Dear Neighbors,
I hope you have enjoyed our wonderful fall season! Hopefully these moderate temperatures continue as we head through November.
I recently attended the Tribal-State Relations Training and learned a lot. The Bois Forte Band of Chippewa hosted this event that involved Tribal Leaders and MN House of Representative Members.
We have eleven tribes in Minnesota- four Dakota and seven Ojibwe. Each tribe is a sovereign nation. One of the goals of the training is to increase awareness of the unique relationships and complex issues shared across tribal, state, and federal governments. Some of the topics included were treaties, language revitalization, Tribal Lands, boarding schools, and current concerns. There is much to learn and this training is meant to continue on into the future so that we are able to work on issues more effectively and efficiently.
I was also recently acknowledged as a Legislator of Distinction by the League of Minnesota Cities. I’m honored to have earned this recognition as I believe it is a critical function of state government to ensure cities receive the help they need to improve our daily lives.
Vaccination news
Governor Walz announced a list of Minnesota experiences that will be awarded to weekly drawing winners of the ‘Kids Deserve a Shot’ vaccine incentives campaign. These are designed to encourage 12-17 year olds to roll up their sleeves and get fully vaccinated. Parents or guardians must enter their 12-17 year old by the entry deadline to be eligible for the following drawing(s). Once a kid is entered, they will be included in all following drawings. Minnesota experiences will be divided up and drawn across all five drawing weeks from November 19 — December 17. You can refer to the official drawing rules online to see which experiences will be drawn each week.
COVID-19 vaccine is now recommended for children aged 5 to 11!
This is great news for Minnesota families. Vaccination is the best way to protect your child and the people around them. It has been shown to be safe and effective. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds will be arriving at vaccination locations across the state in the coming days. Learn more about the vaccine and find a vaccination location near you.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) Protection
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has begun a public process to determine the adequacy of existing mining rules for protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from nonferrous (aka copper-nickel or sulfide-ore) mining. The DNR will be accepting comments from members of the public between Nov. 9 - Dec. 8. As a champion for permanent protections of the BWCA, I encourage you to sign-up to receive notification and guidance from the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters when the public comment period is open.
Targeted Community Capital Project Grant Program Now Open for Proposals
The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced it is seeking proposals from qualified non-profit organizations and government entities for complex and costly capital projects that might not occur without public financial assistance. Targeted Community Capital Project Grant Program funded projects must result in providing, increasing, and/or expanding access to economic development, education or workforce development programs or services to underserved communities or economically disadvantaged persons or groups.
Up to a total of $18,000,000 is available for grants in State Fiscal Year 2022-2023 through the Targeted Community Capital Project Grant Program, which was passed by the Minnesota Legislature during the 2021 session. Individual organizations and government entities may apply for up to $1,500,000.
Eligible capital project costs include predesign, design, acquisition of land or buildings, construction, furnishing and equipping a new or renovated building with a result of increasing access to services for the targeted communities. Equipment is not eligible unless purchased and installed upon initial acquisition and construction of a building, expansion or major remodeling and needed for the operation of the project.
All proposals must be sent here: AdultCompetitiveGrants.Deed@state.mn.us and time stamped received by 5:00 pm Central Time on Monday, December 6, 2021. Award recipients will be notified in January 2022.
Energy, Water, and Weatherization Assistance Funds Available
The Minnesota Commerce Department raised the income eligibility limit to 60% of Minnesota’s median income levels ($67,765 per year for a family of four) and is significantly increasing benefit amounts to reduce energy burdens more than ever, including up to $1,600 for energy bills, plus up to $1,200 for past-due energy bills. During the previous program year (October 2020-September 2021), about 116,000 Minnesota households applied and qualified for Energy Assistance. See the 2022 income guidelines and apply.
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