Friends,
One day, hopefully spring will arrive. It obviously won't be this weekend, but... it will come. In the meantime, we are back to work in St. Paul following a short break for Easter and Passover. Let's hope next week brings some better weather.
Rep. Barr with Maureen Anderson serving as a House Page from her district.
23 to Zero Project
Coming home doesn't mean their war is over, for some veterans, it means a new battle begins. With 22 veteran and one active-duty suicide totaling 23 a day, they need our support now more than ever. Operation 23 to Zero does monthly events and invites all to join.
Their mission is to bring awareness to the crisis and effect a change for those touched by this epidemic. We provided opportunities for people to come together in a comfortable setting and meet similar minded people through group events and provide a network to reach out in times of need and distress. To learn more and get involved, visit www.op23tozero.com.
Boots set on the Capitol steps to honor those veterans and active duty military who have lost their lives to suicide
Rep. Barr with an advocate for the 23 to Zero organization
Relieving Congestion
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is responsible for constructing, operating, and maintaining this system. The 20-Year Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan (MnSHIP) is MnDOT’s vehicle for deciding and communicating capital investment priorities for the system for the next 20 years. Over the next 20 years, MnDOT will only invest $240 million to deal with congestion. They use to dedicate at least 6.9 percent of their budget to congestion now only one percent is dedicated.
My bill, HF 3703, will require MnDOT to modify its highway investment plan to prioritize decreasing congestion in the metro area was heard in the Ways and Means Committee this week.
This legislation would tell MnDOT is revise the MnSHIP plan to focus on relieving congestion in the metro area. MnDOT must allocate funds for mobility that are sufficient to have an impact on congestion. The plan must prioritize general purpose lanes over user fee lanes. The plan revisions would be due September 30, 2019.
The bill will next head to the House floor for a vote.
Rep. Barr with Afton-native and US Olympic Gold Medalist Jessie Diggins as she visited the Capitol this week
School Safety Package
Before we took a break for Easter & Passover, we unveiled a legislative package aimed at putting student safety first. We have taken a multifaceted approach that includes more resources to meet the needs of students and schools statewide which includes everything from hiring more school resource officers, student counselors and mental health professionals to making critical building security upgrades.
We have listened to school officials, teachers, students, and parents in our local communities to bring forward this comprehensive approach to making our students safer. I am especially proud of the inclusion of my proposal to provide reimbursement for school safety audits for schools. The state government funding security audits will allow schools to know what vulnerabilities there are and what upgrades can be made to properly protect students. This is a concrete step we can take today to make our children safer.
The following solutions, authored by numerous House members, are currently advancing through the public committee process:
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 authored by Reps. Barb Haley, R-Red Wing and Anna Wills, R-Rosemount.
School building security upgrades, and expanded use of Long-Term Facility Maintenance revenue for security projects, including emergency communications systems authored by Rep. Jenifer Loon, R-Eden Prairie.
School-linked mental health programming to ensure better outcomes for all kids authored by Rep. Jeff Backer, R-Browns Valley.
Physical security audit grants to provide state assistance to review facility security and crisis management policies authored by Reps. Randy Jessup, R-Shoreview and Drew Christensen, R-Savage.
Suicide prevention training for teachers to help educators learn how to engage and assist students experiencing mental distress authored by Rep. Dario Anselmo, R-Edina.
School-based threat assessment teams established to assess, intervene, and report threats facing students, teachers, and staff authored by Rep. Keith Franke, R-St. Paul Park.
In Case You Missed It: Tour around 52B!
Late last summer, we put together a video that highlights some of the great and beautiful parts of District 52B, which encompasses Inver Grove Heights, Sunfish Lake, parts of Mendota Heights and Eagan. I think it turned out very well and am proud to represent such a fantastic place to live. Check out the video here!
On this day in History
Twenty-one years ago today a 21-year-old Tiger Woods won his first major, the Masters, in Augusta, Georgia. He won by 12 strokes!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas with me. You can schedule a time to meet with me in my office anytime by calling me at 651-296-4192, or share your thoughts by emailing me at rep.regina.barr@house.mn.
Have a great weekend!
Regina