Dear Neighbors,
March came in as a lion, but it hasn’t slowed us down at the Capitol. Things continue to move at a steady pace as we work toward the adjournment finish line on May 21. Committee deadlines have been set; our first bill deadline is on March 22, the second is on March 29 and the last deadline for fiscal bills is on April 20.
Here’s an update from Saint Paul and other important information:
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Governor Dayton proclaimed March to be Women’s History Month in Minnesota. Coincidentally, today is also International Women’s Day. It’s great to see advocates crowd the Capitol each year pushing for women’s issues, including passing the long-overdue Equal Rights Amendment, but unfortunately it seems we continue to see threats on women’s ability to make choices with their health, including choices that may be lifesaving.
BONDING
Minnesotans who went to South Korea for the winter Olympics made us so proud. It took a lot of hard work and support from family, friends, teachers, coaches, trainers and the community to get these Minnesotans to where they are today.
Minnesota’s own Jessie Diggins, Gold Medalist for Team USA in the women’s cross-country team sprint, skied at Battle Creek Regional Park as a member of the Stillwater High School Nordic Ski Team. Battle Creek in particular is an internationally certified course. The need for consistent snow conditions throughout the winter season is vital to the development of athletes. That’s why I’m glad a couple bills have been introduced at the Capitol this year that would dedicate bonding funds to the Battle Creek winter recreation area.
SCHOOL SAFETY
After two significant measures to reduce gun violence were blocked in the House last week, the House Majority has attempted to distract Minnesotans with an alternative “solution”: Allow school districts to divert money from their own underfunded maintenance accounts, which are generally used for roof repair and other building maintenance projects, to make security upgrades.
Governor Dayton and the House DFL continue to support common sense gun violence prevention legislation. In addition, the Governor released his Safe and Secure Schools Act yesterday. His plan squarely delivers swift intervention for expelled students, allocates new resources for school building safety and improves access to mental health care for children and youth. You can check out more details of his plan here.
BOARD VACANCIES
Yesterday, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office released notice of vacancies for various state boards, councils and committees that are accepting applications. Minnesotans are encouraged to apply and serve in demonstration of public service. The newest vacancies are listed below, and the full list of 477 vacancies can be found on the website Open Positions.
Applications may be submitted online, and must be submitted within 21 days of the “Publish Date” listed to be assured of full consideration. Appointing authorities may choose to review applications received by the Secretary of State after the 21-day application period.
Please keep in touch with your input and ideas on any state matters.
I appreciate your feedback.
Sincerely,
JoAnn Ward