Dear Neighbor,
We received good news on the economic front today when Minnesota Management & Budget called for a $1.9 billion surplus.
That announcement will kick-start work on budget work at the Capitol, providing the key set of figures necessary to do that work. Look for a House proposal to round into shape the second half of March.
Work in committees continues to be a heavy emphasis to this point in the session. Our time eventually will shift more toward the floor where the full House will be discussing and voting on bills.
One bill that did pass the House this week 130-0 would help us take steps to improve Minnesota's child protection system. One part of the bill prioritizes the safety of children when social workers make decisions regarding intervention. Another provision reverses a law passed last year that barred consideration of screened-out reports when investigating abuse reports.
In the Ag. Policy Committee I chair, this week we passed a bill providing more funding for ag. research, an area which has seen a drop-off in funding over the years. It would be good if we can get this proposal through to enactment so we can set up more research stations around the state to help us develop more varieties of crops that resist weeds and disease.
It was a pleasure to host state Future Farmers of America officers (above) during FFA Day at the Capitol Thursday. We spent time discussing some of the challenges we face in ag. and I provided an update of what we are working on this session in general. I also introduced them to the full House body from the floor of our chamber. Here is a brief clip of that video: http://youtu.be/rcXG4J2fWUc.
Sincerely,
Paul