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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jack Considine Jr. (DFL)

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Ensuring People with Disabilities Can Live with Dignity

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

I hope your holiday season was enjoyable, and that so far, 2020 has been a good year for you and your family. We’re getting ready for the next legislative session which convenes on February 11. This week, Governor Walz announced his Local Jobs and Projects Plan with a package of investments in public infrastructure. I thank the Governor for including several important priorities for the Mankato area including the city of Mankato’s water quality mitigation project, replacement of Armstrong Hall at MSU, and the second phase of the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center’s renovation. I’m committed to working on a bipartisan basis to deliver a strong bonding bill that includes projects like these and other important infrastructure throughout our state.


Legislative Forum on Disability

The Minnesota Council on Disability recently held its annual legislative forum. The Council supports policies that strengthen equity and independence principles for Minnesotans with disabilities to live their best lives in the community and workplace. I had the honor to attend and I shared some brief remarks about my work in the Legislature to ensure all people with disabilities can live with dignity and to increase the wages home care workers earn.

council on disabilities

It’s unacceptable that the folks who take care of our most vulnerable people are often forced to settle for poverty wages. Not only is this morally wrong, but low pay makes it difficult for care providers to attract and retain quality workers, especially when they can easily earn more in retail or food service. I’m committed to getting all of my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to recognize this crisis help me reach my goal to bump the minimum wage for care providers to $15 per hour.

For the very first time, the Governor and Lt. Governor also attended the forum and voiced their support for the group’s goals. In November, Governor Walz spent a day working as a PCA to learn more about the important but challenging work they do on a daily basis. You can learn more about the Minnesota Council on Disability here.


Correctional Facility Improvements

I currently have the honor to serve as chair of the House Corrections Division, created as a brand-new committee in 2019 to take a comprehensive look at how we can improve safety and outcomes in our state’s prisons and jails. One measure I championed which was signed into law restored the position of Ombudsperson within the Minnesota Department of Corrections. I recently had the chance to sit down with KEYC to discuss how this office can receive complaints, investigate them, and ultimately make recommendations regarding conditions within correctional facilities. We also increased investments in staffing to hire 77 more corrections officers the next two years aimed at improving safety for everyone in our prisons – both those working in them and those incarcerated in them.

There’s more to do though, including boosting mental health services. In a separate interview with KEYC, I talked about the need to form a commission with everyone impacted at the table to address this complex problem which will require both funding and expertise to solve.


Federal government prohibits sale of tobacco products to anyone below age 21

At the end of 2019, the federal government enacted bipartisan legislation marking an important milestone in public health and accountability for Big Tobacco. Anyone under the age of 21 is now prohibited from purchasing tobacco products, including vaping devices. Nineteen states already raised the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21, and many communities in Minnesota had already done so, including Mankato.

With vaping on the rapid rise among teens, my colleagues and I announced a new comprehensive plan to stop Big Tobacco from targeting our kids and addicting a new generation to its deadly products. The plan bans the sale of all flavored products, increases youth education and prevention efforts, and prohibits online sales. Smoking and vaping are barriers to young people developing into healthy adults, and I’m proud to support these solutions.


Presidential Primary

This year, Minnesotans will select candidates for President in a primary election. No matter your party affiliation, it's important to cast your vote and help ensure our government is representative of our shared values.

Absentee voting is available starting tomorrow, meaning Minnesotans can be among the first in the nation to cast their votes. You can request a ballot to be mailed to you or update your voter registration here. The Secretary of State’s office has answers to a number of frequently asked questions about the new process available here.

Please continue to contact me with your input or if I can be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent you.

Sincerely,

Jack Considine
State Representative