|
Dear neighbors,
I went to Austin, Minnesota for a meeting of the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), which I serve on as the House Agriculture Committee’s co-chair. AURI presented its “Ag Innovator of the Year” Award to StableFeed, a company developing new, sustainable feed ingredients, including the use of cover crops to improve equine health.
Their work is a reminder of why innovation matters in Minnesota agriculture. As we face ongoing challenges in our farm economy and natural resources, we must continue supporting forward-thinking, science-based solutions that make our agricultural systems more resilient and sustainable for the long term. AURI’s press release can be found here.
You can watch a video on AURI and Stablefeed here.
Public entities and nonprofit organizations serving people younger than 18 can apply for the No Child Left Inside grants until 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17.
The No Child Left Inside program offers grants to schools and nonprofits to support and increase efforts to connect youth to the outdoors. Past programs have allowed more children to cast a line, study animal tracks, hike, bike, or engage in other activities to experience and learn more about nature.
The DNR is accepting applications for both mini-grants (less than $5,000) and larger grants ($5,001 to $25,000). The total amount of available funding this year is $485,000.
The request for proposals and more information about how to apply are available on the DNR website.
If you’re a homeowner, by the time you read this, you should have received your county truth-in-taxation notice, or should receive it shortly. If you’re like me, you were shocked by the increased property taxes you’re facing. At a time of economic uncertainty and rising costs, we need to focus on affordability. Unfortunately, President Trump and his Republican allies are more focused on delivering tax breaks for the richest among us instead of giving the middle class an opportunity to thrive. These short-sighted cuts and disinvestment in critical federal services are shifting more responsibilities onto our state and local governments.
For instance, the federal reconciliation bill passed this summer by President Trump and Congressional Republicans made massive federal cuts to food support known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is a critical lifeline for families to put food on the table, and these cuts come when hunger is rising rapidly under Trump. Counties are responsible for managing SNAP applications, and thanks to these cuts and new burdensome paperwork requirements from Trump, our local partners will be on the hook for higher administrative costs. As a DFLer, I will work every day to improve affordability for your family. But until we get federal leaders who will put making life affordable for families ahead of tax breaks for billionaires, you and I will continue to be saddled with the consequences of their greedy priorities.
Additional property tax resources and information are available from the Minnesota Department of Revenue.
I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. As many of us gather with family and friends this week for a holiday of togetherness, it's not lost on me that there's a lot of work to do.
President Trump doubled down on division and hate last week. As Democratic members of Congress reminded the men and women protecting our nation that they need not follow unlawful orders, President Trump’s response was to threaten their lives.
In Minnesota, we don’t need to be reminded how violent words can lead to violent actions. The assassination of the Hortmans and the shooting of the Hoffmans remain fresh in our minds. My DFL colleagues and I were quick to denounce President Trump’s unprecedented words, but sadly, many of Minnesota’s Republican leaders either forgot their promise to call out violent rhetoric - or did not have the courage to do so.
It's been disappointing to see so many of my Republican colleagues in the state legislature use dangerous rhetoric like the President. Let us reflect on our moment here. I am thankful for our community and our neighbors from all walks of life. Our commitment to a better Minnesota makes this work worthwhile.
I hope you and yours are able to find a time for a peaceful and safe Thanksgiving.
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.
For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these regular legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative
|
