Special Session Update- June 21, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying June. Our work continues at the Minnesota Legislature. House DFLers have reached a bipartisan agreement in several key budget areas and we started taking up those agreements last week in budget bill form. We’re working around the clock to finalize a budget before July 1 with the Republican Senate in order to fund the things Minnesotans care about and build a better future for all Minnesotans.

Here’s a look at what we’ve passed so far:

Commerce/Energy Budget

The compromise bill focuses on addressing the climate crisis and protecting Minnesota consumers from those who seek to take advantage of them. It invests in several clean energy initiatives that will reduce Minnesota’s greenhouse gas emissions and create well-paying jobs, tackles catalytic converter theft, and establishes a Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights to protect students from predatory lending practices, to name a few good provisions within the budget.

Notably, the converter catalytic theft provision increases reporting requirements for scrap metal dealers when purchasing a catalytic converter. The provision gives law enforcement, scrap metal dealers, and consumers ways to deter thefts by adding identification numbers and unique markers to make it harder to sell stolen parts. Eastsiders especially have been impacted by the uptick in theft, and I’ve received several correspondences from constituents asking us to address this problem.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce will also be directed to create a pilot project to identify the vehicles most likely to be targeted by a theft and establish a process to label those catalytic converters with unique identification numbers using labels, engravings, pain or other methods.

You can read more about the bill here.

Agriculture Budget

The compromise agriculture budget recognizes the value Minnesotans place on clean water, soil, and air, and looks to the future of farming in Minnesota. The budget invests in emerging farmer outreach, urban and youth agriculture, the Farm-to-School initiative, Good Food Access, and funding for environmentally-friendly production practices and conservation techniques. I was proud to support this area of the budget.

Higher Education Budget

The higher education portion of the budget we passed includes measures to help students recover from the pandemic and thrive in the future workforce. In the bill, we passed investments to the State Grant Program, impacting approximately 75,000 students across the state and increasing accessibility to nearly 3,000 grant applicants.

We also listened to the concerns of many students who testified publicly about the need for more mental health and wellness support on campus. In response, the bill bill has investments in mental health resources, addresses food insecurity on our college campuses, supports z-degrees to help reduce the cost of textbooks and course materials for students, and contains emergency grant assistance to meet food, housing, and transportation needs. Learn more about the budget bill here.

Legacy Budget

As a member of the conference committee, I helped to serve as a key negotiator during our working group meetings with the Senate. The Legacy bill invests in protecting and enhancing Minnesota's outdoor heritage, clean water, arts and cultural heritage, and parks and trails. Investing in these priorities will benefit current and future generations. Since 2010, the Legacy Amendment has generated more than $4 billion for initiatives that benefit people and communities, making our state an even better place to live and work.

Local Vaccine Opportunities

Governor Walz announced last week that over 3 million Minnesotans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. While this is encouraging news, we have more work to do to get more shots in arms, especially among our vulnerable populations. Below, I’ve compiled several walk-in vaccine clinics with hours, ages, days of the week, and type of vaccine available across St. Paul. Please help spread the word!

Keep in Touch

I’ll continue to keep you updated on our progress throughout the special session. Please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime at rep.jay.xiong@house.mn or 651-296-4201 to share input or let me know how I can help. I’m always happy to help answer questions.

Thank you for the honor of representing our Eastside neighbors at the Capitol.

Stay cool.

In solidarity,

Jay Xiong

State Representative