Dear Neighbor,
With the 2018 legislative session starting Tuesday in St. Paul, here are some links I hope you will find helpful in following along from home.
- Minnesota House of Representatives: Information about the legislative process and the Minnesota House of Representatives in general.
- Session Daily: A nonpartisan publication of Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services which provides hard news from the Capitol.
- New laws: Compiled by the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services.
- TV coverage: Coverage is broadcast statewide – along with Minnesota Senate television coverage – on our local PBS station’s digital Minnesota Channel available on many cable systems and is free on over-the-air channels.
- Your Legislators TV program: Your Legislators is a live one-hour program which runs 8 p.m. Thursdays during the legislative session on public TV. The weekly panels typically include a mix of two Republicans and two Democrats joining moderator Barry Anderson. Viewers are able to submit questions during the show.
- Streaming video: Live Internet video streaming of all television productions, plus additional coverage not provided on the broadcast channel, including evening, weekend and interim coverage.
- How a bill moves to law: A 16-page booklet explaining, in a simple, straightforward manner, how a bill moves from an idea to law. Capitol Steps is intended as a resource for junior high school students.
- Twitter and Facebook: Follow the social media accounts @MNHouseInfo or @mnhouse/gop to stay in the loop.
In other news, a dozen "Be Ready for B20" workshops are taking place around the state, including area events in Alexandria and Moorhead the middle of next month. Diesel retailers, distributors, fleets, farmers and anyone else interested in this subject are encouraged to attend.
The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council is sponsoring the events. The stated goal is to help the industry prepare for the step up to the requirement for 20-percent biodiesel content on May 1 and “understand the benefits of the fuel and how it will impact fuel providers and end users.”
- March 13, Alexandria: Holiday Inn, 5637 Highway 29 South; 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; lunch included
- March 14, Moorhead: Courtyard by Marriott, 1080 28th Avenue South; 8:30 to 11 a.m.; breakfast included
This is your chance to speak directly with state officials from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce Weights & Measures Division who will be there. Additional information regarding these workshops is available at this link.
I will be back with more news from the House soon. It is exciting for the new session to be getting underway and, as always, your correspondence is welcome. Please let me know if you are going to be at the Capitol and would like to arrange a meeting to discuss the issues – or would like to just sit down and ask a few questions about our Legislature.
Sincerely,
Bud