Dear Neighbor,
Here is an update with the latest news from around the Capitol and community.
Tobacco 21
This week I introduced a new bipartisan bill that would raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21 in Minnesota. Being the representative of Edina, I am proud to say our community is leading on this issue, and I would like the rest of the state to follow suit. If signed into law, Minnesota would be the sixth state to raise the tobacco age to 21 across the nation.
Studies show that if people don’t start smoking by 21, they most likely never will. The health care costs associated with tobacco use are also high, and why we need to do what we can to curb use.
As a parent and as a legislator, I want to keep tobacco out of the hands of Minnesota kids. I think Tobacco 21 is a commonsense reform to help do that—cutting down on the number of Minnesotans who become addicted.
Tobacco 21 can help reduce the number of smokers in our state, improve the health of citizens, save taxpayers money and most importantly, save lives by reducing tobacco use for the next generation.
Funding Quit Smoking Services
This week, I also introduced a bill that would dedicate a fraction of ongoing tobacco settlement payments to tobacco cessation services. This will ensure that programs that help people quit smoking can continue beyond their current end date of 2020.
It’s an important bill, and I will be advocating for it this session!
Suicide Prevention Bill Hearing
This week in the Education Finance Committee, they heard my bill House File 3167, which will appropriate funding for grants to help train educators on suicide prevention. The evidence-based training will help educators learn how to engage students experiencing mental distress.
It is great to see a bipartisan effort to address mental health in our schools, and I hope we can get this bill signed into law this year.
Share Your Thoughts in My 2018 Legislative Survey!
I will be sharing the results of my 2018 survey soon, so if you haven’t done so yet, please take a moment to share your thoughts with me about key issues happening at the Capitol with my 2018 Legislative Survey. It’s my job to represent the people and priorities of our community at the Capitol, and this survey is a great tool to gather opinions and input from Edina residents.
We all share the goal of making Minnesota an even better place to live, work and raise a family, and your thoughts on a number of important subjects will help me better represent our district this session.
To take the short survey, go here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/Anselmo2018
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to share your thoughts with me. And don’t forget to share the link with your friends and neighbors in Edina!
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Please know my office is available to you should you need assistance on a matter of state government. I welcome you to contact my office at any time to share your thoughts, concerns and ideas about what you would like to see happen at the Capitol. Your input is invaluable and helps me better represent the voices and priorities of our community. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4363 or by email at Rep.Dario.Anselmo@House.mn.
Sincerely,
Dario
PS: Share this e-mail update with your friends and neighbors, and let them know they can sign up here.