Legislative Update- February 28, 2022

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this email newsletter finds you and yours staying well.

You’re invited to join Senator Torres Ray, Rep. Greenman and me for a town hall next Saturday, March 5, 10:30-12:00 noon. Please email questions in advance to rep.jim.davnie@house.mn. We’ll be streaming the event on Facebook. I look forward to hearing from you!

Today Minnesota Management and Budget announced a new economic forecast showing a $9.25 billion budget surplus for the current biennium. As I’ve said before, workers and families deserve to benefit from the economic growth they are helping create, which is why we’re focused in the House on putting the needs of workers and families first.

As we kick off our fifth week of the legislative session, many of our priorities are built around the fact that many Minnesotans are still struggling, especially in our community, even as numbers show sectors of the state’s economy are doing exceptionally well. We need to make sure all Minnesotans can benefit from the economic recovery they are helping create, not just a wealthy few. 

In the House, we’ve been releasing proposals to take on issues that have been brought on or exacerbated by the pandemic, and ones that existed long before COVID-19. We’ve already unveiled our priorities in the areas of Economic Security, Education, and Climate Action.

Here’s an update on our work from the Capitol:

Frontline Worker Pay

This week the Minnesota House passed the frontline worker bonus pay legislation HF 2900, which appropriates $1 billion for bonus payments to at least 667,000 frontline workers. The frontline worker bonus pay legislation builds upon the efforts of last year’s working group on this issue, and invests $1 billion in order to meaningfully recognize the Minnesotans who have worked on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible workers would receive payments of up to $1,500. There has been no action taken on this measure in the Senate.

A Plan to Solve Minnesota’s Housing Crisis

This month, we unveiled our plan to solve Minnesota’s housing crisis, a package of priority housing legislation the House DFL will champion this session. Our plan is based around a simple principle: Every Minnesotan deserves a safe and affordable place they can call home. Our Housing plan puts Minnesota on course to solve our state’s housing crisis with investments across the entire housing continuum. The House DFL is proposing major investments to build more affordable housing, preserve the affordable housing that we already have, provide pathways to home ownership and out of homelessness, and ensure landlords and renters are made whole. We have a golden opportunity this session to invest in solutions to create more housing options throughout the state to house a new generation of workers and their families.

We were in a housing crisis well before the pandemic, and COVID-19 has only exacerbated housing insecurity for many in our community. Now, we have a generational opportunity to make meaningful change in how our state takes on housing, and I believe it’s a challenge we can meet together. 

You can watch the press conference on these proposals here, or read more about the plan here.  

Education Update

As the House K-12 Education Finance Committee Chair, I’m working with our committee members to fix what is broken in our school systems across the state. To that end, we’re focused on closing budget shortfalls in Special Education and English Language Learning, increasing access to mental health resources, and shrinking the opportunity gap. Our schools were already facing these challenges prior to the pandemic and it’s clear we need to invest in the academic and social and emotional resources our students need to be successful. I continue to be committed to helping our students and families respond to the current issues COVID-19 presents in education and finding solutions that make our schools and communities whole. You can view our committee schedule here.

Keep in Touch

Please continue to reach out anytime at rep.jim.davnie@house.mn or 651-296-0173 with questions or input.

It’s an honor to represent our South Minneapolis community at the State Capitol.

Sincerely,

Jim Davnie
State Representative