Legislative Update- Budget Bills Advance

Dear Neighbors,

In a week filled with emotion and grief, a small step forward to justice was made with the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin following George Floyd’s killing. A conviction is not a substitute for increased accountability and public safety reform, and I pledge to keep working on solutions with community members and law enforcement so every Minnesotan makes it home safe at the end of the day.

The Public Safety bill we passed late last night balances investments into law enforcement AND includes public safety reform measures. I am optimistic these policies will help enhance public safety for all of our neighbors, no exceptions. Public safety and police reform has been a big topic of interest in our community coffee hours. Let me be clear: we can support our dedicated officers and reimagine what our public safety system looks like with practical and attainable policies. The following provisions were included in the bipartisan bill that passed last night: 

• Allowing local governments the opportunity to establish civilian oversight councils  
• Enhancing training and requiring the development of new model policies  
• Supporting community organizations working to prevent crime  
• Prohibiting altering, destroying, or withholding body camera footage  
• Limiting the use of no-knock warrants  
• Strengthening the police officer misconduct database and building a more effective early warning system to identify bad officers and keep them off the streets  

In addition to the Public Safety, Judiciary, and Civil Law Budget we passed last night, we’ve spent the past week vetting components of our complete state budget proposal on the House floor, with the next step being negotiations with the Senate. So far, we’ve passed budgets for the following areas:

• State Government, Elections, and Veterans
• Transportation
• Housing
• Labor, Industry, Workforce, and Business Development
• Legacy Amendment
• Early Learning and K-12 Education
• Higher Education
• Energy and Commerce

This is a behind-the-scenes look at how we vote remotely from home using fingerprint technology.

I am particularly thrilled about the Energy and Commerce Budget we passed yesterday. As a member of the Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee, I’ve had the pleasure of contributing to crafting the legislation. Minnesota is one of the fastest warming states in the nation, but we are not without solutions to this issue. By setting a clean fuel standard, Minnesota can become a leader in reducing transportation emissions. Our bill also provides the tools necessary to employ the technologies that can bring energy efficiency to homes throughout the state. We can build the clean energy economy and create jobs that Minnesotans deserve, and the budget we passed last night advances us on that path.

State Fair Community Vaccination Site Open to Dakota County Residents

The federally supported State Fair Community Vaccination site has expanded opportunities to connect more Minnesotans to COVID-19 vaccines.

The site has now been open for over one week and in that time has vaccinated more than 25,000 Minnesotans with their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Additionally, the State Fair location is vaccinating nearly 300 Minnesotans every hour. They will be offering Pfizer first doses for one more week (through May 3), before the site focuses on second doses.

Minnesotans can call the Minnesota Department of Health’s hotline to schedule appointments directly (833-431-2053) in a multitude of languages, and MDH has ensured a large number of translators are on site daily, with an ADA accessible drive through option, and are offering a free Metro Transit pass to every registrant. Appointments are filling quickly. Sign up now!

Keep in Touch

Please continue reaching out with feedback, comments, or questions anytime at rep.robert.bierman@house.mn. Don’t hesitate to let me know how I can be of assistance.

Thank you for the honor of serving our Apple Valley and Lakeville community members at the State Capitol.

Sincerely,

Robert Bierman

State Representative