Legislative Update
Congratulations to Maddie and Jacob from Aitkin High School Wrestling for their performance at the state wrestling tournament. Maddie finished in 4th place for the girl's 114 lbs Class and Jacob finished 5th in the Class AA 182 lbs this past weekend. Over from Little Falls High School, congratulations to Hank for his excellent performance in the AAA 195 lbs Class. It is truly impressive the amount of effort you have put into your sport to compete at this level with the best from around the entire state. Great job representing Aitkin pride and I look forward to seeing what you accomplish next.
This week fellow Representative Isaac Schultz and I released our plan to address the fentanyl epidemic that is hurting so many Minnesotans. HF 2453 adds illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) to the current statute on the possession and sale of controlled substances. This means that the criminals who are bringing this dangerous substance in and distributing it will be held equally accountable as other dangerous drugs. These statutes include penalties of a gross misdemeanor which carries up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Next week I have a hearing scheduled in the Education Finance Committee to give students the opportunity to explore transporation careers. House File 2134 funds an aeronautics and over-the-road commercial driving program for ISD 482. This program will provide students with the opportunity to learn about careers in commercial aeronautics and over-the-road transportation. At the end of the program, a report will be submitted to the legislature providing information for other schools to build a similar program.
There are a number of important infrastructure projects with legislation I am sponsoring. HF 1114 is to separate the rail grade and highway 27 crossing in Little Falls. This will greatly improve the safety of this transit corridor for both trains and road traffic. Also on the list of bills I am carrying is HF 617 to fund a number of city projects in Aitkin. Our cities are important for shared community spaces and the variety of utility they provide for us all every day. Another important project is the expansion of the Northwoods Regional ATV trail which will include attaching Aitkin to this scenic trail system.
Minnesota is home to a lot of great infrastructure, infrastructure we are proud to take care of. On Monday the House voted to fund a number of important infrastructure projects. Minnesota River flood mitigation was one of those projects that will now go into design and construction to help protect our land. Another project in this bill is the Minnesota Military Museum so that generations to come can learn about our history and the men and women that gave so much for our country.
This evening the Little Falls VFW Post 1112 has their fish fry. This is a great opportunity to share a delicious meal with our neighbors and get to know the members of our community. The fish fries don?t stop there though. Coming up next week on March 17th Holy Cross in Onamia has their Lenten Fish Fry. I look forward to sharing great company this season with all of you across the district.
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