Debra's Record

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When the foreclosure crisis hit, Debra chief-authored the Homeowner-Lender Mediation Act which required lenders to sit down with homeowners to try to work out a solution before they could foreclose on the house. Debra took on droves of banking lobbyists to pass the bill. Sadly, then Governor Tim Pawlenty vetoed the bill. 

Debra took on the credit card companies by authoring legislation to hold credit card companies accountable by requiring a tougher burden of proof on part of the companies. Debra fought to pass the bill despite the credit card industry’s fervent opposition. 

When a bill was passed to allow corporate lobbyists the ability to wine and dine legislators, Debra opposed it because it stacked the deck for powerful corporate special interests. 

When Debra learned that utility companies were shifting their costs of their corporate lobbyists onto ratepayers, she chief-authored a bill to stop utility companies from that practice. Debra took on a multitude of utility lobbyists and never backed down.  

Elder abuse continues to be a problem. Debra has been a leader on this issue and passed a law to protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation. The law created a new type of penalty for the financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult involving an amount greater than $35,000. The law also made it easier to investigate and prosecute cases.