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Dear Neighbors,
This weekend I attended a Town Hall in West St. Paul with fellow legislators Maria Isa Perez-Vega and Mary Frances Clardy. I was glad to see constituents from West St. Paul, South St. Paul, and Inver Grove Heights and to share my thoughts on proposals moving through the legislature this year. From protecting our environment, investing in education, and making sure workers can take the time off they need, the House DFL is moving forward on many important issues this year.
Yesterday morning, the Legislative Audit Commission met to narrow down our list of potential topics from 16 to 10 for the auditor to study. The list of ten topics below will be sent to all legislators for their input before a final decision is made. You can read more about the Legislative Audit Commission and the work they do here. I will keep you updated on the commission?s progress and welcome your input.
Last week, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, which I chair, passed our 2023 budget bill. Our bill is the largest one-time investment in the environment in the history of the state of Minnesota. You can watch my comments in committee here.
I am proud of the work we are doing to fund our agencies, protect Minnesotan?s health and environment from pollution, and deal with invasive species and infectious diseases in our wildlife. The bill invests $670 million dollars in the environment and natural resources. We will have one committee stop before heading to the House Floor for a final vote. I will keep you updated on the progress as we continue the process.
Veterans from throughout the state traveled to the Capitol on Thursday for Veterans Day on the Hill. At a Capitol Rotunda rally, Governor Walz addressed retired, prior service, military families, and supporters of our men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. I thank all the veterans who made their voices heard at the Capitol this week. Your service is appreciated and honored.
I am glad to share that my colleague, Representative Jerry Newton, has been hard at work as chair of the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee creating a budget investing in health care, veterans? homes, and more. You can read more here.
The House will take a short recess from Wednesday, April 5 to Monday, April 10 as we transition from building budget bills and passing them through committee to our work after break, which will largely take place on the House Floor with our Senate counterparts.
Staff will be out of the office on Friday, April 7, and will respond once the break ends. I will be spending the break ensuring we are prepared to pass budget bills, including our Environment and Natural Resources budget, later this month.
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and feedback throughout the legislative session. You can reach me by email at?[email protected]?or by phone at 651-296-6828. You can contact my Legislative Assistant Sam O'Neill at 651-296-3305 or via email at?[email protected].?
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative
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