Neighbors,
Thank you to everyone who came to our town hall last week! Sen. Susan Kent and I gave a mid-session update to go over the legislature’s plans to maintain a balanced budget, increase transparency in the lawmaking process, and help all Minnesotans thrive. Read more about our meeting here.
Safety on our Roads
Distracted driving is a contributing factor in one in five car crashes. In Minnesota, it causes an average of 53 deaths and 216 serious injuries every year.
This week, the Minnesota legislature took up the issue that failed last year, and passed hands-free driving legislation which would require drivers to put down their phones and focus on the road. Our lives are more important than a text message.
Sixteen other states and Washington, D.C. have hands-free cell phone laws. According to WCCO, crashes and fatalities on the road decrease when states have hands-free cell phone laws on the books, and it’s no mystery why. A driver who looks down for five seconds while driving 55 MPH has already gone the length of a football field. Minnesotans deserve to be safe on our roads, and I urge our Senate Companions to pass this legislation.
Read more from MPR here and the Star Tribune here.
Opioids
In 2017, more than 400 Minnesotans died of opioid overdoses, the same year that there were more than 2,000 emergency room visits due to opioid-related overdose. On Monday I voted in favor of legislation to hold Big Pharma accountable for their role in creating this crisis. Minnesotans shouldn’t have to foot the bill for the tragedy that these companies have inflicted on our communities. The bill would support a wide range of addiction prevention, education, intervention, treatment and recovery strategies, and passed by a 94-34 vote.
Big Pharma has collected billions in profits over the years and has not had to pay a dime to help Minnesotans get treatment or help law enforcement keep our communities safe. This is wrong, and it’s time they start contributing to the solution. Holding big corporations accountable is the right thing to do and I am proud to support this bill.
You can read more from MPR here and listen to the astonishing story of the family that profits from the opioid crisis from the New York Times here.
MPR
ICYMI – I was on MPR with host Angela Davis and my colleagues Rep. Samantha Vang and Rep. Jay Xiong to talk about our work to increase access to affordable housing, health care, and being the largest class of Hmong legislators ever to serve Minnesota. Listen to the full broadcast here.
Please reach out with any questions, comments or concerns, and stop by my office if you’re ever near the Capitol!
Sincerely,
Tou Xiong
State Representative – District 53A |
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