Steve Elkins (politician) explained

Steve Elkins
State House:Minnesota
District:50B
Constituency:50B (2023-present)
49B (2019-2022)
Term Start:January 8, 2019
Predecessor:Paul Rosenthal
Birth Date:17 April 1952
Party:Democratic (DFL)
Spouse:Judy
Children:2
Residence:Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S.
Education:University of California, Berkeley (BA)

Steve Elkins (born April 17, 1952) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Elkins represents District 50B in the southwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area, which includes the city of Bloomington and parts of Hennepin County.[1] [2]

Early life, education, and career

Elkins attended University of California, Berkeley, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in economics.

Elkins was a member of the Bloomington city council for three terms until Governor Mark Dayton appointed him to the Metropolitan Council in 2011.[3] He was chair of the Metropolitan Council Transportation Advisory Board, and served on the Bloomington School District Transportation Task Force and the Bloomington City Planning Commission. Elkins is an IT architect.[4] [5]

Minnesota House of Representatives

Elkins was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018 and has been reelected every two years since. He first ran after four-term DFL incumbent Paul Rosenthal resigned to take a position in another state. After 2022 legislative redistricting put him in the same district as fellow state representative Andrew Carlson, Elkins defeated Carlson in the DFL primary election.[6]

Elkins serves as vice chair of the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee, and sits on the Health Finance and Policy, Taxes, and Transportation Finance and Policy Committees as well as the Property Tax Division of the Taxes Committee. From 2021 to 2022, he was vice chair of the Local Government Division of the State Government Finance and Elections Committee, and from 2019 to 2020 he was vice chair of the Subcommittee on Local Government.

Transportation

Elkins supported bipartisan legislation to allow undocumented immigrants to register vehicles with a consular ID.[7] He authored legislation to reduce penalties for fare evasion on public transit and create "uniformed transit safety officials" to ride light-rail trains instead of police officers.[8] [9] He has said that suburban police departments are willing to help monitor Metro Transit sites.[10] Elkins supported efforts to audit the Metropolitan Council's management of the Southwest Light Rail project.[11]

Housing

Elkins has written many bills to address housing prices and supply, including a Housing Affordability Act in 2021, saying, "NIMBYism is alive and well" in Minnesota.[12] [13] [14] He wrote an op-ed calling for cities to pursue rule changes and zoning policies that promote the creation of more affordable housing on smaller lots.[15] He authored legislation that would limit cities' power to regulate development and local zoning practices in order to increase housing supply and reduce prices and rents.[16] [17] His bill would also allow cities to impose development and street maintenance fees in exchange for eliminating their power to declare development moratoriums and requiring cities to allow duplexes in any residential area.[18] [19] City councils around Minnesota and the League of Minnesota Cities have opposed Elkins's efforts.[20]

Other political positions

Elkins supports ranked-choice voting and authored legislation to expand its use to state and federal general and primary elections in Minnesota.[21] [22] He wrote a bill to give major political parties more power over which candidates can run under their party name and make it easier for minor parties to qualify candidates for legislative offices, lowering the threshold for major party status from five percent to one percent.[23] [24]

Elkins authored the Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act, which would increase privacy rights for Minnesota residents.[25] He also worked on legislation to update Minnesota's antitrust laws.[26] Elkins supported a ban on the use of conversion therapy in Bloomington.[27] He wrote legislation to allow cities to ban the use of plastic bags.[28] Elkins was part of a bipartisan group of state legislators that traveled to Israel and the West Bank in 2019.[29]

Personal life

Elkins and his wife, Judy, have two children. He resides in Bloomington, Minnesota.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Elkins, Steve . November 9, 2018 . Minnesota Legislative Reference Library . en.
  2. Web site: Rep. Steve Elkins (50B) - Minnesota House of Representatives . 2023-03-27 . www.house.mn.gov.
  3. Web site: Olson . Dan . March 2, 2011 . Not the Oscars, but the (Met Council) winners are…. . 2023-03-28 . MPR News . en.
  4. News: Wig . Andrew . October 11, 2018 . Voters Guide: House District 49B . en . Sun Current . Adams Publishing Group . November 9, 2018.
  5. News: Hanks . Mike . July 7, 2018 . Met Council rep announces House District 49B candidacy . en . Sun Current . Adams Publishing Group . November 9, 2018.
  6. Web site: Bierschbach . Briana . August 10, 2022 . Dozens of primaries shape next Minnesota Legislature . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  7. Web site: Rao . Maya . June 19, 2019 . New law allows undocumented immigrants to register vehicles in Minnesota . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  8. Web site: Moore . Janet . March 16, 2021 . Bills would put safety officers on buses and LRT, lower fare evasion fines . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  9. Web site: Moore . Janet . April 16, 2022 . Shortage of recruits slowing Metro Transit initiative to beef up safety, spur ridership numbers . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  10. Web site: Winter . Deena . 2023-02-10 . Lawmakers drafting bill that would put social workers on light-rail trains . 2023-03-28 . Minnesota Reformer . en-US.
  11. Web site: Bakst . Brian . March 3, 2022 . Audit fever hits Minnesota lawmakers . 2023-03-28 . MPR News . en.
  12. Web site: Berkel . Jessie Van . Webster . MaryJo . August 9, 2021 . Minnesota legislators aim to spur creation of more entry-level housing . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  13. Web site: Buchta . Jim . September 18, 2021 . No wonder it's hard to find a new home: The Twin Cities has the worst housing shortage in the nation . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  14. Web site: Nesterak . Max . 2021-08-10 . Lawmaker looks to drive down housing costs by overriding local zoning laws . 2023-03-28 . Minnesota Reformer . en-US.
  15. Web site: Elkins . Steve . February 14, 2020 . OPINION EXCHANGE Twin Cities housing: The 'flaming hoops' separating builders and cities . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  16. Web site: Roper . Eric . March 10, 2020 . Lawmakers want limits on cities' power to shape development, to lower housing costs . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  17. Web site: Van Berkel . Jessie . January 11, 2023 . Rent assistance vouchers for 220,000 Minnesota households proposed at Capitol . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  18. Web site: Webster . MaryJo . Corey . Michael . August 7, 2021 . How Twin Cities housing rules keep the metro segregated . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  19. Web site: Callaghan . Peter . 2021-08-17 . Could a global deal between builders and local governments help increase affordability — and decrease segregation — in Minnesota? . 2023-03-28 . MinnPost . en-US.
  20. Web site: Nesterak . Max . 2022-03-22 . 91 cities come out against bill that would allow more housing density across Minnesota . 2023-03-28 . Minnesota Reformer . en-US.
  21. Web site: Durenberger . Dave . Elkins . Steve . Nelson . Kim . Osterholm . Mike . August 17, 2020 . OPINION EXCHANGE Counterpoint: Ranked-choice voting is successful. No wonder its use is expanding. . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  22. Web site: Massey . Jeanne . 2021-04-07 . Rank-choice voting can serve as a bulwark against extremism . 2023-03-28 . MinnPost . en-US.
  23. Web site: Callaghan . Peter . 2019-02-07 . ‘The whole thing is goofy’: Proposal to liberalize rules for minor party candidates in Minnesota would also block some major party candidates from primary ballot . 2023-03-28 . MinnPost . en-US.
  24. Web site: Callaghan . Peter . 2019-08-23 . Minnesota makes it really difficult for minor parties to get on the ballot. Could a new lawsuit change that? . 2023-03-28 . MinnPost . en-US.
  25. Web site: Hoidal . Sten-Erik . May 4, 2021 . Businesses face new obligations under web of privacy laws . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  26. Web site: Stofferahn . Justin . 2022-04-04 . Minnesota House is working to put an end to state monopolies . 2023-03-28 . MinnPost . en-US.
  27. Web site: Hyatt . Kim . March 3, 2021 . Bloomington may ban conversion therapy for minors, vulnerable adults . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.
  28. Web site: Pugmire . Tim . March 6, 2019 . House panel debates lifting ban on bag bans . 2023-03-28 . MPR News . en.
  29. Web site: Multiple authors . December 11, 2019 . OPINION EXCHANGE Counterpoint: Yes, we state legislators belong in the Mideast. Here's why we're there. . 2023-03-28 . Star Tribune.

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