LEGislation mentioned on campaign literature
- Cut the cost of health care
- SF3472 Reinsurance Re-authorization Bill (stand alone bill)
- This bill reauthorizes the reinsurance program for an additional three years, which lowered health insurance premiums for thousands of Minnesotans on the individual market. The bill also contained policy aimed at reducing the burden of prescription drug costs on certain health plans and providing plan coverage for post-natal care.
- SF3472 Reinsurance Re-authorization Bill (stand alone bill)
- Funded the removal of all stoplights on Highway 10 through Ramsey
- HF1472 Ramsey Gateway Funded (omnibus transportation bill)
- This bill funded removal of the stoplights at Ramsey Blvd and Sunfish Blvd on Highway 10 in Ramsey. After completion of this project, as well as the work currently ongoing in Anoka, Highway 10 will have no stoplights until Elk River, allowing significant congestion alleviation in Anoka and Coon Rapids. Highway 10 is one of the busiest roads in the Twin Cities, carrying more traffic than 35W, for example.
- HF1472 Ramsey Gateway Funded (omnibus transportation bill)
- Cracked down on catalytic converter theft
- HF6 Commerce Omnibus Finance and Policy Bill (stand alone bill)
- This bill set the budget for the Department of Commerce for 2021 and 2022. The bill also provided for enhanced cybersecurity measures, restricted insurance plans from limiting opioid testing coverage, implemented a mandate review program for health benefits, and cracked down on catalytic converter thefts.
- HF6 Commerce Omnibus Finance and Policy Bill (stand alone bill)
- Held white collar criminals accountable and fought wage theft
- HF3255 Commerce Supplemental Budget Bill (stand alone)
- This bill is the supplemental budget for the Department of Commerce. The language provides for expanded jurisdiction and funding for the Commerce Fraud Bureau, the premier white collar crime and wage theft enforcement body in the state. The bill also creates a program connecting non-English speakers with credit counselors in their own language. It also supported local law enforcement by creating an auto theft prevention equipment library. Essentially, the state will purchase equipment, such as GPS trackers and automated license plate readers, that are too expensive for small police departments to justify purchasing on their own. The state will then lend the equipment to local departments at no cost.
- HF3255 Commerce Supplemental Budget Bill (stand alone)
- Modernized Minnesota’s liquor laws and boosted craft beer
- SF3008 Liquor Omnibus Bill (stand alone bill)
- The largest in ten years, this bill modernizes Minnesota liquor laws by allowing most breweries the ability to sell six and four packs and letting distilleries sell 750ml bottles out of their stores. The bill also expands growler sales to the largest breweries in the state.
- SF3008 Liquor Omnibus Bill (stand alone bill)
notable legislation
- HF15 Marital Rape Exception Repeal (stand alone bill)
- Before this bill passed, Minnesota law prevented rapists from being prosecuted in certain instances if they were married to their victim at the time of the attack. After passage of this bill, rapists can be prosecuted regardless of whether they were married to their victim.
- HF944 Mississippi Point Park (bonding bill)
- This bill secured $3 million in funding to rebuild Mississippi Point Park, along the Mississippi River in Champlin. The funding was for municipal docks, an amphitheater, and a park pavilion.
- HF3124 Coon Rapids Recycling Center (bonding bill)
- This bill secured $300,000 in funding to expand the Coon Rapids Recycling Center.
- HF164 Energy Conservation and Optimization (ECO) Act (stand alone bill)
- This bill makes Minnesota a national leader in energy conservation. It gave utilities new tools to help consumers save energy, including the option to switch from more expensive fossil energy to cheaper clean energy sources. In addition, the bill more than doubled funding for low-income weatherization assistance programs, expanding access to energy conservation.
- HF239 Natural Gas Innovation Act (omnibus commerce bill)
- This bill addressed the need to decarbonize the home heating sector in Minnesota. It also gave natural gas utilities new tools to develop energy sources right here in Minnesota. It authorizes a natural gas utility to file a plan with the Public Utilities Commission to obtain innovative resources that displace conventional natural gas, including renewable natural gas, power-to-hydrogen, power-to-ammonia, carbon dioxide capture, strategic electrification, and others.
- HF1493 Student Borrowers Bill of Rights (omnibus commerce bill)
- This bill curtailed the worst abuses of the student loan industry. It required student loan servicers to be licensed by the Department of Commerce, follow certain procedures relating to the servicing of loans, and outlines misconduct. This bill allows the commissioner to examine student loan servicers, revoke licenses, and issue civil penalties.
- HF4781 Anoka Social District Bill (omnibus liquor bill)
- This bill enables the city of Anoka to create and issue licenses for a “social district,” an entertainment area in which alcoholic beverages can be taken from a restaurant or bar to drink outside.
OTHER LEGISLATION
2019
- HF176 Champlin TIF (omnibus tax bill)
- This bill allowed the city of Champlin to develop the Mississippi Crossings Project along the riverfront in Champlin, which includes a new apartment building, a new restaurant, amphitheater and more.
- HF360 Mississippi River Crossing Study (omnibus transportation bill)
- This bill represents the first progress towards building a new river crossing between Dayton and Ramsey in 20 years. It required MNDOT to do an analysis of river crossings in the northern suburbs and assess the viability of a new crossing. The study concluded that a new crossing is needed, and is most feasible between Dayton and Ramsey. The study also identified the next steps necessary to build the crossing.'
- HF474 Funding for Anoka County Mental Health Probation (omnibus health and human services bill)
- The bill provided funding for two new probation officers in Anoka County with expertise in mental health issues.
- HF851 R!SE Funding (omnibus jobs bill)
- This bill provided $1.6 million in funding over two years for Twin Cities R!SE, a non-profit focusing on moving people out of poverty by giving them job training. The money in this bill was specifically targeted to hard to train individuals.
- HF892 Baxter Pharma Bill (stand alone bill)
- This bill removed a redundant requirement in Minnesota law that required a licenced pharmacist to inspect sealed and packaged dialysis equipment (when a licensed pharmacist had already inspected the equipment before it was sealed and packaged). In essence the requirement that this bill removed required companies to hire pharmacists to look at closed cardboard boxes. Removing this requirement reduced the cost of kidney dialysis equipment.
- HF1186 Minnesota Investment Fund Funding (omnibus jobs bill)
- This bill provided grants and loans to support private-sector job creation and retention.
2020
- HF4531 Small Business Loan Guarantee Program (COVID Response Bill)
- This bill created a loan guarantee program designed to help small businesses survive the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill authorized banks to loan money to the small businesses hurt most by the pandemic, with the understanding that the loans would be guaranteed by the state.
- HF4531 MIF Terms Changed (COVID Response Bill)
- This bill temporarily changed the eligibility requirements for the Minnesota Investment Fund, allowing the program to make loans to restaurants and other businesses hit hard by the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020 Special session
- HF5 Small Business Grants (stand alone bill)
- This bill created a $60 million grant program to rescue small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including restaurants, salons, theaters and more.
- HF63 Shared Work Eligibility (stand alone bill)
- This bill responded to a constituent’s concern. The “Shared Work” program allows businesses to reduce employees hours instead of laying them off. The state’s unemployment insurance program they pays the employee a portion of their lost wages. Before this bill, however, an employee had to be with a business for a year before they could participate in this program. This bill shortened that time period to 3 months, which is in line with other states. This bill sunset at the end of 2020, but was later made permanent by HF327, another bill Rep. Stephenson carried.
- HF3308 Anoka Ramsey Community College (bonding bill)
- This bill secured $16,282,000 in funding to design, renovate, and equip the business and nursing building at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids campus.
2021
- HF713 MFIP Modifications by Phone (omnibus health and human services bill)
- This bill, suggested by Anoka County during the COVID-19 pandemic, allows county agencies to obtain information by phone or written communication to complete MFIP household report forms.
2021 special session
- HF327 Shared Work Eligibility (omnibus jobs bill)
- This bill modifies the length of employment requirement to participate in a shared work plan from 12 months to three months. A shared work plan is an alternative to layoffs. Participating employees work reduced hours for their employer and are eligible for partial unemployment insurance benefits. They also continue to receive health and pension benefits. This bill made the change permanently, after an earlier bill Rep. Stephenson authorized made a temporary change to the program.
- HF1153 Reinsurance Re-authorization Bill(omnibus health and human services bill)
- This bill reauthorized the reinsurance program in Minnesota for 2022. Reinsurance is a program that lowers health insurance premiums by further distributing risk among the insured pool.
- HF1658 Unemployment Insurance Tax Conformity (omnibus tax bill)
- This bill provides for tax conformity with federal law regarding unemployment insurance claims received during the COVID-19 pandemic. Without this bill, people who received unemployment insurance payments during the pandemic would have to have paid unexpected Minnesota income tax.
- HF2024 Commerce Technical Bill (omnibus commerce bill)
- This bill provides for technical changes to the underlying statute governing the Department of Commerce.
2022
- HF3086 Codification of Behavioral Health Executive Order (omnibus health and human services bill)
- This bill restructured the state's approach to behavioral health issues, including mental health and substance use disorders. It created a position of a "Recovery Director" to be the point person on behavioral health. It also created a new sub-cabinet, linking the various agencies that work on these issues together. Finally, it hired an outside consultant to review the structure of the Department of Human Services and recommend changes.
- HF3254 No Venue Clauses in Sales Contracts (stand alone bill)
- This bill prohibits manufacturers, wholesalers, assemblers, or importers from including in contracts with sales representatives a provision that allows the choice of venue for filing suit to be any other state.
- HF3403 Pre-licensure Application Bill (omnibus commerce bill)
- This bill creates a process for applicants to determine if they are eligible for a professional license before paying fees and enrolling in the required licensing courses. The bill reduces burden and uncertainty on those with a criminal record.
- SF4191 Auto-dealer Franchise on Electric Vehicles Bill (omnibus commerce bill)
- This bill regulates and restrains unfair practices by auto manufacturers, distributors, and factory branches. In particular, it requires that if an auto manufacturer sells electric vehicles in Minnesota, that they offer the electric vehicles to all of their dealerships, instead of exclusively offering them to a handful. This will allow all parts of the state to have access to electric vehicles.