Dear Neighbor,
Another election is in the books and the pre-election communication restrictions on emails such as this have been lifted. I look forward to resuming frequent email updates letting people know what is happening with emphasis on items that impact our district.
I also will be resuming my Community Connection radio sessions with Tom Martin on Friday mornings, 7:30 a.m. on KKIN 94.3 FM/930 AM.
The voter turnout for our district was impressive, with 24,524 voters out of 27,388 total registered voters casting a ballot this election. That is a whopping 89.5% voter turnout! Regardless of who you voted for, or if you were one of the few individuals that didn’t vote in this election, my job is to represent everyone in our district to the best of my ability.
Looking to the 92nd Minnesota Legislature, which convenes Jan. 5, there will be many new faces at the capital in both the Senate and House. However, both bodies will remain under the same party leadership, with the Senate operating with a GOP majority and the House with a now-narrowed DFL majority.
I, along with returning and newly elected legislators are working on organizational details for 2021-2022 legislature. We will elect our leadership team, work on next year’s committee assignments and figure out office arrangements and seating assignments in the House Chamber.
The November state budget forecast will be out shortly. That will provide a detailed look at how large the current budget deficit actually is and its impact on the state’s next two-year budget cycle. It’s not going to be pretty; we appear to be facing something in neighborhood of a $5-6 billion shortfall in revenue.
We received some good news for the Mille Lacs Lake winter walleye season. Anglers will be able to keep one walleye between 21-23 inches, or one fish over 28 inches. Season opens Dec. 1. Let’s hope for good ice, so we can get the winter fishing season off to a good safe start.
Along with many of you, I will be out deer hunting this weekend. Good luck, and please be safe as we enjoy another major Minnesota outdoor tradition.
Sincerely,
Dale