Han Mitákuye Owási? (Hello all my relations), Today marks the end of the first committee deadlines, which signals the halfway point for the 2026 legislative session. Early this week, the House Chamber voted unanimously to repeal César Chávez Day in Minnesota. I stand in solidarity with Dolores Huerta and all victims and survivors of sexual abuse; repealing this day is an important step toward healing and justice.  Last night, my DFL colleagues tried reasoning with Republicans again, pleading for at least one of them to abandon their partisan priorities and put Minnesotans first. Since they kept stalling these bills in committee, we brought them to the House floor to force Republicans to tell Minnesotans whose side they are on. Despite our attempts, they rejected legislation to: - Ban high-capacity magazines
- Ban assault weapons
- Ban ICE from schools
They voted against every measure that would save lives and protect children. Republicans are denying reality at a time when Minnesotans deserve leaders with the courage to act.  Work in Committee I had a proud milestone moment this week presenting my first bill in the House Energy Committee! Minnesotans are facing rising energy costs due to aging infrastructure, increasing demand, volatile fuel costs, and lost federal subsidies due to HR1. Placing a cap on interim rate increases will reduce ratepayer burden by preventing unnecessary overpayments. My bill would cap the interim rate at 5%. Utilities shouldn’t be able to basically take out a loan at the expense of consumers. I'll continue to work with stakeholders to get this across the finish line.  It was interesting to see the stark contrast in the proposals from my GOP colleagues. While my bill would reduce utility costs for Minnesotans, Republicans are proposing tax cuts for big corporations that would negatively impact our residents. Yesterday in the Energy Committee, I voted against a GOP proposal that would give a massive tax cut to Xcel Energy for their Monticello facility. The Renewable Development Account (RDA) is a critical tool for supporting local jobs, cleaner air, and a clean energy future. Diverting this essential funding would destabilize our progress toward a sustainable energy grid and jeopardize the growth of local green initiatives. Watch my remarks here.  No Kings Rally Tomorrow is the big day! Excited to join community for the 'No Kings Rally'! I'm a little nervous but looking forward to speaking alongside an outstanding lineup of local and national leaders. See you all there.  Stay Connected Thank you again for the privilege of serving as your State Representative; I will continue to work hard to ensure your voice and your passions are realized here in the House. If you haven't yet, there is still time to register for our upcoming SD 47 community town hall on Wednesday, April 1 from 6:00PM to 7:00PM. Register here. You can also "follow" and "like" my new official Facebook page to stay up to date on the daily happenings at the Capitol. To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out at rep.shelley.buck@house.mn.gov or 651-296-7807, and I will be happy to help. Pidamayayepi (thank you to all of you), Rep. Shelley Buck (Bdewakantunwan Dakota) Minnesota House of Representatives (47A) |