Neighbors, I wish you a very happy holiday season! I am looking forward to time with my family, friends and visiting with constituents in the community. I hope you enjoy celebrating your traditions!  Upcoming Town HallPlease join Senator Nick Frentz, Rep. Jeff Brand, and me for a town hall meeting in the middle of January to meet with constituents, answer questions, and deliver updates from the Capitol. I will send details as they are finalized. New LawsSeveral news laws will take effect on January 1, 2024, among them laws related to earned safe and sick time (ESST), past pay history, and extreme risk protection orders. You can access this information here. Summaries of all laws passed by the 2023 Legislature are available online from nonpartisan House Public Information Services here. As mentioned above, starting January 1, 2024, Minnesota’s new earned sick and safe time law will ensure all Minnesota employees can earn paid sick leave. Under this law, all workers will have the opportunity to stay home when sick. Employers must provide each employee in Minnesota at least one hour of paid sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked and up to at least 48 hours of accrued ESST a year. This is the right thing to do for Minnesota’s workers and our economy, and it also protects public health by reducing the spread of communicable diseases. You can find a full FAQ of this important new law, here. New State Flag and EmblemMinnesota is getting a new flag and seal! The State Emblems Commission received 2,123 flag submissions and 398 seal designs in total, and the final version was announced yesterday. The commission has also finalized the new state seal. The new emblems will become official on Minnesota Statehood Day on May 11.   Community EventsI recently met with a group of community and Isaiah members at the Curiosi-Tea House in North Mankato to discuss health care access and affordability. Many in attendance shared their stories about the need to continue expanding MinnesotaCare. We made progress in the 2023 legislative session, and I will continue to work with advocates and policy makers to make sure more Minnesotans have access to the health care they need.  I recently attended the Minnesota Farmers Union Convention. They thanked me for the work I did behind the scenes to ensure legislation was approved to create an indemnity fund. I am always pleased to learn about the good work done by our farmers and agricultural workers.  Progress on Jury Selection IssueIn 2021, I was selected for a jury duty pool and was outraged by the questionnaire given to the jurors, which were very personal, including whether they had been victims of a sexual assault. I thought these inquiries were too personal and asked the prospective jurors about experiences they may have not shared with anyone. These same questionnaires required the jurors answer honestly, which would force them to say something they did not want to share. I decided to act and worked on legislation in my first term to alter these questions to address this potential re-traumatization. I worked with colleagues and victim advocates to alter the questionnaire and introduced HF4340. While that bill did not become law, I continued the effort this year, met with courts personnel, and they sent me guidance that went to all judges throughout the state to make the process of jury selection more trauma-informed. Courts personnel told me this guidance should address all the items I had identified. Minnesota Values ProjectAlmost 7 years ago, the Minnesota House DFL started the Minnesota Values Project (also known as MVP) a partnership between Minnesotans, elected officials, and organizations to create a shared vision of the future for our state. Working together, we have strengthened our communities by improving education opportunities, making affordable health care a reality, and increasing economic prosperity for all Minnesotans. Through this project, we have facilitated hundreds of meaningful conversations with people across all of Minnesota about their priorities. We are continuing this work and want to engage with as many Minnesotans as possible. Looking ahead to the 2024 legislative session, we want to hear more perspectives and feedback from Minnesotans. As part of this effort, you are invited to take the new Minnesota Values Project survey. The survey only takes a few minutes, and as we build a shared vision for our state, your input is crucial in this process. You can take the survey by scanning the QR code, or by clicking this link. We look forward to hearing from you.  Stay connected with the LegislatureDuring the legislative interim, you can continue to visit the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website here. The 2024 legislative session convenes at noon on February 12. I look forward to seeing you in the community over the next few months and I welcome your questions and comments anytime. You can send an email to rep.luke.frederick@house.mn.gov or call me at (651) 296-3248. Also, please visit and “like” my Facebook page for more Capitol and community updates. Thank you for the privilege of representing you in the legislature. Sincerely, Luke Frederick State Representative |