Hello from the Capitol!
Last Friday, I was appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Technology and Responsive Government. The Committee will focus on how Minnesotans interact with state government online and examine ways to not only make the interactions more effective for Minnesotans, but to find cost-savings and improve efficiency.
On Tuesday, lawmakers, state officials, doctors, law enforcement officials, and families affected by opioid abuse joined together to raise awareness on the dangers of opioids.
This week I met with students from the Environmental Studies program at the Minnesota Zoo.
Unemployment:
The Dakota-Scott WorkForce Center and Workforce Development Board released an overlook of unemployment rates over the past year.
Unemployment Rates (not seasonally adjusted) for selected months include:
Dakota Scott MN U.S.
Dec. 2016 3.4% 3.4% 4.0% 4.5%
Nov. 2016 2.9% 2.7% 3.3% 4.4%
Dec. 2015 3.1% 3.0% 3.7% 4.8%
This link also has the data for larger cities.
Job Fair:
The Get Jobs Job Fair hosted by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will be held on Thursday, March 30th. For more information click here.
Also, feel free to check out Minnesota Works to explore more than 84,000 job postings: https://www.minnesotaworks.net/
Sundays Sales:
On Monday, the House of Representatives passed House File 30 on a vote of 85-45; this bill would allow the sale of alcohol on Sundays between the hours of 10 AM & 6 PM, effective July 1st. However, the bill does not allow for the delivery of alcohol to liquor stores on Sundays. Additionally, the sale of alcohol would still be prohibited before 8 AM and after 10 PM on Monday through Saturday, on Thanksgiving Day, on Christmas Day, and after 8 PM on Christmas Eve.
The bill is now going through the legislative process in the Senate and Governor Dayton has said that he would sign the bill if it were to reach his desk. If the bill is signed into law, Minnesota would join 47 other states that allow the sale of alcohol on Sundays.
REAL ID Compliance:
On Thursday, The House passed House File 3, which puts Minnesota in compliance with a federal law, known as the REAL ID Act.
To recap: the U.S. Congress passed REAL ID in 2005 with the intention to make it more difficult for potential terrorists to obtain a fraudulent identification card. The state of Minnesota needs to be in compliance by January 22, 2018; if the state is not compliant by then, Minnesotans will not be able to board airplanes, or visit military bases and federal buildings.
The differences between what a REAL ID compliant license would look like and the current driver's license are minor. The REAL ID verifies the license holder’s legal status in the United States and ensures they are not licensed in more than one state. The bill that passed Thursday allows for a dual track system for Minnesotans to become REAL ID compliant; you can either apply to get a REAL ID, or use your current state driver's license and a passport as your forms of identification.
I am hopeful for swift action by the Senate and for the Governor’s signature.
If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-5387 or rep.roz.peterson@house.mn.
Sincerely,
