Friends and neighbors, Last week, I attended my first official Floor Session as your State Representative! We’ve hit the ground running with legislation my colleagues and I have been working on for the past several months, including my very first Chief authored bill for the highway 610 interchange project! Input from the community over the past few weeks has been incredibly valuable as we dive into issues touching all corners of the state. I’ll be serving on the Education Finance, Housing, and Veterans committees for the next two years.  In the Housing committee, we’re taking up a variety of bills intending to encourage development to address Minnesota’s housing shortage. Data shows we need to create around 100,000 new units to meet the demand. In the Education Finance committee, I’m excited about a bill that would allow the Anoka Hennepin School District and the Association of Metropolitan School Districts more local control over levies. While I’m excited to work with colleagues across the aisle, I’m concerned about several bills that my Republican colleagues have already introduced in the past week. This includes several pieces of legislation that would harm our students, neighbors, healthcare systems, reproductive freedoms, transit, and communities. Some of these bills include stripping the Read Act that we passed last year to improve student literacy rates, halting Paid Family Leave from going into effect, getting rid of gun permiting safety measures, requiring local law enforcement to turn over data on undocumented people to ICE, giving money to anti-abortion organizations, stripping the Governor’s power, banning trans youth from sports, and rolling back DEI & ethnic studies requirements in schools – and that’s just the first 30 bills introduced out of hundreds. Thankfully, no bill can pass off the House Floor without bipartisan support; 68 votes are required, and Republicans only have 67. While Democrats will be able to block these bad faith bills, this is an ugly display of the Trump playbook right here in Minnesota – and a clear statement of what Republicans would do if they were to regain majorities in our State Legislature. It’s also a pre-cursor to what we are up against later in the session when it comes time to negotiate to complete a state budget. It is my hope that Republicans will work with us in good faith to deliver for the state, but I want to be clear: Democrats refuse to allow it to cost of the liberties and rights of Minnesotans. Adopt Me!To help combat the chaos in the news and the White House, I want to take a moment for positivity each week. The Coon Rapids Human Society is right here in our district and does great work to ensure animals in need find loving homes, provide affordable care for pets in our community, and educate the community. Meet Sgt Peppers, a 9 year old coonhound mix looking for a forever home! Sgt Peppers likes playing with toys and enjoys other busy interactions. He's a playful good boy who loves a good game of fetch! He’s affectionate and loves snuggles and is looking for a family who is like-minded. Visit the Coon Rapids Humane Society to meet Sgt Peppers!  Stay ConnectedUnfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account.??To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out email at rep.kari.rehrauer@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-1729. You can contact my Legislative Assistant, Chloe, at 651-296-5486 or via email at chloe.keller@house.mn.gov. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you at the Capitol.?? All my best,?? Rep. Kari Rehrauer |