Dear Neighbors,
As you all know, we are in the midst of the busy final push at our state Capitol. Omnibus bills are being voted on, conference committees are hammering out final bills, and historic votes are being taken. It was great, however, to take a recent break and visit the Eden Wood Camp Courage in Eden Prairie, where I met Joe and his dad.
Before I provide some detail about the major issues you have been seeing in the news, I would like to highlight two of the bills that recently passed with bipartisan support that will make a huge difference in the well-being of our children and adults. I co-authored legislation to ban the toxic substances formaldehyde and bisphenol-A (BPA ) from our children’s products moving forward, and that passed with great bipartisan support. Many of you contacted me with your support of this legislation, and I want to thank you for bringing your voice to the table on this important issue.
Another bill I co-authored and like to call the “Meningitis Prevention Bill”, HF 1136, was crafted in response to the 2012 national fungal meningitis outbreak associated with improperly compounded drugs manufactured at the NEC compounding firm in Massachusetts. The Centers for Disease Control reported 32 deaths across 438 individual cases in 19 states associated with these contaminated compound drugs, including 12 confirmed meningitis cases in Minnesota. HF 1136 applies current stringent state licensing and inspection standards to out-of-state entities operating in the Minnesota pharmaceutical market. Again, this bill passed with huge bipartisan support and will help to ensure that our medicines are safe here in Minnesota.
Another bill I am a co-author of, the Omnibus Energy Bill, passed off the House floor and is now going to conference committee. This bill provides the same kick-start to solar power that the wind power industry received twenty years ago. It also includes new standards and incentives to encourage the development of solar resources, and moves Minnesota forward towards the use of more renewable energy and diversifies our energy sources for economic stability. Across the United States, 16 other states have enacted solar energy standards. After looking at states with comparable solar exposure, the bill includes a requirement of 4% of electricity to be solar-generated by 2025. Certain exclusions apply to take into account the diversified nature of Minnesota’s customer base.
The Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act was also passed a House vote recently. Minnesota currently has one of the weakest anti-bullying laws in the country and this legislation will strengthen and streamline anti-bullying policies statewide. Our local schools have a great system already in place to ensure that students are in a safe and supportive school environment, so this law should have minimal impact locally. This legislation is the culmination of many years of work on behalf of parents, teachers, staff, students, advocacy groups, legislators and the Governor’s Task Force on the Prevention of School Bullying.
The House has passed a full budget off the House floor that balances our deficit, pays back our schools, and invests in education and middle class property tax relief. I have consistently said that we need to address these issues before turning to others. I felt that we were in a good position to take up marriage equality legislation while completing our work to balance the budget.
Freedom means freedom for everyone. The marriage equality bill that we passed would allow civil marriages for all Minnesotans, and ensures that no religious congregation or clergy would be compelled to perform a marriage ceremony that conflicted with their beliefs. Same-sex couples pay taxes, vote, serve in the military, and run businesses in Minnesota. They work hard and contribute to our state, as do the rest of citizens in our community. I believe that they should be treated fairly under the law, including having the right to civil marriage in Minnesota.
My thanks to all community members on both sides who contacted me with their thoughtful views. I understand that this is a very difficult and sensitive issue for many people.
In these last days of the legislative session it is more important than ever that I hear from you. Conference committees are busy doing their work, and you can follow this link for more information: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/bills/confcommactivity.asp. Please stay in touch with your views. As always, thank you for the honor of being your voice in St. Paul.
Best,
Yvonne