House lawmakers set to vote on several bills Thursday

The Minnesota House of Representatives lawmakers are set to vote on several bills Thursday afternoon in the state Capitol.

The first bill, HF1656, would put $115 million toward a “state competitiveness fund,” which would unlock billions in federal funds for clean energy projects.

The bill would also use state and federal funds from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to assist rural, Tribal, and disadvantaged communities in applying for energy-related federal grants.

HF146, also known as the transgender refuge bill, is up for a vote in the House. The bill would prevent out-of-state laws from interfering with gender-affirming healthcare by protecting transgender people, their families, and medical professionals.

The third bill, HF 1200, would require state and local jail and prison inmates to be housed in publicly owned and operated facilities. It would ban Minnesota from using private prisons and jails.