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June 21, 2024
Dear Fourth District Constituent,
Happy Juneteenth!
 The House was in recess this week, and I was honored to join my neighbors to celebrate Juneteenth at the Rondo Commemorative Plaza. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when enslaved African Americans in Texas were informed of emancipation, a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Here in Minnesota, Rondo’s history and its vibrancy makes it an ideal place to reflect on the importance of preserving and honoring our collective history, and continuing the fight for justice.
.jpg "Gov_Debbie_and_Betty_(003).jpg") As we celebrate 159 years of freedom for Black Americans, we must reaffirm our commitment to fight for equity and justice because we know that inequality still remains. Last Congress, when Democrats had the majority, the House passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, a bill that would have restored and expanded upon the many protections the Supreme Court removed. This Congress, I am again a proud cosponsor of the bill, but unfortunately House Republicans refuse to even bring the bill up for a vote. It is critical that we pass this bill into law and guarantee that everyone’s voting rights are protected. While we celebrate freedom and honor the past, let us also remember to commit ourselves to building a future where every community can achieve justice and equality for all.
SCALE-ing Up Minnesota's Workforce
 On Monday, I joined officials from the Department of Defense at the University of Minnesota to announce an expansion of the Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) Program to Minnesota. SCALE is a federally funded workforce development program that partners with academic institutions and the private sector to expand America’s microelectronics workforce. As the CHIPS Act funding provided by the Biden administration and Congress expands manufacturing of chips here in the United States, SCALE will deliver a bigger pool of domestic microelectronics workforce talent for the private sector and the government to take advantage of. The University of Minnesota, the University of St. Thomas, and Metro State University will become full partners in the SCALE program, and together working with Minnesota microelectronics companies, they will work to expand the microelectronic workforce right here at home. Through my work on the House Appropriations Committee, I am working to bring an additional $8 million in federal funding for SCALE.
Washington County Sheriff’s Meeting
 On Thursday, I visited Washington County Sheriff's Office to learn more about the impact and use of their two new airboats and upgraded digital evidence system. Both are essential tools for the Sheriff's Office to perform its duties safely and effectively. The airboats allow officers and first responders to traverse areas where prop motorboats or snowmobiles cannot, due to icy conditions. An upgraded digital evidence system brings uniformity in communication of evidence, allowing for public safety agencies, attorneys, and the public an effective and efficient repository. Thank you, Sheriff Starry & Washington County, for partnering with me to secure nearly $1,000,000 in federal funds to keep our communities safe.
 I also met with Ramsey County officials and first responders who shared updates on their improvements towards local public safety communications systems. Working together with the County we are investing nearly $3,000,000 in federal funding to ensure our state’s largest dispatch center continues to reliably serve more than 550,000 residents.
Heavy Rainfall Leads to Flooding in Stillwater and Saint Paul
Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski and I met to discuss flooding on the St. Croix River due to recent heavy rainfall. My office stands ready as a federal partner to help assist the city and residents as they monitor water levels, which are expected to rise further this weekend. We also discussed local projects, including federal funding we are seeking to support the city’s actions to design and build a new system to provide safe drinking water for residents.
Road Closures in Saint Paul:
The City of Saint Paul, in coordination with Ramsey County will be closing sections of roads and highways due to flooding on the Mississippi River. Beginning on Sunday, June 23 at 6 PM, Shepard/Warner Road from Eagle Pkwy to Hwy 61 will be closed to all traffic. Keep up to date on park and road closures here.
Washington Update
Keeping Families Together
President Biden announced a new Executive Order this week aimed at keeping families together. This executive order will direct the Department of Homeland Security to take action to ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together. Now, certain noncitizen spouses and children can apply for lawful permanent residence – status that they are already eligible for – without leaving the country. I applaud President Biden on this action that will protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen.
More this week:
Ramsey County is providing free cable gun locks to residents in an effort to combat fatalities and injuries.
Three St. Paul women and firefighters work towards supporting build strength and confidence.
REMINDER: Green and Gold Congressional Aide Position for Veterans and Gold Star Families
My office has been selected to participate the Green and Gold Congressional Aide Program! The program was established to create employment opportunities for Veterans and Gold Star Family Members within the U.S. House of Representatives. More information about the eligibility requirements and how to apply for this two-year paid position is available HERE. Please help spread the word!
Stay in touch: Voice your policy opinion, ask for help with a federal agency, or find all of my recent statements at mccollum.house.gov.
As always, thank you for being an informed and engaged constituent.
Sincerely,
Betty McCollum
Member of Congress
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