Greetings Northlanders,
I hope you all stayed safe during the snowstorm this week and are getting out to enjoy the fresh layer of snow before it melts. Here’s the latest from the Capitol:
Thanks to Public Employees
Thank you to all the public employees who worked to keep our roads plowed and our communities safe in the hazardous conditions this week, and especially to those doing the job without a contract in place.
Bills in Committee
I presented two of my bills in committee this week. The first, HF 3154, was a sales tax exemption for nonprofit cross-country ski clubs, and would apply to grooming machines, repair parts, and other accessories used to maintain our cross country ski trails.
The second bill, HF 2836, modifies the taconite assistance area to include the Nett Lake School District.
I’ll also be continuing to push for hearings on bonding projects that are important to our district. Examples include funding for Crane Lake, Voyageurs National Park, and Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and development funds for the Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park.
Meetings and Events
On Wednesday, I attended the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA) annual banquet. MOHA is the largest coalition of hunting, fishing, and trapping organizations in the state and it does great work to advocate for Minnesota’s revered outdoor traditions.
I had the opportunity to meet with two AFSCME visitors Tuesday. Thanks to Gwen Potter of Ely and Doug Rosnau of Hibbing for stopping by.
I also met with arts advocates, the East Range Academy, Cook County Commissioner Robert Deschampe and County Engineer Krysten Foster, along with Casey Ward, a care provider from International Falls and Tim Kennedy of Grand Marais.
Work to do with DNR
We heard details of the DNR’s ten-year proposal for timber harvesting, and I think there are necessary improvements to be made. For the timber industry to be comfortable, the number of cords should be in the neighborhood of 1 million. Unfortunately, the DNR only includes 870,000 over the next ten years, even though we have ample timber supply. I’ll be working to bring that number closer to what the industry needs.
As always, feel free to reach out with your ideas and input on legislative matters.
Sincerely,
Rob Ecklund
State Representative