Dear Neighbors,
Quite a bit has been going on at the State Capitol, and I’d like to give you an update on some of the topics I’ve been working on.
Minnesota Gestational Carrier Act
Last week I had the opportunity to join Sen. Sandy Pappas and a few dozen Minnesotans to introduce the Minnesota Gestational Carrier Act, which would allow for surrogacy arrangements to be permitted and regulated in Minnesota. WCCO was one of the news outlets present, and you can see their story here. One in eight Minnesota families face challenges having a full-term healthy baby. Along with IVF and adoption, some Minnesota families choose to use a gestational carrier to carry the couple’s embryo to term if the woman is physically unable to carry a baby. However, unlike Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa and numerous other states, Minnesota has no standards for surrogacy participants.
The news conference where we introduced the proposal coincided with RESOLVE’s Advocacy Day at the State Capitol. It was a valuable experience hearing stories from those Minnesotans affected by infertility, and discussing steps the Legislature can take to help them grow their families.
Stadium Suites
An issue in the limelight at the State Capitol is the use of luxury suites by public officials at US Bank Stadium, the new home to the Minnesota Vikings. One of these such inappropriate uses happened when GOP House Speaker Kurt Daudt and his chief of staff were given access to the suite controlled by Glen Taylor, owner of the Minnesota Timberwovles, Star Tribune, and Minnesota United FC soccer franchise. While the Speaker claims they paid face value of $176 for their tickets, he has avoided any questions about this access, and hasn’t had to face any meaningful accountability. Since regular Minnesotans aren’t afforded such access to a suite, including a smorgasbord of gourmet food and beverages, powerful politicians at the Capitol shouldn’t be either. An opinion from the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board agrees with me on this, so to avoid any further attempts at taking advantage of a potential loophole, I introduced a bill last week to prohibit this practice in law.
When powerful players at the Capitol such as the Speaker of the House get wined and dined like this, it sends the wrong message to the citizens who ponied up the money to pay to construct the building in the first place. My bill ensures the Speaker and others remain free from the taint of special favors from special interests
Town Hall Meeting
You’re invited to join me Saturday, February 18 at 10:00 a.m. when, along with Rep. Alice Hausman and Sen. John Marty, we will hold a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the many issues currently before the Legislature. This will be a great opportunity for us to take questions and hear priorities first hand from members of the community.
We will meet at Falcon Heights City Hall from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. I hope you can make it.
If you can’t attend next Saturday, feel free to call or email me with any questions or input. It’s critically important for me to hear a wide range of opinions from those I represent, so please stay in touch throughout the session.
Sincerely,
John Lesch
State Representative