Dear Neighbors,
The 2019 Minnesota Legislative Session got underway last week. It’s great to be back in Saint Paul where I’ll be working with my colleagues to make meaningful progress on so many issues to improve our Minnesota way of life. We have a great state, but maintaining this will require a renewed commitment to the values we all share, like excellent schools, affordable and accessible health care, good-paying job opportunities, economic security for families, and safe and vibrant communities.
Corrections Committee
This session I have the honor to chair House Corrections Division. I’ll be working to ensure our corrections system can deliver positive outcomes, with offenders leaving the facilities able to productively rejoin their communities and not returning to prison. We held our first hearing yesterday.
Unfortunately, there have been some challenges within our state’s correctional facilities. Two corrections officers recently lost their lives and we must dive deep to examine both the funding shortcomings and systematic changes that can be made to improve within our corrections system. We also need to look at some of the root causes for increases in our prison population in the first place.
At the end of the day, our goal should be that everyone, staff and offenders alike, can come home safely. I look forward to the work ahead to make that happen.
Following State Capitol Activity
Our new House majority is committed to being accountable, transparent, and accessible. We recognize the valuable role public input plays in developing sound policy that reflects the wants and needs of our state. Part of this is making sure folks can follow along at home, and there are several good ways to stay in touch with what’s happening in Saint Paul.
The House has a great Public Information Services Office which offers streaming video of floor sessions and committee hearings, “Session Daily,” a daily newsletter recapping legislative activity, a YouTube channel, and other informative resources. The House webpage has other resources, like a full schedule of committee hearings and floor sessions which can be found here, and a service called “MyBills” which you can use to track specific legislation as it moves through the process.
Be sure to keep in touch with me directly as well so I can hear all of your thoughts, ideas, and input. Please don’t hesitate to call my Capitol office at 651-296-3248 or send me an email at rep.jack.considine@house.mn. I look forward to hearing from you.
It’s an honor to represent you in the Minnesota House.
Sincerely,
Jack Considine
State Representative