 Friends and neighbors, In these final weeks of GOP control of the House, Republicans are wasting no time bringing harmful, bad-faith bills that reflect their priorities through committee and to the House Floor. In a time where we must be focused on bipartisanship, it’s disappointing to see so much energy going towards political theatre on the House Floor meant to sew division among us. So far, Republicans have brought a few bills to the Floor, several of which failed. One took away investigative power from the Attorney General, and another would have halted the Blue Line extension in the north metro – an area that none of the bill authors represent. Republicans are also attempting to inflict damage through bills like restricting reproductive rights, stopping Paid Family and Medical Leave from going into effect before it even starts, stripping important curriculum from our schools and cutting literacy programming, putting immigrant communities in danger, rolling back measures that make our elections safer and more accessible, and so much more. Thankfully, no bill can pass off the House Floor without bipartisan support, so Democrats have been able to stand up to Republicans and stop these bad bills from going any further. This would have been harder to do had we not denied quorum earlier this session. Thanks to our efforts, we will be moving to a power-sharing agreement in just a few weeks after the Roseville special election. One thing DFLers and some Republican legislators have found common ground on is concern over cuts to Medicare and Medicaid by the Trump administration. A small handful of Republican legislators sent a letter to their DC counterparts urging them to stand up to these cuts, as they’ll hurt people who depend on these services in all corners of Minnesota. I hope this show of support for public health means they’ll join us this session in strengthening healthcare and MinnesotaCare, rather than cutting it as some have proposed. As legislators, our job is to listen to constituents and work to reduce costs and make life easier for our communities. I’m looking forward to working on bills to do just that. Minnesota Attorney General Ellison is also standing with us in this fight. Last week, a federal court granted AG Ellison’s motion for a preliminary injunction to stop Elon Musk and employees of his so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) from having unauthorized access to Americans’ private information. He also joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in issuing a joint statement ahead of a court hearing in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. National Institutes of Health. I’m thankful for his leadership as we navigate what comes next. My BillsI'm excited about several pieces of legislation I introduced this session, including measures to invest in career tech ed, address truancy in schools, grants for literacy initiatives, and more. I’ll keep you updated as these bills advance through committees.  Medical Debt Thank you to everyone who joined for our town hall on medical debt with Attorney General Keith Ellison! It was great to connect with community members and spread the word about The Debt Fairness Act. The Debt Fairness Act is a law providing Minnesotans who are repaying debt with more protections. It makes major reforms in the areas of medical debt, debt collection, garnishment, and bankruptcy. This bill ensures that spouses are not liable for each other’s medical debt, healthcare providers cannot deny necessary care due to unpaid medical bills, and medical debt will not impact credit scores. The AG’s office put together a helpful one-pager on the new law, which you can find here. A Note on Recycling from Dakota County Dakota County released a helpful guide on recycling to ensure your recyclables don’t end up in the landfill. You can use their tool to search for any item you have questions about the recyclability of to see how best to dispose of it. Above all, remember: don’t bag your recyclables!  Constituent Corner Thank you to all of the friends, constituents, and advocates who came to visit and tell me about what’s important to them. To name a few, I welcomed public health students from the U of M, MN Educators, the National Kidney Foundation, the Dakota County Library, Nexus Family Healing, U of M Alumni Day participants, the Minnesota Nurses Association, and more! Hearing from you informs so much of my work at the Capitol, and these visits are invaluable. Please, continue to come by!  I was also excited to welcome constituent and high school student, Ashley, as she participated in the House Page program. If you know a high schooler who would be interested in participating, please reach out to my office!  Recipe of the Week  If you’re like me, the news coming out of Washington has been overwhelming lately. In between calling my congressmembers and working to protect our progress here in Minnesota, one thing that keeps me going is gathering with my family around a good meal at the end of a long day. Food connects us, comforts us, and fuels us to continue to fight extreme MAGA policies that threaten our democracy. In the name of community and longevity of our fight, I want to share some of my favorite recipes that are staples in our household. This week’s recipe is a sweet treat - Bruna Kakor cookies! Though I’m not a coffee drinker (tea for me, please!) I’m told they’re fantastic dipped in coffee. You can find the full recipe here! Stay ConnectedUnfortunately, 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 by email at rep.bianca.virnig@house.mn.gov, or by phone at 651-296-4192. You can contact my new Legislative Assistant, Isabel, at 651-296-5999 or at isabel.anderson@house.mn.gov. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you at the Capitol. All my best, Bianca Virnig State Representative |