Dear Neighbor,
Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. This time of year is full of festivities and one activity I was honored to partake in recently was placing wreaths on the headstones at a veterans' cemetery near Camp Ripley. It is just one more way I can show my gratitude for those who have served our country.
On a separate tribute note, I am working to support the cause of a group looking to place a monument at the new Rockville Fire Department building. It would honor military veterans, fire fighters, first responders and law enforcement. Organizers are seeking donations for the project, or you can contribute and have a name placed on the monument. An account has been set up at Granite Community Bank in Rockville and 100 percent of the donations received will go toward this project. The plan is to have a dedication on Sept. 11, 2016. Call Rosie at (320) 252-6473 or Tim at (320) 795-2258 for more information.
As for the meetings schedule, the calendar remains busy, including a St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce leadership program I recently attended with fellow area legislators Sen. John Pederson and Reps. Jim Knoblach and Tama Theis. I also went to a Central Minnesota Warrior to Citizen Initiative meeting.
A joint hearing I participated in at the Capitol addressed the implementation of body cameras by law enforcement around the state. This evolving technology comes with many layers to consider, especially as it relates to data privacy. Questions remain over how data will be stored to make this a useful law enforcement tool without compromising the privacy of citizens. Stay tuned for more on this subject.
A handful of new state laws go into effect in January. Click here for details on those, including bringing back the requirement for drivers to provide proof of insurance when purchasing registration tabs at the DMV. This is an effort to reduce the number of uninsured motorists.
I hope you are able to spend extra time in the company of friends and family over the Christmas and New Year holidays. This is a time for giving, so please lend a hand to those who are in need or may be alone this season. A moment of your time might make someone's day. Also, let's remember those who cannot be home for Christmas, whether they are serving overseas or responding to a call of another sort.
Merry Christmas, God bless and good luck,
Jeff