Legislative Update- January 22, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

It was a historic and hopeful day for our country on Wednesday as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office to begin a new chapter. This powerful passage from “The Hill We Climb,” the poem delivered by Amanda Gorman during the inaugural ceremony, should inspire us all to move forward and beyond the daunting challenges we endured over the last four years:

We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it,

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed,

It can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith, we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future,

history has its eyes on us.

I’m grateful the inauguration was smooth, especially after the recent attack on our nation’s Capital. While the alarming juxtaposition of both events highlights how vastly apart we are now, rebuilding has begun. Americans of all backgrounds and party affiliations worked hard to see this day come to fruition, and democracy has prevailed.

We must work to ensure our most recent American experiment of 2016-2020 never happens again. To prevent history from repeating itself, we must start with how we educate our kids. I recently worked with members of the legislative People of Color and Indigenous Caucus and several Jewish members in efforts urging the Minnesota Department of Education to create new, anti-racist standards in social studies education; more specifically standards that define the history and current expression of white supremacy and anti-Semitism. You can read the letter here.

I’m looking forward to partnering with our federal government and newly sworn-in Congress to get results Minnesotans deserve.

House DFL’s First Priorities

On the state level, last week my colleagues and I announced our first priorities for the 2021 session, which focus on responding to the needs of Minnesotans, helping each other weather this pandemic, and working hard to ensure we can thrive after it ends. 

Our first bills are all about making sure we give back to the Minnesotans who have given the most and risked the most to keep the rest of us safe and healthy — our nurses and frontline health care providers; our hospitality workforce and the restaurants and bars that employ them; child care providers; teachers. My bill, which is included in the package, would allow Social Security recipients to be eligible for full unemployment insurance coverage. Click here to watch the announcement of our plan, or read coverage from the Star Tribune here.

Legislation

Committee work got underway last week, and I’ve been preparing initial bills for public hearings. A couple of these include:

HF 102: This legislation will address predatory pay day lending. Hardworking Minnesotans deserve and need access to safe and responsible resources, not a system designed to take them in and milk their bank accounts over the long term, leaving them worse off and without funds to cover basic living expenses. We’re long overdue for Minnesota to join many states in putting reasonable limits on the rates of loans for struggling consumers.

HF 103: This bill repeals certain driver licensing requirements related to diabetes mellitus. Minnesota requires insulin-dependent diabetics to report their private medical history to the state in order to maintain a driver’s license, but then does nothing with that information. A constituent has brought this forward and I have been working with them and the Minnesota chapter of the American Diabetes Association.

I look forward to getting these bills the committee hearing and public vetting they merit. You can find all the bills I’ve chief authored this session here.

Vaccine Distribution Update

I recently led House efforts in urging the Minnesota Department of Health to consider the next vaccine phase to prioritize those adults who support the education and well-being of children. Our values should infuse the decisions around the rollout of vaccines and Minnesota's children ought to be our priority.

While many students are struggling academically, many are also struggling with their social emotional needs. That's why the vaccine priority needs to include staff who care for children in schools, after school programs, summer programs, and camps.

Early this week, Minnesota announced an important next step in the process of delivering the COVID-19 vaccine to those who need it most. A pilot program will establish new vaccination sites throughout that state, and individuals who are 65 years or older, as well as school staff and child care workers (who have been notified by their employer that they’re eligible), will now be able to make appointments to receive the vaccine.  

This program is currently challenged with high demand and insufficient supply of vaccines.  The cruelty of the Trump Administration to announce in their final days that they would release a stockpile of vaccines they didn’t have was stunning.  As our state is only receiving 60,000 doses a week, not everyone who is eligible will be able to receive the vaccine immediately.  Hopefully the new Biden Administration will better coordinate vaccine production and distribution.

For Minnesotans 65 and older, initial limited appointments are available for next week. You can book appointments online here, or by phone at 612-426-7230 or toll free at 833-431-2053. The nearest location for our community is Brooklyn Center, with other pilot sites in Andover, Fergus Falls, Marshall, Mountain Iron, North Mankato, Rochester, St. Cloud, and Thief River Falls.

The months ahead will take patience and a continued adherence to the public health guidelines that have kept us safe and healthy.

Upcoming Town Hall Meeting

Representative Greenman, Senator Torres Ray and I will be hosting a virtual town hall meeting on Saturday, January 30 at 10:00-11:30 a.m. to gather input and questions from residents. We’ll be live streaming the event on Senator Torres Ray’s Facebook page. RSVP online here. You do not need a Facebook account to join us. Please forward any questions you have before the event, if you can. Looking forward to connecting online with all of you!

Keep in Touch

Please continue to reach out anytime at rep.jim.davnie@house.mn or 651-296-0173. Don’t hesitate to let me know how I can be of assistance.

Thank you for the honor of serving our South Minneapolis neighbors at the Capitol.

Sincerely,

Jim Davnie

State Representative