Dear Neighbors,
This past Thursday was the third committee deadline, the point in the legislative session when finance bills must be through the committee process. This means that much of the attention now shifts to the House Floor where this week we are considering these bills. The various budget areas have been combined into three bills: on Monday evening, we considered the E-12 and Higher Education Bill, later today we will take up the combined Jobs, Agriculture and Environment Bill, and tomorrow we hear the State Government, Health and Human Services, and Public Safety Bill.
Live webcasts of all floor sessions are available from House Public Information Services; stay up to date as to when they take place here: www.house.mn/htv/schedule.asp. If you’d like to go back and view footage from a previous floor session, the House Info YouTube channel has them archived here:www.youtube.com/MNHouseInfo.
Construction Season
An adage – perhaps as old as the automobile itself – goes: “There are two seasons in Minnesota: winter, and road construction.” We hope to have seen the last of the snow for the year, so now we’ve now moved on to a season full of resurfacing, bridge work, median repairs, ramp closures, and a whole host of other projects that, while certainly causing some headaches in the short term, help us get from point A to point B more safety over the long term.
I’d invite you to sign up for project updates from the Minnesota Department of Transportation here. This way you can know about upcoming work ahead of time, and plan any alternate routes accordingly.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Every 107 seconds, another person is sexually assaulted in this country. Our nation prides itself on protecting every individual’s access to justice, yet we have done little to establish baseline procedures for sexual assault survivors – effectively denying justice to millions of those who need it most. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and I hope you can take some time to learn about some of the efforts to prevent this at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center here. Here in Minnesota, the MN Coalition Against Sexual Assault does some terrific work in this area too, and I hope you will check out their website to learn about their efforts as well.
Zoo Access Program
The Minnesota Zoo recently started a program for low-income families in Minnesota to be able to enjoy the Zoo at no cost.Through the Zoo Access Program (ZAP), Minnesota residents with limited income who receive public assistance through various established programs receive free admission for themselves and their immediate family. Guests can take advantage simply by showing a current Minnesota ID along with evidence of participation in one of the designated programs. It’s simple for the Zoo to administer and easy for guests to use. For more information, visit the Minnesota Zoo online here.
There is just under a month left in this year’s legislative session. I hope you will stay in touch with any comments or questions; feel free to call or email me any time about the issues important to you.
Sincerely,
JoAnn Ward