Dear Neighbors,
We’ve had two successful weeks at the Minnesota House of Representatives since my last legislative update. Again, I want to thank our community in St. Louis Park for allowing me to be your voice at the Capitol. Here is an update on our work at the legislature.
Our Progress
Gov. Walz has signed the 100% Clean Energy by 2040 bill into law! This has been a long time in the making, and we are now set on the path to being a leader in the clean energy future. Moreover, this is important for our children’s future and the many generations after them. The climate crisis is here but we can make a difference. I look forward to seeing this policy take flight. Here is a fun TikTok I made on the day of the signing ceremony.
Last week, we passed the Restore the Vote Bill with bipartisan support. This bill restores our formerly incarcerated neighbors' right to vote. Voting is an important part of our society, and once the appropriate sentence is served, we should allow everyone to participate in our democracy. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also helps formerly incarcerated Minnesotans reintegrate into our communities. I spoke on the House floor about my interaction with St. Louis Park’s Perspectives resident, Christa. You can watch my floor speech here.
Further, I was proud to vote for and see the House pass a bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday. Juneteenth commemorates the liberation of African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. By learning from our past we can better address the harmful racial disparities of the present and build a state that is more inclusive and more just. Establishing Juneteenth as a state holiday is an important step forward on the long road to justice. We must continue to learn as a state and nation about the nuances of the Black diaspora while uplifting and affirming the experiences of Black Minnesotans.
The House recently passed HF 29, a bipartisan bill that will boost funding to address violent crime and provide counties with the tools they need to prosecute heinous crimes statewide.
With additional public safety investments, and in partnership with the Minnesota Attorney General’s office, this bill, which has already passed in the Senate, would allow us to hire more prosecutors so they can expand their scope to charge violent crimes. These offenses, including crimes like assault, kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery, burglary, human trafficking, sex trafficking, homicide, and more, are an assault on our communities and our society.
Further, we passed HF 90, a bill funding our public defenders. Under both the US and Minnesota Constitutions, we provide the right to due process. Criminal defendants are entitled to a state-appointed lawyer if they cannot afford one. There have been longstanding budget shortfalls in The Office of Public Defense which have meant overworked public defenders who cannot adequately defend the number of defendants that they are assigned.
Last night, the Minnesota House voted to pass two important bills aimed at addressing food insecurity in our schools and community. HF 5 would create a state program for schools to provide up to two free meals per day to all students, and HF 213 would provide an investment of $5 million for food shelf programs in light of record numbers of visits to food shelves last year.
It's simple: hungry kids can’t learn at their full capacity. HF 5 simplifies the process of feeding children at school by eliminating the need for complex forms and refill accounts, and hopefully ends the awful stigma that comes with food shaming. We have the means to do this for all of Minnesota’s students, and I’m proud to have voted for both bills. We have a real opportunity to make a large quality of life improvement for many struggling Minnesota families.
Updates
February is Black History Month! Every day is a great day to celebrate the legacy and talents of our Black and African American communities in Minnesota. It’s a time to reflect on the history of our neighbors' ancestors and uplift their stories. I’m thankful for their contributions here in Minnesota and look forward to working with them to make a more equitable Minnesota.
I’m so thankful for our school counselors here in Minnesota. School counselors help students with barriers we can’t always see, and the best learning happens when our kids feel supported in school. House DFLers have great bills this year to improve our school counselor funding and ensure every kid gets the best start possible.
This week, Representative Cheryl Youakim, State Senator Ron Latz, and I held our first joint Senate District 46 town hall. Thanks to everyone who came out to ask about our work at the Capitol. The most consistent message we heard was to keep going and get things done for Minnesotans. We appreciate the support! You can watch the town hall here.
I took a tour of Herzing University in St. Louis Park on Friday. They are training 440 nursing students and 230 dental students. There is a huge need for workers in both of these fields, and I’m grateful to the staff and students for their dedication to the health of Minnesotans (Thank you to Angie for introducing me to "Dexter" - used in dental simulation training).
Stay in Touch
If you have questions, ideas, or feedback that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at rep.larry.kraft@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-7026. For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Larry Kraft
State Representative