Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.  Legislative Update from Rep. Kim Hicks Neighbors, There’s less than a month left in this year’s legislative session, and things have been... interesting in the most Minnesota way possible. Over the past few months, things have oscillated between triumphant moments of bipartisanship that would make D.C. folks’ heads spin and infuriating displays of hate and cruelty from the Republicans that would make Trump proud. It has been a challenging time. None of this has changed how I do my work. I stood firm in my values, beliefs, and goals during the DFL Trifecta and they hold strong now. Republicans have a tendency to overlook how their actions — and the actions of the Trump Administration — harm our most vulnerable communities, so I've had the pleasure of reminding them. Often. And I’m not stopping anytime soon. An example of this was on full display when earlier this month Republicans decided they would rather bully trans kids on the House Floor than go to committee to stop cuts to special education (which was a Republican-authored bill, by the way.) But nope — they unexpectedly drug out Floor Session by bringing up a dead-end bill so they could yell about trans kids for so long that committee time came and went. We know that Republicans don’t want to do actual work anymore and are eager to go home. This was yet another true showing of their priorities.  Despite the confusing and hypocritical nature of Republican’s “leadership” style, I’ve been working hard on legislation that actually solves problems Minnesotans are facing instead of creating more. I’m carrying several bills that fight and prevent fraud through enhancing agency oversight of state-administered grants and mandatory in-person site visits and tracking systems to make sure private providers who are supposed to be delivering services to Minnesotans are actually doing that. You can learn more about the comprehensive DFL fraud prevention package here. Last week, the House GOP voted against funding to strengthen the integral Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The proposal would beef up one of the most effective Medicaid fraud fighting forces in the country. That means more fraudsters in jail and more public funds going where they need to. There is a 3-to-1 match of federal funds for any state funds appropriated for MFCU staff. As a result, the state would only need to pay for 4.5 staff to get a total of 18! It is fiscally irresponsible to throw this opportunity away. Taking Care of Rochester Earlier this week, the House Taxes Committee heard my bill to halt the Rochester Sports Complex from moving forward without community approval. In 2023, Rochester residents voted to authorize a new sports complex that was promised to have both indoor and outdoor spaces and cater to the needs of the community. I was among many of you who voted for the proposal — I was so excited to have sporting space that we could actually use year-round. But shortly after the ballot approval of the complex, a new cost assessment was completed, and suddenly the price tag on the project was higher. Updated estimates came back at $120 million, nearly twice the cost of the initial $65 million proposal approved by voters. The city council drew up a new plan that omitted the indoor part of the complex. It’s unclear to me how such an expensive oversight was made — and it’s equally unclear why the city council has chosen to prioritize the outdoor complex over the part of the project that won community support in the first place. Rochester residents deserve to get what they paid and voted for. The updated plan for the sports complex no longer serves the best interests of our community. I began conversations with the city council nearly a year ago to try to find a way to proceed that involved the community input that was promised. After several months without progress, last July I announced that I would introduce legislation to cancel the sales-tax authorization if we couldn’t find a solution together. With this week’s hearing, I made good on that promise. I want to see this project fully realized in a form that serves the entire community, as we were all assured it would. I sincerely hope this is not the end of the road for this project, but I cannot in good conscious allow it to move forward against the wishes of Rochester residents. If you have thoughts or ideas, feel free to reach out to my office.  The House DFL Rochester Delegation also passed legislation to change the format of Rochester School Board Elections, and that bill has already been signed into law. My colleague, Rep. Tina Liebling, who represents the southern part of Rochester, carried the bill at the request of the School Board. The new law dissolves the current system used for Rochester School Board Elections, known as the “alley” system, and replaces it with a general at-large system, where candidates simply run for School Board and the top-voted candidates are elected to available seats. All seats on the Rochester School Board are already at-large seats, so the alley system unnecessarily complicates things by requiring candidates to choose a specific seat on the board to run in. The new system will elect members based on who receives the most votes across the entire field of candidates, the way most school boards with a similar system do it.  In a time when the federal government is determined to make voting harder and more confusing, I’m glad to do something to simplify a complicated system for our community. Finally, the Rochester House DFL Delegation passed a bill to allow the city of Rochester to give a liquor license to the Historic Chateau Theatre! The Chateau is a beloved and important piece of Rochester's downtown. Once passed by the Senate and approved by the city, patrons will be able to enjoy an adult beverage during a night out for one of the many events the Chateau holds — and just in time for summer! Provide Input for State Fair Accessibility The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, & Hard of Hearing is seeking Input on Interpreted Shows during the State Fair. If you’re someone who relies on these services and loves going to the State Fair, you can participate in the survey here. All responses will remain anonymous and only be shared amongst the team creating the schedules. If you have any questions, please contact Angelique Kessens at angelique.kessens@mnstatefair.org or accessibility@mnstatefair.org. Tomorrow: Free Park Day! On April 25th, it’s Free Parks and Trails Day in Minnesota. Four times a year, Minnesota state parks offer free entrance, waiving the need for a $7 vehicle permit. It’s a great way to revisit our local gems or explore a new part of the state. You can use the parkfinder here to plan your next trip.  Find us on Instagram! The House DFL Rochester Delegation is taking our partnership to a whole new place — Instagram! You can always find me on Facebook for updates on the legislative session, but if Facebook isn’t your jam, follow the DFL Rochester Delegation on Instagram to stay in touch. Stay Connected with the Legislature Thank you to everyone who has joined us for virtual town halls over the past few months. We’re planning to do another once session concludes, so stay tuned for that announcement! Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach me. Please continue to reach out with any input, ideas, or feedback about the issues important to you. I value hearing from you, so call or email any time. You can find my information on my House website. You can also like my Facebook page. It is an honor to represent you at the State Capitol. Sincerely, Kim Hicks State Representative Representative Kim Hicks5th Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155Phone: 651-296-4378
Email: rep.kim.hicks@house.mn.gov (replies to this newsletter are not monitored)
Website: https://www.house.mn.gov/25A
Legislative Assistant: Madison Bailey, 651-296-5517 |