Dear Neighbor,
Good news to report this week as a bill I authored to ease the workload large-animal veterinarians passed the House unanimously on Thursday, and now awaits Senate action.
My bill (H.F. 3718) makes important updates to how veterinary care is regulated in Minnesota. This legislation expands the State Board of Veterinary Medicine to include licensed veterinary technicians, recognizing a growing and important role in animal care. It also establishes clear licensure and continuing education requirements for these professionals.
This is a positive step forward, especially as we work to address the shortage of large-animal veterinarians in Greater Minnesota. Expanding the role of veterinary technicians can help ease some of that workload. That said, we also need to tackle the high cost of becoming a veterinarian, whether through loan forgiveness programs or other solutions so more people are able to enter the field.
On a separate note, it was disappointing to see three separate bills designed protect safe and fair athletic competitions for biological females were blocked from floor action this week on party-line votes.
The Preserving Girls Sports Act (H.F. 12) is one of three girls-sports bills we looked to advance. It specifically states that only female students may participate in school sports restricted on the basis of sex to women or girls. By failing to pass it into law, the door remains open for biological males to continue participating in Minnesota girls sports even though polls show around 80 percent of people agree with the bill’s position.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota State High School League refuses to comply with a federal ban on biological males competing in female sports. Last spring, a male-born pitcher led a female softball team to a state championship, clinching the title with a complete-game shutout.
House Democrats also voted to block the Preserving Girls Sports Act last year. In addition to that bill, House Republicans motioned to move two other similarly themed measures (H.F. 2685 and H.F. 1233) on Tuesday, but Democrats stopped those on separate, party-line votes as well.
It’s hard to believe we’re at a point where we need to clarify in law that girls sports should be reserved for biological females. But that’s where we are and it is disappointing that party politics stopped us from taking action on bills to address this issue.
Fairness and safety matter in girls sports. When it comes to athletic competition, decisions should be based on biological reality, not identity.
Look for more as we make our way through the final five weeks of this session ahead of our May 17 deadline to adjourn. Affordability is expected to be a major point of discussion as we look for ways to lessen the burden on Minnesota families and businesses. House Republicans hosted a press conference this week to share some of the proposals we have, including reducing vehicle tab fees and providing one-time property tax refunds. We can get into more of the details in upcoming newsletters.
Until next time, have a good weekend and let me know how I can help.
Sincerely,
Paul