Dear neighbors,
My legislative update earlier this week contained a typo. Deer farms are required to have two gates to prevent contact between farmed animals and wild one, not fences. Further details about the provisions to address the chronic wasting disease outbreak are available here.
Today, I’d like to highlight another section of the budget – the veterans and military affairs budget. The brave men and women who serve our country deserve our support while they’re on active duty and after their service ends. The budget recognizes the Hmong veterans who served in the U.S. Vietnam War by creating an annual state holiday on May 14. At least 35,000 Hmong Special Guerilla Unit soldiers sacrificed their lives in the Secret War in Laos to protect American troops.
It also establishes the first Saturday of October as Veteran Suicide Awareness Day. This will help raise public awareness of the elevated risk of suicide among veterans. Funding for Veterans’ Voices, which honors the contributions of veterans through their own words and stories, is included too. Learn more about this important program at https:/mnhum.org/veterans-voices/.
In addition to honoring our veterans, service members, and their families, the budget provides funding to support them. Members of the House and Senate agreed to fully fund requests from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Military Affairs. Other provisions improve veteran nursing homes and the Armed Forces Service Center, address veteran homelessness, and help veterans find careers.
The veterans and military affairs appropriations passed as part of the state government budget. If you’d like to read more, the text of the entire bill is available here. You can view a spreadsheet here and a nonpartisan summary here. The House State Government Finance Division held a public hearing to walk through the budget; audio is available here.
Legislative Session Update
If you’d like to hear about what got done this year, ask questions, or share your ideas for moving Minnesota forward, please join Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, Rep. Anne Claflin, and me for a recap next week.
When: Monday, June 10 from 6:30 – 8 PM
Where: Black Sheep Coffee, 705 Southview Boulevard, South St. Paul, MN 55075
If you’re unable to attend, please feel free to email or call me with your questions and feedback.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative