Dear Neighbors,
We wrapped up the 2020 session on Sunday. On Monday we were able to listen to the retirement speeches of our esteemed colleagues, these are always bittersweet moments for me, but I enjoy them nonetheless, you can watch these speeches here. This session has been extraordinary in several ways, and we had to make difficult adjustments in order to pass needed legislation. By working together we passed significant COVID-19 legislation giving Minnesota some of the resources it needed to rise to the challenge. However, in the final week a lot of important legislation was blocked, and while there may be an opportunity to reconsider these critical measures as we continue our efforts addressing COVID-19, this last weekend was our best shot at reaching a compromise. Here is some major legislation that was blocked in the final hours:
Early during the COVID-19 crisis there was a sense of togetherness and comradery. Unfortunately, our efforts to support Minnesotans became partisan. I will continue to do my best to advocate for our district's needs.
House DFL Releases Jobs and Local Projects Bill
The Jobs and Local Projects Proposal or “bonding” bill, did not receive the 3/5 vote necessary to pass in the House of Representatives due to lack of support from House Republicans. Our bill would have invested in Minnesotans in a time when it’s needed most, it contained $2.524 billion in renovations, repairs, and replacement of public assets like higher education institutions, clean water infrastructure, correctional facilities, roads and bridges, parks and trails, municipal buildings and more. There are a couple great proposals for our district that will go a long way towards supporting our community, including:
The language of the proposal is available here. A spreadsheet of included projects can be found here.
Memorial Day
As we pause to honor those who made a great sacrifice for our nation this weekend, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs is sponsoring a Virtual Memorial Day Program. TPT has created a 30-minute Memorial Day program entitled “Always Remember: A Minnesota Tribute to Veterans We’ve Lost,” that will be broadcast across the state on TPT’s Minnesota Channel on Monday at 7:30 p.m. and live streamed on TPT’s website.
Additional Info
Stay in Touch
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at rep.sandra.masin@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-3533. If you have a friend, neighbor, or relative who wants to receive updates about the Legislature, let them know they can subscribe to my email list here. You can also follow me on Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent our community. Please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Sandra Masin
State Representative