Dear Neighbors,
I hope you and your families stayed safe and warm during the historic cold last week. Weather-wise this cold spell is one most of us won’t forget for a long while.
Though the House of Representatives has been in session for less than a month, many great proposals have already been introduced and we are making progress.
Improving Cyber Security
In State Government Finance, we passed a bill that will enable the Secretary of State to spend $6.6 million in federal funding to improve our cyber security. This funding has been available since last session, but legislative approval is required before it can be spent. Secretary of State Simon asked for a clean bill-one without additional pieces-on more than one occasion last session, but the House Majority leadership never got that job done.
This year again, there was a proposed amendment to match the federal funding with state money. Secretary Simon has said that obtaining the authority to access the federal money is the more pressing issue at this time. Seeking a state match for the federal funding would slow down the process of spending the federal funds. Passing the clean bill was an important first step toward improving our state’s cybersecurity. I hope to consider additional resources later in the session.
February is Black History Month
Governor Walz has proclaimed February as Black History Month in Minnesota. While we reflect on the contributions of African American people, we also must look forward. Working together, we can achieve greater equality for all Minnesotans.
Representative Rena Moran spoke about how she is creating that equality last week. You can watch that video here.
Please let me know if you have any particular issues of interest, questions, or concerns.
Sincerely,
Sandy Masin
State Representative