Legislative Update: 1.31.25

Legislative Update

Friends and Neighbors,

Late last Friday afternoon, it was announced that the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled a quorum in the House requires 68 members. There are only 67 Republican members at the Capitol, which means we're now blocked from carrying out the important work we’ve been doing for the past two weeks, including floor sessions, committee meetings, and other essential business.

We’ve spent a great deal of time and effort working to make Minnesota safe, affordable, and prosperous, and this is the third week I’ve come to the Capitol ready to work, only to find that the people we need to get these things done are once again absent.

There is an expectation that elected officials will show up, represent their constituents, and work to find reasonable and effective solutions for our communities. The situation we find ourselves in is unacceptable.

Ultimately, there will come a time when the members of the Minnesota House will have to meet and pass legislation, and I certainly hope that happens as soon as possible because we have important problems to solve, and the more time goes by, the less time we have to solve them. Moreover, the less time we will have to find solutions that work for everyone.

Making Minnesota Safe

On Wednesday, myself and members of the House Committee on Public Safety, held a press conference where we outlined our proposal to help make Minnesota a safer place to live, work, and raise a family. Key provisions in the proposal include:

• Mandatory minimum 10-year sentences for predators engaged in first-degree sex trafficking.
• Predatory offender registration required for offenders engaged in criminal sexual conduct who receive a stayed sentence from the courts.
• New and enhanced criminal offenses including blocking a freeway, highway, transit, or the road to and from the airport.
• Increased penalty for fleeing a police officer in a reckless manner.
• Increased penalties for individuals who conspire to trespass on or damage critical infrastructure such as pipelines, utility lines, and water lines.
• Increased penalties for assaulting a peace officer from a gross misdemeanor to a felony.
• Providing better access to the public on prosecutors’ charging and dismissal decisions, and court sentencing departure

Let’s Stay Connected

Your input will be very important to me as I work on your behalf. I encourage you to reach out. You can contact me by email rep.bidal.duran@house.mn.gov and by phone at 651-296-4265. I look forward to hearing from you and I thank you for trusting me to represent you at the Capitol. Together, we can make a difference and build a brighter future for Minnesota. You can subscribe to my email updates by clicking this link.