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Legislative News and Views - Rep. John Lesch (DFL)

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Capitol Update - March 28, 2018

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Dear Neighbors,

I’d like to thank everyone who attended our Town Hall Meeting on Saturday. We had a good discussion about the issues important to the community. Video of the meeting is archived on my Facebook page here.

 

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Next week, the Legislature will take a customary weeklong recess in observance of Easter and Passover. After that, when we return there will be just over six weeks until the finish line. The constitution says the Legislature must adjourn by May 21, and there’s a lot left on our plates to finish up.

March for Our Lives

Saturday, I had the opportunity to speak in front of the 20,000 students and allies who attended the March for Our Lives on the State Capitol steps and front lawn. Here is video of my address. The energy was remarkable and I don’t think I’ve seen so many people motivated on an issue like this in quite some time. It was inspiring seeing so many Minnesotans make their voices heard on not just a critical issue, but one with common-sense solutions right in front of us.

 

 

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This outpouring of advocacy gives me hope that we can build momentum to push back against some of the powerful special interests which have been able to stop progress to this point. It’s clear young people are ahead of the politicians on this, and the demand for change isn’t going away.

PreK education funding at risk

Yesterday, Governor Dayton called upon the Legislature to protect preKindergarten programs from being eliminated for 4,000 students at more than 59 school districts and charter schools across the state. After next school year, 227 four-year-olds in the St. Paul Public Schools would lose access to preK if funding isn’t continued. Gov. Dayton’s supplemental budget proposal would secure permanent preK funding for these school districts and charters, which were only provided temporary funding by the Legislature last session.

All Minnesota students should have the opportunity to start kindergarten fully prepared to learn and achieve, and it would be irresponsible to allow this funding to end. Quality preK programming gives kids a significant jumpstart not just when it comes to academic learning, but how they interact with their peers and develop social and behavioral skills. These resources have also helped close our opportunity gap, so we can’t put this progress in jeopardy. Education for four-year-olds shouldn’t be a political bargaining chip year after year. Let’s do the right thing and invest in Minnesota’s kids.

State employee contracts approved

On Monday, after a long delay, the House and Senate voted to ratify labor contracts for more than 30,000 state workers. Soon after, Governor Dayton signed the bill. These contracts were negotiated in good faith last year, but the Republican Majority continuously stalled on approving them.

We value our state workers, and they deserve fair pay and benefits. It’s nice to see that we’re finally doing right by the people who plow our roads, keep our water clean, monitor health emergencies, and respond when our state is in crisis.

WFNU interview

Last night I appeared on Radio Free Nation on WFNU Radio with Marty Owings and Katey DeCelle. You can listen to my appearance here, which begins at about the 30 minute mark.

WFNU is a non-profit, volunteer-run community radio station based in Frogtown and broadcasts on 94.1 FM. It launched in 2016 and has music, local sports, and other community-based programming to amplify the diverse set of voices in the neighborhood. You can visit them online and listen here.

KSTP interview

Last week I sat down with Tom Hauser of KSTP Ch. 5 to discuss issues surrounding the charges brought against former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor. We talked about how a jury may see the use of deadly force and what steps the Legislature has taken to improve de-escalation training. You can watch the clip online here.

That’s all for this week. Keep reaching out with your feedback and ideas; feel free to call or email me anytime.

Sincerely,

John Lesch

State Representative