Dear Neighbor,
District 5A residents are invited to stop by for just a few minutes or even longer to discuss state legislative issues during an informal in-district coffee meeting I will host 8-10 a.m. Feb. 17 at Rafael’s Café Bakery in Bemidji (319 Minnesota Ave.).
A top priority of mine as a legislator is to remain in touch with the people I represent and face-to-face meetings are very important to me in that regard. So much of our time these days is spent looking at screens, communicating electronically, but nothing can replace personal interactions meetings like this provide.
Come enjoy some coffee, ask some questions and let me know where you stand on the issues.
As for news from St. Paul, I made my first bill presentation to a House committee this week. The hearing went well. The bill I presented is one I authored to crack down on the practice of con artists tapping into veterans’ pension benefits. It got a good reception and remains in the mix for passage this session.
This issue was somewhat under the radar, but the state attorney general has received a number of complaints of predatory lenders deceiving veterans and their beneficiaries in order to defraud them of pension funds. One example we received is a person took a $30,000 loan against their pension and it ended up being a $105,000 payoff commitment.
Federal law prohibits these practices, but officials say there is no enforcement mechanism. As hard as it is to believe, current state law does not provide recourse for cases such as that one. It’s about time we put some teeth in place on this issue and my bill would do that, allowing veterans to void these types of contracts and also allowing the attorney general to investigate and prosecute if necessary.
Click here for video of the bill hearing.
On a final note, I have received an appointment to the Explore Minnesota Tourism Council. The board is geared toward development and growth of Minnesota tourism. It also addresses program development and public policy issues at both the state and federal levels.
Tourism is a major driver of our economy in Minnesota, with more than $14 billion in annual sales and nearly 260,000 jobs it provides our state. Leisure and hospitality is key to our way of life in this area and I look forward to helping make our neck of the woods even more welcoming to visitors.
I am the lone House Republican among four legislators to serve this 28-member council and appreciate the appointment from Speaker Kurt Daudt.
Until next time, have a good weekend and your messages always are welcome.
Sincerely,
Matt