Dear neighbors,
I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and warm. Here are some updates on what I’ve been working on in our community and at the Capitol.
MPCA Public Information Meeting
I encourage you to attend a public meeting tomorrow, February 7 for an update on trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure in our community. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Department of Health launched an investigation last week after discovering that a manufacturing plant in White Bear Township was emitting too much TCE. They haven’t yet determined when the equipment designed to limit these emissions stopped working properly, but initial findings suggest it has been quite some time.
When: Thursday, February 7 from 6:30 to 9pm
Where: Central Middle School, 4857 Bloom Ave., White Bear Lake, MN 55110
For more information, see my previous email or the MPCA webpage.
Working with Youth
I’m working with some wonderful young people from our district this session. Ryan Hall-Hunt and Peter Merrill, graduates of White Bear Lake and Mahtomedi High School who now attend the U of M, will be interning in my office.
Two current Mahtomedi High School students are collaborating with me on H.F. 505. Jack Kalkman and Thomas Atkins inspired this bill, which would create a task force to redesign the state flag.
Peter is one of the talented young people who I’ll be working with this year.
SciTechsperience Internships
SciTechsperience is a free, state-funded internship program that connects small companies to STEM students across the state of Minnesota. SciTechsperience provides small, for-profit Minnesota businesses with a 50% wage match for STEM college interns. At least 350 matches are available between now and August 2019 on a first come, first hire basis. Learn more at SciTechMN.org or contact Becky Siekmeier at beckys@mhta.org.
Resources for Capitol News
While it can sometimes be difficult to keep up with everything that’s going on at the Legislature, there are a number of tools that make it easier. My legislative website lists bills that I’ve authored or co-authored, the committees that I serve on, and my contact information. Session Daily provides regular articles on what happens at the Capitol each day.
A full list of committees is available here. Each committee webpage contains a list of members and staff as well as agendas, minutes, and audio-visual archives for each hearing. You can also subscribe to receive regular updates from individual committees.
For more information on bills, visit here to view a list of all the bills that have been introduced, search for specific bills, and read summaries. The MyBills tracker allows you to tag bills and follow them through the legislative process.
I’m proud to be your voice on the issues that matter to our community here at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Peter Fischer
State Representative