Dear Neighbors,
I hope you had an enjoyable 4th of July holiday weekend and are staying cool in the heat. Summertime typically doesn’t include much work at the Minnesota Legislature, but this year is anything but typical and we find ourselves preparing to return for another special session next week.
While the ongoing pandemic is the main reason for this July special session, I’ll also be pushing for compromise on legislation to address meaningful police accountability measures, a robust jobs and local projects bill (also known as a bonding bill), and a tax bill that puts Minnesotans first. These are all proposals that will help our state face not only the economic struggles brought on by the pandemic, but address systemic inequities that have existed for far too long.
July’s New Laws
On July 1, several new laws went into effect, including the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act. Alec Smith was a young Minnesotan who died because he could not afford the insulin he needed to live. The price of this life-saving medicine has skyrocketed over the years, and I am proud to be a co-author of this legislation. Alec’s Law not only guarantees that Minnesota’s diabetics will be able to access an emergency supply of insulin, it also holds insulin manufacturers accountable by paying into this solution. There’s a lot of work left to do to make medication more affordable, and another new law, the Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act, will help in that effort.
Vote By Mail
Minnesotans regularly lead the nation in voter turnout, and we want to continue that trend by protecting the integrity and safety of our elections. This year, we passed legislation investing in improving accessibility and modernizing election security to prevent interference, and with the uncertain future of COVID-19, we also passed measures to ensure the health and safety of election officials and in-person voters. More measures may be necessary, but you can currently register to vote early by mail here.
An Age Friendly Minnesota
The AARP has put out a survey to help inform the work of the Governor’s Council on an Age Friendly Minnesota, which is working to drive coordinated action across state agencies and move Minnesota toward being a more livable, age friendly state. The full survey can be taken by individual Minnesota residents, aged 45 and older. You can take the survey here.
Stay Connected
Minnesota’s COVID-19 Dashboard remains a great source for accurate, updated information, and the Stay Safe webpage covers the resources available to the public as we work to reopen Minnesota safely.You can also follow along with our work on my Facebook page, here.
Things can evolve quickly at the Minnesota Legislature, especially with the upcoming special session, so please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments you may have. You can email me at rep.carlie.kotyza-witthuhn@house.mn or leave a voicemail at (651) 296-7449. I always look forward to hearing from you.
Be well! We’re all in this together.
Sincerely,
Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn<