Rep. Applebaum sworn-in for 2nd term in Minnesota House
Minnetonka DFLer to serve in House leadership
St. Paul, Minn. – Today, during the opening session of the 90th Minnesota Legislature, Rep. Jon Applebaum (DFL – Minnetonka) took the oath-of-office to represent District 44B in the Minnesota House of Representatives. This will be his second term serving the cities of Minnetonka, Plymouth and Woodland at the Legislature.
“I’m honored to again have the opportunity to serve the constituents of my hometown community and I can’t wait to get to work on solutions which improve the lives of everyday Minnesotans,” Rep. Applebaum said. “Our state economy is doing well, but many Minnesotans face challenges. They are looking to us to find common ground to protect the interests of themselves and their families, and I take this responsibility seriously.”
Rep. Applebaum’s role will be increased this session as he will serve as Deputy Minority Leader. In this role, he will assist Minority Leader Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL – Brooklyn Park) and the rest of the leadership team in advocating for DFL House Caucus priorities on the House Floor, in the media and across Minnesota, as well as managing caucus business.
“We’re in a difficult political climate right now, and it’s clear that the posturing and rhetoric that has come to divide us has to end,” Rep. Applebaum said. “As Deputy Minority Leader, I will be dedicated to passing smart policies which improve the lives of all Minnesotans, and not partisan gamesmanship.”
The main task of the Legislature will be to pass a two-year state budget. More urgently, legislators will look to solve the crisis of skyrocketing health insurance premiums and potentially consider a package of tax relief. Last session, a tax bill was passed but did not become law due to a drafting error. Included in this legislation was a tax credit authored by Rep. Applebaum giving Minnesotans a tax credit toward student loan debt. He vows to renew the push for this measure this session.
“Minnesotans continue to feel the crushing burden of student loan debt after going to college, and our collective inaction toward this is unacceptable,” Rep. Applebaum said. “This, along with providing a rebate toward health insurance premiums, should have been passed in a special session. We have to prioritize these quickly, and I’m confident we can work on a bipartisan basis to get this done.”
Rep. Applebaum was given three committee assignments for the session: Commerce and Regulatory Reform, Taxes, and Rules and Legislative Administration. He also serves on the Legislative Commission on Sports Facilities and on the Legislative Commission on Surrogacy.
Throughout session, he encourages constituents to contact him with any questions or feedback. He can be reached by email at rep.jon.applebaum@house.mn or phone at 651-296-9934. He will also send out periodic email updates discussing legislative happenings and announcing town hall meetings; a link to subscribe can be found on his House webpage at www.house.mn/44b.