Dear neighbors,

My colleagues and I hit the ground running after returning from the annual Easter/Passover break on Monday. We’re working hard to develop a strong, equitable state budget that helps Minnesotans recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and thrive once it’s behind us. My goal is to ensure that the budget reflects our values as Minnesotans and addresses our community’s needs.  

Hearing your thoughts as I work on the budget and other issues is very important to me. If you have questions or want to share your feedback, I hope you’ll participate in my virtual town hall this Saturday, April 10 at 10:30 a.m. You can share questions ahead of time at http://bit.ly/April10Questions and join me on Facebook Live when the event begins.  

Supporting Survivors of Sexual Assault  

Legal loopholes often make it difficult or even impossible for Minnesotans who’ve experienced sexual assault to get justice. For example, the Minnesota Supreme Court recently ruled that under current law, the definition of “mentally incapacitated” doesn’t include people who become intoxicated after voluntarily consuming alcohol or drugs. As someone who’s worked closely with survivors of sexual assault, this issue is very important to me. I’m co-authoring legislation that would close this loophole and strengthen Minnesota’s sexual assault laws. I’m also supporting related legislation, including:  

• HF 310, which protects Minnesota children by expanding mandatory reporting requirements. Under this legislation, coaches, scout leaders, church employees, and others who supervise children would be obligated to report maltreatment. The House passed this bill with overwhelming bipartisan support.  
• HF 395, which states that Minnesota will recognize and enforce orders of protection that are issued in Canada. The bill will help protect survivors of domestic violence, keeping them safe on both sides of the border. It passed unanimously in the House and was signed into law earlier this session.  
• HF 1121, which eliminates the statutes of limitations for sex trafficking and certain criminal sexual conduct offenses. Under this legislation, victims would no longer need to file criminal charges within a certain window after the offense occurs. They would be able to file charges and seek justice any time.  

Make Your Voice Heard  

Respond to My Legislative Survey 

Whether or not you’re able to participate in my virtual town hall, I want to make sure you have opportunities to provide input. If you haven’t already done so, I would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to complete my legislative survey.  

Apply for Boards, Councils, and Commissions  

The Secretary of State’s Office recently released a list of open positions on state boards, councils, and commissions. These roles are a great way to get involved and serve your community and state. I encourage you to check out the vacancies and consider applying for any that match your skills or interests.  

If you’d like to stay informed during the final weeks of the legislative session, please like my Facebook page for frequent updates. Feel free to share this email with family, friends, and neighbors who might be interested as well; if they’d like to subscribe, they can do so at http://bit.ly/WazlawikUpdates.  

Please continue sharing your questions, ideas, and feedback and let me know if I can be of assistance. You can reach me at rep.ami.wazlawik@house.mn or 651-296-3018. 

Sincerely,  

Ami Wazlawik  
State Representative