Dear Neighbors,
I wanted to share these most recent updates with you, as our Minnesota summer comes to an end and we start our back-to-school plans.
Violence and Hatred in Charlottesville
I joined my fellow members of the People of Color and Indigenous Minnesotans Caucus and Jewish legislators in condemning the violence and bigotry we’ve seen recently. You can read the statement we sent out here.
Roseville and WBL get Pre-K Funding Boost
Due to the hard work of Governor Dayton and the Legislature this year, we were able to continue voluntary, school-based pre-K for many children in Minnesota. Recently the governor announced that 109 school districts and charters will receive funding for pre-K and nearly 5,000 new kids will be eligible for Early Learning Scholarships.
That means we’ll be sending 22,500 kids to preschool this year that might not otherwise be going! Roseville and White Bear Lake School Districts will be receiving more than $300,000 in one time funding this year for voluntary pre-K and school readiness programs.
Fire Ops 101 Training
Last weekend I participated in a Fire Ops 101 training with firefighters from Roseville and other north metro cities. We geared up and learned about vehicle extrication, hacking a vent in a roof, responding to an EMS call (complete with carrying a 150 pound mannequin down a flight of stairs after providing CPR). The most intense exercises involved participating in a "fire attack" scenario with a real fire hose and a "search and rescue" in a completely smoke filled building. We did all of these exercises in the real gear that our firefighters use.
I already knew that being a firefighter was challenging but I am now even more impressed by the work our firefighters do! The physical endurance required and the amount of training and information needed to quickly and appropriately respond to a house fire, heart attack or car accident is incredible.
I also met lots of firefighters and was able to ask lots of questions. I learned about the necessity of ongoing training, the costs of all the equipment and how much firefighters are at increased risk for long term health problems like cancer.
A huge thank you to all of our firefighters and their families for the work they do!
Legislators at the Minnesota State Fair
The Great Minnesota Get Together is right around the corner! The Minnesota State Fair is one of the biggest state fairs in the country with lots of family fun. I’m looking forward to attending with my family, riding the new Great Big Wheel, watching the sheepdog competition and trying out some new foods!
The Legislature hosts a booth in the Education Building every year where you can take a survey and visit with members of the House and Senate. I’ll be there on September 1st from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Even if you can’t visit when I’m there, please stop by and take the legislative survey and ask a few questions of legislators.
Enbridge Line 3 Statement
This week the Department of Commerce released and opened the comment window for their final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed project. I joined my fellow Native Americans in the Legislature in a statement calling for more attention to the disproportionate effects on Native communities. You can read the statement here.
Save on Back to School Shopping
The Minnesota Department of Revenue is reminding parents that most school supplies could qualify for valuable K-12 tax benefits on their 2017 Minnesota income tax return. Parents should remember to save the receipts for school supply purchases to claim the tax credit or subtraction.
I look forward to hearing from you. Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns and suggestions for future community events to include on our list!
Jamie
P.S: Don’t forget to forward this update to your friends and family. They cansign up to receive these updates here.