Dear Neighbors,

Last week, the 2021 legislative session got underway. I’m honored to represent our community at the State Capitol, and look forward to the work ahead to help Minnesotans navigate the challenges before us as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform

This session I’ll once again serve as chair of the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee. Last year, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, we worked together to pass the Minnesota Police Accountability act, with overdue reforms and accountability measures to ensure all Minnesotans can have safe interactions with law enforcement. This didn’t solve every problem though. We have much more to do and must look toward all of our institutions to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and human rights within our public safety systems.

House DFL Legislative Priorities

As the public health threat of COVID-19 remains, many Minnesotans continue to struggle. No matter the difficulties before us, every Minnesotan deserves to be safe, healthy, and economically secure.

Earlier this week, my House DFL colleagues and I announced our priority legislation for the legislative session. These initiatives are largely focused on getting our state through this pandemic and helping Minnesotans bounce back. These are trying times, but we will get through them by protecting and investing in the resources that help Minnesotans who have been hurt the most by COVID-19. You can read more about our initial priorities here.

Vaccine Dashboard

We’re finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel for the COVID-19 pandemic, and the vaccine is being distributed. The vaccine is being administered in phases, with health care workers and long-term care residents receiving it first, followed by essential workers, those 65 or older, and those with underlying health conditions.

This week, the state launched a new COVID-19 dashboard to update Minnesotans on the progress of the vaccine distribution in a user-friendly format. The data is updated daily at 11 a.m.

Stay in Touch

I want to welcome my new legislative assistant, Katelynn Ogunfolami, to our team, and thank Jason Chavez (who has moved on to a new position at the House), for his work over the past two years. Please continue to be in touch with your ideas, viewpoints, or if I can ever be of assistance. You can reach me by email at rep.carlos.mariani@house.mn, and my Capitol phone number is 651-224-6647. Also, if you don’t already, I invite you to follow me on Facebook.

It’s an honor to represent you.

Sincerely,

Carlos Mariani
State Representative