Dear Neighbors,

I want to wish each of you a festive, enjoyable, and safe holiday season and that the New Year will bring you happiness, success, and good health throughout 2020. This is a special time of year, and I hope you will create many wonderful memories with family and friends. It’s also a good opportunity to look back at the year about to conclude. For me, it’s been a rewarding year, and I’ve enjoyed engaging with so many folks in the community and at the Capitol. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to chat with students at Great River School about voting and the importance of civic engagement.

I want to thank everyone who attended my recent Community Conversation on Cannabis. It was a good discussion with several different perspectives offered. As we move forward on this issue at the Capitol, input from Minnesotans will be absolutely critical to shaping a cannabis policy that works for our state.

Looking Ahead to 2020

The 2020 Legislative Session will get underway at noon on February 11. On December 5, Minnesota Management and Budget announced the November Economic Forecast, which showed a positive budget balance, a healthy budget reserve (“rainy day” fund) and continued low unemployment. We’ve only been able to reach this stability by budgeting responsibly, and investing in the things that help everyone succeed. In 2020, I’m committed to focusing on these key values, like affordable, accessible health care, economic justice and security for all Minnesotans no matter where they live or what background they may come from, and excellent education opportunities for all students. We also have the capacity to significantly invest in public infrastructure like housing, transportation, clean water, colleges, and universities, including priorities within the City of Saint Paul.

While the budget forecast was largely good news, there are warning signs, including global economic uncertainty and a projected economic slowdown. Irresponsible budgeting – like tax giveaways to the wealthy – could lead to budgetary disaster and put the core services Minnesotans count on at risk. Instead, I’ll remain committed to protecting the values which form a strong foundation for all Minnesotans to prosper.

Keeping Crime Victims Safe

Everyone deserves to be safe in our communities, and at the Capitol I’ve worked to strengthen protections for people, including victims and survivors of gender-based violence. In 2016, I championed legislation prohibiting the practice of distributing private sexual images without someone’s consent. I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with KARE 11 earlier this fall.

We’ve seen some new roadblocks emerge recently for crime victims to seek justice. Last week, the Minnesota Court of Appeals struck down the state’s telephone stalking law as overly broad. In light of this, I’m already talking with community members and public safety leaders to build consensus around new solutions that protect victims of domestic violence and give prosecutors the tools they need to hold wrongdoers accountable. I plan to have a bill ready for the 2020 session. To get this right, the voices of violence survivors must be at the forefront of this conversation.

We also learned of a positive step forward last week, with law enforcement now having access to information about Harassment Restraining Orders. Previously, they could only access orders for protection, which require a much higher threshold for victims to receive than HROs. After experiencing the hurt causing them to file for a Harassment Restraining Order, victims of violence already have a heavy lift on their shoulders. Uncertainty about how police may approach a potential situation should be the least of their worries, and is a tool that will keep them safe.

Reforming our Probation System

Minnesota is on the verge of advancing a significant criminal justice reform, as tomorrow, the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission will hold a public hearing on a series of reforms, including a five-year cap on probation terms, except for the most serious offenses. While our state’s incarceration rate is low, we have the fifth-highest percentage of residents on community supervision among all states. There’s also no statewide standard system for probation terms, with sentences varying wildly among counties, and can be as long as 40 years. This leads to significant disparities, and people of color are particularly affected.

It’s extremely important for Minnesotans to make their voices heard on this issue. If you’re unable to attend the hearing in person, (1:30 p.m. in Room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building, 95 University Avenue W., Saint Paul) you’re invited to submit written comment before December 26^th. Please email your input to sentencing.guidelines@state.mn.us.

As the calendar turns to 2020, I want to share how grateful I am to represent our neighborhoods in Saint Paul. In the New Year, please continue to contact me with your feedback, input, and ideas.

From my family to yours: Happy Holidays.

Sincerely,

John Lesch
State Representative