Legislative Update - May 24, 2024

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Dear Neighbors, 

The 2024 Legislative Session adjourned on Monday, May 20th. The final days were jam-packed, and though we didn’t pass everything - more on that - it’s clear that the 2023-2024 legislative biennium will go down as one of the most productive in state history. 

First off, I want to thank you for the incredible honor of representing our North Minneapolis community in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Thanks to you, we moved past gridlock and delivered accomplishments for our community and Minnesota these last two years under a DFL trifecta. 

Together, we protected reproductive rights, addressed our housing crisis, made major moves towards clean energy and environmental justice, delivered the largest tax cut in state history, prioritized our students, expanded voting rights, strengthened gun violence prevention measures, legalized adult-use cannabis, and, as Chair of the House Capital Investment Committee, passed the largest infrastructure investment Minnesota has ever seen.

We did it all with the most diverse legislature Minnesota has ever seen. So much of what we accomplished these last two years is thanks to our People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus. Our members chaired committees, carried key pieces of legislation, and provided a voice for communities that have been ignored for far too long. I’m so incredibly proud to serve alongside these leaders.

Here’s a brief overview of what passed, what didn’t, and how you can stay in touch this interim:

What Passed?

Last year, the Legislature passed our major two-year budget bills, and this year the House built on that progress by passing small supplemental budgets alongside more substantial policy changes in major committee areas. Working alongside the Governor and our Senate counterparts, we reached final agreements on all major budget bills. 

You can find nonpartisan summaries about the final agreements here: Transportation, Labor and Housing, Energy and Agriculture, Public Safety and Judiciary, Commerce and Cannabis, Jobs and Economic Development, Environment and Natural Resources, K-12 Education, Higher Education, Human Services, Health, and Elections. 

These are all great bills, but as a member of the Legacy and Environment & Natural Resources committees, I’m especially proud of our efforts there. 

We also passed a gun violence prevention bill that includes tougher penalties for straw purchasers and a ban on binary triggers, a bill that will increase wages for rideshare drivers while keeping companies operating in Minnesota, a health occupational licensure and scoping bill, legislation improving our child welfare services and addressing racial disparities, and a tenants' rights package. 

I’ll be sure to give a deeper dive on some of these accomplishments in an upcoming newsletter. Stay tuned!

What Didn’t?

Even with all the progress we made, there’s only so much time, and it’s natural for some things to not make it over the finish line. The biggest disappointment for me is the lack of a Capital Investment bill this session. 

Our committee worked incredibly hard to put out a fair, balanced, and comprehensive bill to invest in infrastructure projects throughout the state. Though we had great Republican partners in the House - notably the outgoing Rep. Dean Urdahl - Republican leadership dragged their feet, and demanded everything from a rollback of rights to the repeal of gun violence prevention measures in exchange for a bill to fund statewide infrastructure this year.

While it’s clear GOP leaders were never serious about investing in our state this year, I remain incredibly proud of last session’s work, when we passed Minnesota’s largest infrastructure investment - to the tune of $2.6 billion! Our community saw a great deal of that funding, including:

• $5 million for The Link
• $6 million for the Northside Economic Opportunity Network
• $1.5 million for Appetite for Change, $6 million for Avenues for Youth
• $4 million for Parents in Community Action (PICA)
• $550,000 for the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center - Camp Katharine Parsons
• $1 million for Turning Point
• $15 million for V3 Sports
• $3.5 million for the We Win Institute
• $1 million for Satori Village Housing Development

And millions more for Minneapolis!

Other notable bills that didn’t make the cut were the legalization of Sports Betting, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Rank-Choice Voting, to name a few high-profile bills that I know many in our community were following. It’s important to note however that even though these bills did not pass, that doesn’t mean progress wasn’t made. I’m sure we’ll see a return of these issues in future legislative sessions. 

Stay Connected

With the 2024 Legislative Session complete, I’m excited to be back in our community full-time. Even though we’re done passing bills for the year, I’m still working with our neighbors on building a better Minneapolis, and a better Minnesota. 

Please continue to reach out at rep.fue.lee@house.mn.gov or 651-296-4262 with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. I always look forward to hearing from you, and I look forward to seeing you around the neighborhood!

Sincerely, 

Fue Lee

State Representative