|
Dear neighbors,
I hope you are all enjoying the holidays and can spend time with friends, family, and community as we head towards the end of the year. Suzanne, Evan, and I wish you Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year!
Even as we prepare for a new legislative biennium, the impact of our achievements from the last two years continues. Whether it’s banning “junk” fees, protecting renters, prohibiting the sale of deadly “binary triggers” on firearms, or implementing fair prices for concert tickets, there’s a whole host of commonsense measures that’ll now be the law of the land in 2025.
Fox 9 covered the upcoming new laws in a news piece you can watch below, and a comprehensive list of everything taking effect on January 1 can be found here.
This month saw the launch of a new grant program from the Minneapolis Foundation and partners, focused on addressing the environmental challenges we face in the Great Lakes region.
This three-year, nonpartisan program will distribute $40 million for environmental and public health projects to communities in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and 36 federally recognized tribal nations. Nonprofit organizations, local and tribal governments, and institutions of higher education that work in the Great Lakes region are all welcome to apply for funding. Grants will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:
- Environmental health
- Air, soil, and water quality
- Healthy homes
- Access to healthy food
- Stormwater and green infrastructure
- Emergency preparedness
- Disaster resilience
- Environmental job training
There’s a big window to apply, with applications being accepted through November 2026 and approved on a rolling basis, but applications submitted by January 31, 2025 will be considered in the first review batch. Interested organizations can learn more and apply here.
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and feedback throughout the year. 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
|
