Greetings Northlanders,
The first bill deadline is March 22, meaning that House committees must take action on bills from members by Thursday at midnight for them to be eligible for passage this session. With that deadline coming up quickly, we’ve been having some long days and nights in committee. Here are updates from St. Paul:
Meeting with Congressman Rick Nolan
I had a great conversation with Congressman Nolan on Monday about a possible Loon project in Cross Lake. Thanks to Rick for stopping by and for representing the Fighting 8th so well!
MN Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS)
At the beginning of the week, the Republican majority kicked the can down the road on fixing MNLARS again. Let’s get this system fixed so it can serve the people of Minnesota like it was designed to do.
Bills in Committee
On Tuesday, I had two bills heard in Capital Investment: the first was for the Silver Creek sewer project and the second was for the city of Babbitt’s municipal campground.
We also had a revision of Sophia’s Law, which is named for a seven-year-old who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while boating, passed onto the general register – this change makes the law more specific, helping boaters and the hospitality industry in our district and across the state.
Days on the Hill
One of my sons, Jared, was able to visit the Capitol as part of the AFSCME Day on the Hill and saw me present two bills in the Capital Investment Committee.
Both IBEW and AFSCME had their Day on the Hill events Tuesday, which are always great opportunities to meet with the Minnesotans who work hard and deserve fair pay and benefits.
As always, if you have ideas or input on legislative matters, please feel free to reach out.
Sincerely,
Rob Ecklund
State Representative