Dear Friend,
This week I commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by attending the MLK Holiday Breakfast at Saint Pascal Baylon Catholic Church. For twenty-five years the annual MLK Holiday Breakfast has been uniting us in the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, legacy and vision. This year, the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches provided breakfast at nine locations, including Saint Pascal Baylon. Later in the day citizens from across the state peacefully marched through the streets of Saint Paul and rallied at the State Capitol without incident or a single arrest.
Committees are now underway and we’ve begun the process of hearing bills. The State Government Finance Committee, which I’m the DFL-Lead on, will be hearing bills that touch on virtually all parts of state government, from pensions to the Department of Revenue.
Recently, the State Government Finance Committee toured the Capitol Complex to observe the ongoing restoration and repairs this week. As you may know, the 110 year old Capitol has been falling apart. Pieces of the stone exterior have been falling off, chunks of plaster from the ceiling have been hitting people’s heads and the public has had to endure floods in the lower levels. Access to different parts of the Capitol will be changing as the repairs continue. You can visit the Capitol Restoration and Repair website for up to date information on the repairs and information on accessing the Capitol. After the process is complete, not only will the Capitol be safer for generations to come, it will make participating in the legislative process easier and more open to the public.
Even with the ongoing repairs, my office is readily accessible to you. Feel free to contact me with any issues, concerns or ideas.
Sincerely,
Sheldon Johnson