St. Paul, Minn. – The Minnesota House State and Local Government Committee, chaired by Rep. Ginny Klevorn (DFL-Plymouth) is vetting and advancing legislation expeditiously to help craft Minnesota’s two-year state budget.
“As the chair of the State and Local Government Committee, a key priority of mine is to ensure we’re improving efficiencies and making sure our local government functions are accessible to all residents,” said Chair Klevorn.
Bills moving are focused on empowering local cities, promoting transparency, and improving public safety. On Thursday last week, the Minnesota House passed HF 1, the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act, which had a committee stop in Chair Klevorn’s committee. This bill protects Minnesotans’ right to contraception, the right to carry a pregnancy to term, and ensures the right to privacy for personal reproductive health decisions. The bill is heading into its final committee hearings in the Senate.
A key tool for legislators to use to set the state’s budget are the economic forecasts they receive from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB). However, currently, inflation is not allowed by MMB to factor in when compiling the forecast’s expenditure projections, only revenue. The first bill Chair Klevorn’s committee passed out of committee fixes that and would provide a clearer financial picture for Minnesotans as the budget process moves forward. The bill is expected to have a full House vote soon.
This week, Chair Klevorn prioritized legislation to come before the committee to help underfunded counties access more tools to prosecute violent crime, specifically attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, sexual assault, robbery, and burglary; human trafficking/sex trafficking; white-collar theft/fraud; criminal vehicular homicide/operation; etc. The bill would provide funding to the Minnesota Attorney General’s office to ensure counties can hire more prosecutors, and now awaits a full House floor vote.
Chair Klevorn can be reached at 651-296-5511 or by email at rep.ginny.klevorn@house.mn.gov.
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