Folks from the Minnesota Trappers Association were at the Capitol on Wednesday. I really enjoyed spending some time with them!
With High School Pages
Proud to receive a Certificate of Appreciation from Kimberly Pilgrim and the Minnesota Displaced Homemaker Program
Dear Neighbors,
I wanted to start by wishing you and your family a blessed and Happy Easter! I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend filled with quality family time. Also, if you’re hitting the road to visit loved ones, safe travels!
Happy Easter!
Line 3 Replacement Bill
On Tuesday, my bill to authorize the Line 3 Pipeline construction passed out of the House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Committee. The bill would grant a certificate of need and route approval. The pipeline was ordered to be replaced during the Obama Administration, and has been vetted extensively through our state’s regulatory process.
Moreover, folks up here in Northwest Minnesota overwhelmingly support getting this done The Line 3 Replacement Pipeline will provide a significant economic boost for Northern Minnesota. It will create and sustain good-paying jobs, generate more tax and commerce revenue for our local communities, and ensure oil can continue to travel safely across our state. It’s time to grant a certificate of need and get this done for Minnesota.
My bill was sent to the General Register, meaning its next stop would be a full debate on the House Floor.
You can see the testimony I presented in the Jobs Committee on Tuesday here.
School Safety Package
Keeping our students safe is a top issue at the Capitol, and House Republicans unveiled a student safety package earlier today that will do everything from helping schools hire more counselors and school resource officers to funding building security upgrades. Our proposal provides for mental health and school safety funding.
One of the key aspects of our plan is that it provides additional funding and resources, along with flexibility for our local school districts, allowing them to do what works best for them. This is critical for rural school districts like those in our area which may want and need to do drastically different things than large suburban and city school districts.
Some key parts of House Republicans’ student safety package include:
- School resource officers, student support personnel, and other school security programs funded through increased Safe Schools revenue, including a floor level of funding for small schools
- School building security upgrades, and expanded use of Long-Term Facility Maintenance revenue for security projects, including emergency communications systems
- School-linked mental health programming to ensure better outcomes for kids
- Physical security audit grants to provide state assistance to review facility security and crisis management policies
- Suicide prevention training for teachers to help educators learn how to engage and assist students experiencing mental distress
- School-based threat assessment teams established to assess, intervene, and report threats facing students, teachers, and staff
I think this is a commonsense proposal that will greatly benefit Northwest Minnesota school districts and help keep our kids safe.
ATV Bill
The Friends of Hayes Lake State Park and the Roseau County commissioners asked me to carry a bill to require a five year pilot project to allow ATVs to enter Hayes Lake State Park and travel only on existing public roadways. Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park is also included in my bill.
It was passed out of the Government Operations Committee on a bipartisan vote this week. The DNR and Governor Dayton are opposed to this. It would be helpful if you contact them to express your support for this commonsense idea.
Follow me on Facebook!
To stay up-to-date on what’s happening at your State Capitol, feel free to “like” my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RepDanFabian.
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My door is always open to the needs and priorities of our area. Please feel free to let me know if I can be of assistance to you and your family. I am here to serve you!
Dan
**Encourage your neighbors and friends to sign up for my email updates at www.house.mn/01A