Legislative Update - The 2023 Legislative Session Begins

Dear Neighbors, 

I want to start by thanking you for the tremendous honor of continuing to serve our community in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Last November, Minnesotans made their voices loud and clear when they elected a DFL-majority in the legislative and executive branches. On top of that, the news of Minnesota’s budget outlook shows that we will have a significant opportunity to improve economic security and invest in students, workers, our communities, and more - building a Minnesota where everyone has a chance to thrive.

This session, I’m excited to share that I will serve as the Vice Chair of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee - which I chaired this week to pass one of our first bills out of committee. Additionally, I will serve on the House’s Education Finance, Labor and Industry, and Rules and Legislative Administration committees.

Chairing our first Environment and Natural Resources hearing

We’ve already hit the ground running our first week, and while there is no shortage of important issues to take on, one I’ve been focusing on is the implementation of free school lunches for Minnesota’s students. I recently wrote about the importance of this issue in the Star Tribune, and it’s a priority Governor Walz has echoed.

As 1 in 6 Minnesota children experience food insecurity, the benefits of universal free meals are crystal clear. When students focus on when they might eat next rather than schoolwork, their classroom performance suffers. I look forward to updating you on this bill as it goes through the committee process this year. Our first hearing on my bill, HF 5, will be in the Education Policy committee next week. 

Priorities to Move Minnesota Forward

I’m incredibly proud of the bipartisan accomplishments we were able to deliver these past few years, but too often Republicans stood in the way of the meaningful changes Minnesotans deserve.

This week, our House and Senate leaders unveiled the legislative priorities to move Minnesota forward. My colleagues and I are ready to work hard, work together, and work quickly to deliver on the issues that matter most to Minnesotans.

I should note that this isn’t a comprehensive list of everything we’ll take on this session, but a snapshot of some of the issues we’ll be addressing right away - some of which, like the PRO Act, have already passed their first committee hearing.  

You can watch House and Senate leadership discuss our shared priorities here.

Stay Connected

Things are already moving fast at the Minnesota Legislature, and I want to make sure you have the tools and resources available to you to stay in the loop. For broader legislative information, you can access the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services for nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication.

For any questions or comments you have on my work, or to schedule a meeting with me, please feel free to reach out at rep.sydney.jordan@house.mn.gov or 651-296-4219, and I will be happy to help. We’ve already had some great visits with constituents and organizations - including Unidos MN, which is advocating for driver's licenses for all (an issue you can read more about here).  You can also follow along on my official Facebook page, and if you haven’t subscribed or know of anyone who may be interested, you can sign up for these legislative updates here.

Thanks for visiting, Unidos!

Here’s to a productive legislative session!

Sincerely,  

Sydney Jordan

State Representative