Legislative Update – May 2, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
It has been a busy few weeks here at the Capitol as we debate and vote on our 2023 budget bills. With so much going on, I have been glad to take the time to continue meeting with constituents, students, and others to hear how we can craft a budget that helps everyone—even the baby lambs that the Three Rivers Parks District brought to visit!
Provisions Included in Budget Bills
Many of the bills I worked on this session were included in our budget bills. I am proud of our K-12 Education bill, which will help stabilize school funding, support our student’s health and well-being, and invest in resources to improve academic innovation and outcomes.
Our K-12 Education bill includes my proposal to increase funding for the Minnesota Math Corps. Math Corps uses AmeriCorps tutors to help teachers in the classroom and get students back on track to math proficiency—and it outperforms the national average growth in math learning. The bill also includes my provision to require all Minnesota public schools to maintain a supply of naloxone, a life-saving medicine that can rapidly reverse a heroin, fentanyl, or oxycodone overdose.
I am also excited about our health budget, which focuses on lowering health care costs while increasing access to the quality care that Minnesotans deserve. The bill includes my provision to make diagnostic services and follow-up testing after breast cancer screenings free for Minnesotans. Additional diagnostic services are necessary for many patients but can come with prohibitive co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs. This bill eliminates those barriers to ensure all patients have the best chance to detect breast cancer early, helping to save lives.
Conference Committee Begins
Yesterday I attended the first “conference committee” meeting for the Environment and Climate budget. Conference Committees are committees made up of members from each chamber appointed to reconcile the differences between two versions of a bill—in this case, the Environment and Climate budget bill. As chair of the Climate and Energy Committee, I am dedicated to passing the best possible bill to lower Minnesotans’ energy costs and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
House and Senate nonpartisan staff walked through the differences between the two bills, which you can watch here. We have a lot in common with our Senate DFL counterparts and have already began accepting provisions to be included in the final bill!
The Governor’s State of the State Address
On April 19,, Governor Walz delivered the State of the State address from the House Floor. Now that we’re 100 days into Walz’s second term, we can look back and see all of the great things we’ve done for Minnesotans together. We are making immense progress this session with leaders who are committed to ending gridlock and getting things done for Minnesotans. You can view the full address here.
Staying in touch
Please reach out if you have any questions or feedback you would like to share. You can contact me by email at rep.patty.acomb@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-9934.
Sincerely,
Patty Acomb
State Representative