Dear Neighbors,
We wrapped up the 2020 session on Sunday. On Monday we were able to listen to the retirement speeches of our esteemed colleagues, these are always bittersweet moments for me, but I enjoy them nonetheless, you can watch these speeches here. This session has been extraordinary in several ways, and we had to make difficult adjustments in order to pass needed legislation. By working together we passed significant COVID-19 legislation giving Minnesota some of the resources it needed to rise to the challenge. However, in the final week a lot of important legislation was blocked, and while there may be an opportunity to reconsider these critical measures as we continue our efforts addressing COVID-19, this last weekend was our best shot at reaching a compromise. Here is some major legislation that was blocked in the final hours:
- $100 million in housing assistance for all Minnesotans; Minnesotans all across the state are facing difficulty paying their rent and mortgages, in order to fight this virus everyone needs a stable home;
- increased Minnesota Family Investment assistance for MN families that need the most help;
- temporary wage increase for personal care assistants who are taking care of our most vulnerable;
- ensuring full pay for hourly school workers; these workers help to care for our children, I have worked alongside these workers and the deserve our respect and aid;
- emergency loans for state small and minority owned businesses; these businesses form the backbone of our community and they need our help.
Early during the COVID-19 crisis there was a sense of togetherness and comradery. Unfortunately, our efforts to support Minnesotans became partisan. I will continue to do my best to advocate for our district's needs.
House DFL Releases Jobs and Local Projects Bill
The Jobs and Local Projects Proposal or “bonding” bill, did not receive the 3/5 vote necessary to pass in the House of Representatives due to lack of support from House Republicans. Our bill would have invested in Minnesotans in a time when it’s needed most, it contained $2.524 billion in renovations, repairs, and replacement of public assets like higher education institutions, clean water infrastructure, correctional facilities, roads and bridges, parks and trails, municipal buildings and more. There are a couple great proposals for our district that will go a long way towards supporting our community, including:
- $5,500,000 for the Diffley Road Project
- $8,940,000 for pedestrian and bicycle trails on the Minnesota River Greenway and the Veterans Memorial Greenway in Dakota County
The language of the proposal is available here. A spreadsheet of included projects can be found here.
Memorial Day
As we pause to honor those who made a great sacrifice for our nation this weekend, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs is sponsoring a Virtual Memorial Day Program. TPT has created a 30-minute Memorial Day program entitled “Always Remember: A Minnesota Tribute to Veterans We’ve Lost,” that will be broadcast across the state on TPT’s Minnesota Channel on Monday at 7:30 p.m. and live streamed on TPT’s website.
Additional Info
- Minnesota’s COVID-19 Dashboard remains the best source for accurate, updated information. House Speaker Melissa Hortman announced the formation of a Select Committee on Minnesota’s Pandemic Response and Rebuilding to explore the pandemic’s impacts and address any issues that may arise, which had its first meeting this week. You can follow the committee’s work here.
- You can now request an absentee ballot for the August Primary Election and the November General Election online from the Secretary of State’s website by following this link.
Stay in Touch
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at rep.sandra.masin@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-3533. If you have a friend, neighbor, or relative who wants to receive updates about the Legislature, let them know they can subscribe to my email list here. You can also follow me on Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent our community. Please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Sandra Masin
State Representative