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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Peter Fischer (DFL)

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Short Line Railway, Voting, and Bike Trails - An Update

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

  

Dear Neighbor,

Last week I had a great conversation with Minnesota nurses about how we can improve health care delivery in the state. I'm always glad to see people in my office, so I hope you stop by!

As I look ahead, here are a few things that are on my mind:


HUGO-WHITE BEAR LAKE SHORT LINE RAILWAY

Without further repairs, the Hugo-White Bear Lake Short Line Railway will be forced to close down, eliminating 500 jobs from our region. These are good-paying jobs - an average of about $25/hr - and we need to do everything we can to maintain the economic development the line provides.

Luckily, we have a strong advocate in the State Senate in Sen. Chuck Wiger. He and I have been working hard to convince our fellow legislators to fund $1.1 million in repairs for the Hugo-White Bear Lake line.

As we move forward, I'll keep you updated on our progress.


"I VOTED" STICKERS FOR ABSENTEE VOTERS

In 2016, Minnesota was back on top - coming in at number one in voter turnout in the country, thanks in large part to record-breaking numbers of Minnesotans voting early or absentee.

That said, one common complaint I heard from voters who voted absentee is that some of them did not receive an "I voted" sticker with their ballot.

I know that seems small, but I want to do everything we can to encourage Minnesotans to remain engaged in the political process.

So I am the chief author of HF 1509, which will allow every county to distribute "I voted" stickers with every ballot. I already have three Republican co-authors, so I'm optimistic we can get this through the legislature.


ATTACKS ON TRANS HEALTH CARE

Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen has introduced legislation (HF 1183) in the House that would strip gender transition coverage from many health insurance plans. This spiteful legislation will codify discrimination into state law. It is a direct attack on trans Minnesotans, and I have no tolerance for it.

If it moves forward, you can count on me to be one of the loudest voices against it.


MAINTAINING OUR STATE TRAILS

Minnesota's great parks and trails are some of the best in the country - something we know well with Gateway State Trail running through our community.

But some legislators are intent on undermining the success of our trails by introducing a new user fee for bicyclists who use the trails. Though it's true that we need additional revenue to maintain our ever-expanding system of trails, this is absolutely the wrong way to do it.

We should be encouraging more people to get outdoors and use active transportation. This legislation (HF 929) would do the opposite.


Please feel free to reach out any time you have questions or concerns. I'm always just an email or phone call away.

Sincerely,

Rep. Peter Fischer