Minnesota Leads on Combatting Climate Change
Dear Neighbors,
These are busy days on the House Floor, with debates often continuing until late into the evening. DFLers are prioritizing legislation that aims to improve the lives of working and middle-class families in Minnesota.
Throughout this session, I’ve been glad to meet with students and constituents who have visited the Capitol as a part of our youth engagement programs, like the High School Page program. These are great opportunities for young Minnesotans to get to see the legislative process firsthand and meet with elected officials from all across the state!
House Floor Action
The House continues to debate and pass supplemental budget and policy bills on the floor, covering important issues such as education, labor, housing, the environment, and more. Our work this year builds on last year’s historic successes and works to improve the lives of working and middle class Minnesotans. Recently, the House has passed:
- A broadly bipartisan bill investing $240 million in our outdoors, clean water, parks and trails, and cultural heritage from the Legacy Amendment fund.
- A K-12 Education bill that boosts resources for the READ Act to improve literacy, moves forward solutions for student wellbeing, and enhances support for teachers.
- An Environment and Natural Resources bill with new investments in tree planting, improving air quality, holding repeat polluters accountable, and tackling solid waste and recycling.
- A Children and Families bill that reforms our child protection system and builds on historic investments in economic support for families, food security, and emergency shelter.
- A Transportation, Labor, and Housing bill that invests in railroad safety and public transit, enhances worker rights and safety, improves housing stability for renters and seniors, and funds homelessness prevention.
We passed a Pensions and Retirement bill with bipartisan support, which prioritizes educators’ retirement security, improves our pension systems’ health, and strengthens the benefits retirees can expect. Also passed was a bill addressing the “kidfluencer” industry that safeguards young content creators with protections for safety, fair compensation, and future financial security.
Minnesota’s Climate Progress!
You may have seen MPR’s recent climate story — report finds Minnesota outpacing the country in carbon-free electricity. Minnesota has produced more than half our energy from carbon-free sources for the fourth year in a row, and has seen a 10% annual drop in greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector!
The report, released by Clean Energy Economy Minnesota and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, shows clearly that the steps we are taking at the Legislature to address and combat climate change are working. We can’t afford to backtrack on our progress.
Minnesota is leading the way toward a cleaner, greener future! House Democrats are taking action on climate change with the urgency required, and we will keep working to accelerate our transition to carbon-free energy sources.
AG warns Minnesotans about how to avoid door-to-door home improvement scams
Every year, home improvement scammers go door-to-door to cheat Minnesotans out of their money. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has issued information on how to avoid these home improvement cons. You will also learn how to report a scam and access a link to a publication on home improvement scams.
Stay Connected!
Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account. To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out at rep.andy.smith@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9249, and I will be happy to help. If you were forwarded this email and you’d like to subscribe, click here. If you have a friend or neighbor who would be interested in receiving these, please forward this and encourage them to subscribe!
Warmly,
Andy Smith,
State Representative