Dear neighbors,
I am pleased to let you know that Governor Dayton signed the Women’s Economic Security Act into law on Mother’s Day.
The bill signing marks major progress toward closing the gender pay gap, providing pregnant women and nursing mothers with more workplace protections and allowing both moms and dads care more flexibility to care for their newborn children by expanding unpaid leave under the Minnesota Parental Leave Act from 6 to 12 weeks.
The Women’s Economic Security Act will make Minnesota a better place to live, work and raise a family. Click here to learn more about the bill from a story that appeared in Monday’s Star Tribune.
Here are a few other major bills we made progress on over the past week.
Reducing gun violence:
Minnesota law now prohibits stalkers and domestic abusers from possessing firearms. This commonsense policy will keep deadly weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. The bill passed both the House and Senate with broad bipartisan support.
Reforming Minnesota’s expungement laws:
Governor Dayton will soon sign a bill reforming Minnesota’s expungement laws that won broad bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. It’s a major step toward giving Minnesotans a second chance so they have better opportunities to get a job and support themselves and their families.
I had the honor of helping shape these important policies as a member of the Expungement Working Group, a bipartisan group of lawmakers from the House and Senate that regularly met over the interim to craft the bill.
The reforms require a 1 year waiting period for stays of disposition or completed diversion programs, 2 years for petty misdemeanors and misdemeanors, 4 years for gross misdemeanors, and 5 years for most felonies (excluding crimes of violence and domestic assault, among others). In addition, business screening services must delete a criminal record from its database if it knows the record has been sealed, expunged or is the subject of a pardon.
Remaining priorities:
Some of the big priorities state lawmakers will complete over the next week include a supplemental budget that invests in our schools and home and community-based caregivers, a bonding bill, and additional property tax relief for middle class families.
Stay in touch:
Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, comments or any other feedback. You can reach me by phone at (651) 296-8659 or by email at rep.raymond.dehn@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Raymond Dehn
State Representative, District 59B