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Dear Neighbors,
On May 17, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned for the regular 2021 Legislative Session, but the work remains. As one of the only divided state legislatures in the nation, and with a large influx of federal dollars thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we reached the end of session with a bipartisan agreement on a budget framework, but not a complete budget. Now, until we reconvene for a special session in June, working groups made up of House and Senate members will hammer out the final details of our budget. I have been appointed to work with colleagues in both chambers to finalize the components of our bipartisan budget focusing on housing.
It’s important to note, especially during the first anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer, a final budget agreement is contingent on meaningful public safety reform and police accountability measures. In the past year, our community has been in the national and global spotlight, not for the things making our home a great place to live, but because of the glaring inequalities and racial disparities that exist in Minnesota. In the wake of George Floyd's murder, the Minnesota Legislature passed an initial round of new public safety laws that were always intended to be the first of many steps, and I’m confident we can come together to do more.
In the memory of George Floyd and for the promise of a better future, we’re fighting for proposals to accomplish the following:
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