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State Representative Ryan Winkler
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7026
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
Press/News Releases
LAWMAKERS PROPOSE HELP FOR BRIDGE VICTIMS
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – When the I35W Bridge fell into the Mississippi River on August 1st, it claimed the lives of 13 people. But those who were fortunate enough to survive are still suffering from the severe emotional, financial, and health-related consequences of one of the worst disasters in our state's history.
"What happened to these people is unthinkable," said Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL – Golden Valley & St. Louis Park). "Some of them have medical bills totaling over $1 million. They've lost parents, children, and spouses. Even though we can never change what happened to these innocent people, we have a responsibility as a state to do all we can to provide them the necessary resources to move forward."
Rep. Winkler is a freshman legislator who plans to introduce legislation in February that would create a Minnesota Disaster Victims Compensation Fund for the victims of the I35W Bridge collapse. He is a member of the House State Government Finance Committee that will listen to testimony from bridge victims Thursday in a special hearing at the Twin Cities Red Cross Headquarters in Minneapolis.
At the hearing, Rep. Winkler and his fellow legislators intend to establish a more thorough, comprehensive understanding of the ongoing needs of bridge victims and their families. In doing so, lawmakers will be able to craft an adequate and effective state response when session reconvenes.
State Representative Phyllis Kahn, who chairs the State Government Finance Committee and represents an area of Minneapolis contiguous to the I35W Bridge collapse site, called the hearing to give bridge victims a chance to tell legislators and the public what they need and expect from the state. The people in Kahn's district have been significantly and directly impacted by this ongoing tragedy.
"The state was responsible for making sure that bridge was safe for travel," said Rep. Kahn. "But the state clearly failed, and these innocent people are suffering the consequences. The state must be held accountable so that the victims of this tragedy and the City of Minneapolis can heal."
Kahn voiced her support for Winkler's Minnesota Disaster Victims Compensation Fund saying, "I'm glad the Representative Winkler has taken a lead on this important matter." Kahn added, "Congress passed victims compensation legislation two days after 9/11 to provide aid to those affected by that tragedy and 97% of the people affected utilized the fund. The Minnesota Legislature needs to act with a sense of urgency and pass victims compensation fund legislation when we return to the Capitol in February."
Winkler's work with the victims of the I35W Bridge collapse will be ongoing throughout the remainder of the interim. He and other lawmakers plan to partner closely with bridge victims to ensure that the legislative process delivers the results they need to begin the process of rebuilding their lives.
"We cannot ignore our responsibility to the people whose lives have been changed forever because of this terrible tragedy, and we cannot let another bridge fall down in this state," said Winkler. "Only when we've finished a thorough investigation of the physical and policy-related causes of this disaster, and compensated its victims to the full extent of our ability, can the state of Minnesota confidently move forward."
News Items
- Statement on Budget Forecast - (Posted: 2012-12-05 00:00:00)
- Statement on Final I-35 W Bridge Settlement - (Posted: 2012-11-13 00:00:00)
- Rep. Winkler: Tea Party Activists Can’t Be Trusted to Reform Our Elections - (Posted: 2012-11-01 00:00:00)
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