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Neighbors,
We had another jam-packed week at the Capitol leading up to our first committee deadline last Friday. The activity will likely keep up at a fast pace the remainder of session, as we craft our state budget.
The big news last week was House passage of two Capital Investment - or Bonding - Bills. Passage of these bills is a major step toward completing the work set by last session’s bipartisan framework agreement. The package of legislation is split between a $1.5 billion bonding bill (HF 669), using General Obligation (GO) bonds, and a $393 million cash bill (HF 670) through the general fund, totaling nearly $1.9 billion for local jobs and projects throughout the state.
Last week in the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee, which I chair, we heard a bill to provide veterans with emergency assistance, a measure to help fund the Minnesota Veterans Home historic building 6, proposals for affordable housing for veterans, and a special license plate bill. You can watch the hearing here.
In the Legacy Committee, I presented my bill to fund grants for the Minnesota Public Television Association to produce Minnesota Military and Veterans' History stories.
On Thursday, the Minnesota House unanimously passed the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act, protecting Indigenous children and ensuring they continue to have a lifeline to their culture. There is a dark, ugly history around separating children from their tribal nations, and this legislation is an important part of having honest, educational conversations about the experiences of Indigenous people. The erasure of Indigenous people and Tribal Nations isn’t only in our past; it is firmly in our present. You can read more about this bill, which is now on its way to Governor Walz’s desk, here.
Art therapists stopped by my office last week during their visit to the Capitol.
Members of Teamsters Local 120 also visited last week.
Yesterday, the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate hosted Sovereignty Day at the State Capitol. Sovereignty Day is an educational event for legislators on tribal history and culture, sovereignty, and the interplay between federal, state, and tribal law. This event included the leaders of the eleven federally recognized sovereign tribal nations in Minnesota.
The Minnesota House held the first Sovereignty Day in 2019. Members of the House participated in Tribal-State Relations Training in October 2021 hosted by the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.
I was honored to participate in yesterday’s Sovereignty Day to learn more about Minnesota’s sovereign nations.
It’s easy to stay in touch which the State Capitol activities. The Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website.
Please continue to reach out with any input, ideas, or feedback about the issues important to you. I value hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate to call or email me any time. You can find my information on my House website. Also, make sure to ‘like’ my Facebook page.
It is an honor to represent you at the State Capitol.
Sincerely,
Jerry Newton
State Representative
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