Greetings District 10! There is less than a month remaining of the 2021 legislative session—we continue to spend many hours on the Senate floor debating and working to set a state budget. The priority is to pass a budget that is sensible for Minnesota after a difficult year. Environment Legacy Bill Focuses on Protecting Treasured Resources This week, with broad bipartisan support, the Minnesota Senate unanimously passed my Legacy Finance bill. This bill appropriates $645.6 million to the Outdoor Heritage Fund, the Clean Water Fund, the Parks and Trails Fund, and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Senate File 971 focuses on providing key appropriations that will preserve, protect, and maintain Minnesota’s natural resources. “Minnesota has been blessed with an abundance of natural resources that are important to maintain, and the appropriations we have in this bill focus on doing just that, I’m proud of the work we’ve done and continue to do to restore and preserve our state’s natural treasures. We are surrounded by incredible beauty across Minnesota, and we must continue to protect our lands and habitats for future generations.” In 2008, Minnesotans voted to amend the State Constitution to include the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment (referred to informally as the Legacy Amendment). This amendment allocated three-eighths of one percent of the sales tax to contribute to four funds that aim to protect drinking water sources, re-store and enhance habitats across the state, preserve arts and cultural heritage, support parks and trails, and protect and enhance lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater. Comprehensive Education Bill Includes “Save Women’s Sports” Yesterday, the Minnesota Senate passed a comprehensive education budget that focuses on students and empowers parents. Included in the bill is language SF96 I authored that preserves women’s rights and the gains made from Title IX by prohibiting boys from joining interscholastic or intramural athletics that are designed for women or girls. “When I was in school, there was no Title IX and no way for women to compete in sporting events—Title IX has been instrumental to women and athletics, and women fought long and hard to earn equal athletic opportunities. We can’t allow progressive ideals to crush our girl athletes’ dreams of setting sports records, competing at the next level, pursing athletic scholarship opportunities, and launching their careers in athletics and coaching.” The language seeks to “Save Women’s Sports” by ensuring that only biological females are competing in the female category. Title IX currently allows females to compete on male teams when there are no comparable sports available for women, but every time a male is given a spot on a woman’s team, a woman is potentially displaced. Studies have shown that an influx of hormones does not undo males’ larger hearts and lungs, denser bones, and stronger muscles. A boy’s belief about his gender should not cancel out his physical advantage—in sports, it is biology that matters, not identity. Other key provisions of the bill include the creation of Educational Savings Accounts to allow families to make learning decisions that meet their own needs, safe school’s revenue, a digital well-being grant to address the negative effects of screen overuse, rural career and technical education grants, and the suspension of any new social studies standards changes. Senate Funds Emergency Law Enforcement This week, the Minnesota Senate passed emergency funding for law enforcement. This legislation came forward in response to an emergency funding request made by Governor Walz last week. Included language secures $2.75 million for the law enforcement response to civil unrest through the Interstate Emergency Management Assistance Compact and $6.3 million for Minnesota State Trooper expenses related to the unrest and Chauvin trial. “Last year we passed funding to help keep Minnesotans safe, and the House declined to approve that funding, so the issue is again before us, Minnesotans across the state deserve to feel protected. Law enforcement organizations seek to keep our communities safe during times of civil unrest, and they deserve our support now more than ever.” The legislation is the byproduct of a public safety conversation between legislative leaders and the Governor this past weekend. Legislative leaders all agreed with the importance of getting the bill done at the time of the request. Minnesota Housing Affordability The Minnesota Senate passed a $115 million bill focused on opening an affordable path to homeownership for more Minnesotans. Senate File 969 focuses on housing affordability and closing the homeownership gap. This legislation also includes an eviction moratorium phase-out passed earlier in the session. An eviction moratorium was originally established by Governor Walz through Executive Order 20-14, which became effective on March 24, 2020. This important change would restore property rights for owners while leaving vital protections in place for those who most need it. Minnesota Rent Help—Minnesota Housing is please to announce the RentHelpMN is now open and accepting applications. RentHelpMN makes it possible for eligible renters to get caught up on overdue rent/utilities dating back to March 13, 2020. Please visit www.renthelpmn.org to learn more about the program. Staying in Touch If you’re looking to hear more from the Capitol, please like me on Facebook. As always please feel free to contact my office with any questions you might have. My office can be reached by phone at (651) 296-4913 or at sen.carrie.ruud@senate.mn. Talk to you soon! Carrie Ruud |
