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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Sondra Erickson (R)

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Legislative Update from Rep. Sondra Erickson

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The governor once again extended his emergency powers, so the legislature is back in special session this week. Session began Monday and I anticipate that it will run at least a week, with negotiations ongoing on issues like bonding, tax cuts, police reform, and supplemental budget spending.

On Tuesday, House Republican Leader Kurt Daudt attempted to suspend the rules to take up a resolution to end the peacetime emergency and return to regular legislative order. Unfortunately, the Democrat majority in the House refused to even allow for an up-or-down vote on the resolution.

It’s frustrating to watch as the governor is set to make major decisions on a statewide mask mandate and school reopenings, while Democrats seem content to let him make those decisions alone without the input of the legislature. We must end the governor's emergency powers and work together to manage Minnesota's continued response to COVID-19

Because of a 60-day post-session rule, I am unable to send out additional legislative updates until November. If you want to stay updated on the latest information about legislative sessions, I would encourage you to check out my official Facebook page. You can also reach out to me via email if you have specific questions.

Reopening Schools

On Monday, I introduced legislation that would give local school boards decision making power as it relates to implementing an in-person, hybrid, or distance learning model when students go back to school in the fall.

Local school officials are the ones who know their districts, families, and students best, and they should be the ones steering the ship going into the upcoming school year. We have seen that a one-size-fits-all mandate from Governor Walz and the Department of Education simply does not work. It’s time to trust our local officials to do the job they were chosen to do.

To learn more about my stance on this issue, I encourage you to read a recent Op-Ed that Rep. Ron Kresha and I submitted to the Star Tribune. You can read that piece here: http://strib.mn/2OmBeto.

Staying in Touch

Please continue to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-6746 or via email at rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn.

Have a good weekend,

Sondra