Senate DFLers offer data-driven alternatives for Public Safety

Senate DFLers offer data-driven alternatives for Public Safety

Senate Republicans brought a public safety bill to the floor this week focused on increasing penalties and hardening mandatory minimums, despite evidence that it’s not the punishment but the likeliness of being caught that is most effective in deterring crime.

Senate DFLers offered their public safety plan as an alternative – over $500 million in public safety funding for our communities, crime reduction and prevention, juvenile justice, and investments that would actually reduce and prevent crime, making Minnesotans safer. Senate Republicans refused to hear this proposal in committee and rejected it on the floor, instead moving forward a bill that legislates on fear and rhetoric and not the realities we know work. Read more >>

Health and human services finance omnibus passes Senate floor

The Health and Human Services finance and policy bill passed the Senate floor this week on a 61-5 vote. Spending $1 billion over the next three years, this bill concentrates on the disability service and long-term care sectors after months of committee hearings discussing the crisis level of workforce shortages in these areas.  Read more >>

Jobs and energy omnibus passes the Senate

This year’s policy and funding omnibus bill for jobs, energy, and economic Development passed the Senate this week. DFLers made several attempts to improve the bill, but Senate Republicans rejected most of our efforts.

The bill is light on investment in jobs and economic development. It does not include any money to address the challenges businesses are facing in finding trained employees and it doesn’t provide resources to address the significant equity issues Minnesota face. It does, however, provide $250 million to frontline workers in the form of bonus checks. Frontline workers in the Republican plan are limited to paramedics, nurses, and other health care givers. The competing DFL plan is for $1 billion and is much more expansive, it includes most workers who weren’t collecting unemployment and did not have a remote working option. Read more >>