 Dear Neighbors, We're hard at work at the legislature already here in the start of session - every day is full of committee hearings, floor sessions, and constituent meetings. It's an honor to serve you in the legislature, and I look forward to writing these updates to keep you informed of my work at the Capitol.  Equal Rights AmendmentStarting the session off on a good and very important note, our House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee heard HF 726 on the first of the month. The bill, once it becomes law, guarantees gender equality in the Minnesota Constitution. You can watch the hearing here. Minnesota women deserve equal rights in all aspects of life. And assumed equality for women is not enough — our state and US constitutions should be clear that we have equal rights. 38 states have already passed this same bill to include gender equality in their Constitutions, including states that are much more conservative than ours. I'm honestly surprised that we haven't been able to get it through both bodies yet; I encourage my Republican colleagues in the Senate to consider the bill.  Justice For Amir LockeI support my colleague Rep. Athena Hollins, and her bill to put tougher restrictions on no-knock warrants. No-knock warrants are dangerous, and often lead to harm for both civilians and officers. They are also used unequally. St. Paul hasn’t used one since 2016, but the Minneapolis Police Department averages more than 100 per year. Rep. Hollins is proposing common-sense, good policy that we can pass in response to the tragic death of 22-year-old Amir Locke at the hands of police. House DFL Press Conference on No Knock Warrants We Want Lead Testing! Today in Preventive Health - the committee I chair - we heard two bills to expand free lead testing in Minnesota. The data is clear: no amount of lead is safe for the human body. We've heard from experts that lead content in drinking water sources can have extremely detrimental effects on developing brains. Like Rep. Pryor said in committee, we don't want Minnesota to ever reach the level of disaster that we saw in Flint, MI.  This Saturday: SD45 Town HallJoin us this Saturday for another Zoom Town Hall! We'll be available to answer your questions and discuss important issues of the moment. Register and submit topics here. Link to the Facebook Event  First Law of 2022The first bill to be signed by the Governor this year was Rep. Dan Wolgamott's bill, HF 1203, which extends worker's comp benefits for those frontline workers who contract COVID-19 on the job. This bill is just common sense. We're still in the pandemic. I'm glad that we were able to pass it swiftly in a bipartisan fashion. “Every day throughout this pandemic, frontline workers have protected us and have saved lives,” said Governor Walz. “This bipartisan bill—passed within days of the Legislature gaveling in for the 2022 session—makes it clear that in Minnesota, we are grateful for our first responders, take care of our workers, and give them both the benefits they deserve.” My BillsI've introduced numerous bills so far this session, including the following: - HF 2833 invests in improvements to the Metro's wastewater system.
- HF 3132 appropriates bonding funds to create a new Golden Valley fire station.
- HF 3162 expands approves medical cannabis negotiations between the state of Minnesota and Tribal nations. You can view the first hearing on this bill here.
- HF 3176 would allow small cities such as Robbinsdale to invest a portion of their reserves in private markets, something large cities are now able to do. You can view the bill’s first hearing here, including testimony from Robbinsdale Mayor Bill Blonigan.
- HF 3177 invests in a new Health Discovery Hub at the University of Minnesota, with the goal of advancing clinical and outcomes-focused public health research.
You can always check in on the bills that I've authored here. Keep in TouchYou can always contact me at rep.mike.freiberg@house.mn with any questions you may have. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Mike Freiberg State Representative PS- I hope that everyone had a great Valentine's Day! I participated in our 2/14 legislative tradition, in song.  |