watch a lifelong student athlete speak to the cruelty of this bill.
- HF13: The “Shoot First” bill. Currently, 27 states have Shoot First laws, and every one of them has a higher rate of gun deaths than Minnesota, with the average rate of gun deaths being more than twice Minnesota’s. Shoot First laws are also associated with heavy racial bias. A study in Florida found that white shooters killing Black victims is deemed justifiable five times more frequently than when the situation is reversed. This is a dangerous bill for our community, and I voted against it. Measures passed last biennium that have reduced gun violence include universal background checks and Extreme Risk Protection Orders. In fact, Minnesota has one of the lowest firearm mortality rates in the US, in large part to our sensible and safety-centered gun violence prevention laws.
- HF24: This bill changed state law from protecting all babies born to appropriate medical care to focusing only on providing life saving measures to those “born alive following an abortion.” The bill is based on inaccurate information and denies compassionate parents palliative care for their babies born with a fatal disorder.
- Approximately 25 other bills were calendared, then subsequently tabled (set aside) on Wednesday and Thursday. This tells me that my Republican colleagues were starting to understand what policies Minnesotans are truly interested in. I’m looking forward to a new landscape next week, where we can work in a bipartisan fashion to pass policy for people across Minnesota, including a state budget.
Meeting with MAPENearly 1,000 MAPE employees visited the Capitol recently! They shared their vital work in keeping our state government running. Our unions are vital for our democracy and for the middle-class, and their work is now more important than ever. MAPE is proud to represent Accountants through Zoologists! They represent professions in food safety, clean water, housing, forensics, human services, education, corrections, and counseling. Our state is one of the best-run states because we have dedicated public servants working to protect it!   Coming Soon! Sovereignty Day at the Capitol is on Monday, March 17th! I am grateful that our Tribal neighbors are making the trip to St. Paul to discuss how we can continue to better our relationship and work together for people in all of our communities. The Gold Line opens on March 22nd! After years of excitement, planning, and construction, Woodbury will have three stops on the high-frequency, bus-rapid transit Gold Line. I greatly appreciate all of the stakeholders who have come together to better connect our suburban community with the downtowns as well as neighboring communities. This is also an important investment in our battle against climate change by taking cars off the roadways and making sure our neighbors without transportation can more easily get around. As our neighbors celebrate Ramadan, I am looking forward to attending our community Iftars. Thank you for welcoming me to your celebrations! Keep in TouchYour voice is important to me! You can contact me at rep.amanda.hemmingsen-jaeger@house.mn.gov, by phone at 651-296-7807, or follow along my Facebook page, Instagram, or BlueSky with your questions, concerns, or ideas for this session. I appreciate the opportunity to serve our district in the legislature and look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger State Representative |