Hello Friends and Neighbors,
Happy Monday!
As many of you know, last Wednesday was “National Eagle Center Day” at the Capitol. It was great to see so many folks from the Wabasha community in St. Paul for the rally. We even had three school busses of students who came to tour the Capitol and support their city. I’m excited to be a part of this effort to expand the National Eagle Center and enhance our area’s tourism industry.
In this update, I want to let you know about committee hearings on school safety legislation as well as a bonding project I am working on.
School Safety
The Education Innovation Policy Committee (on which I serve) and the Education Finance Committee held hearings last week to discuss safety in our schools. I am a co-author of legislation to allow a school district to expand the use of its long-term facility maintenance (LTFM) revenue to prioritize school safety. Under this bill, our schools would be able to include security modifications to facilities through new construction and remodeling. It would also allow funds to be used to make investments in emergency communications and other security equipment upgrades. This bill is a strong step in the right direction as we work towards better protecting our state’s schools and students.
I am finalizing another bill to address funding for School Resource Officers (SRO’s), counselors and mental health supports in our schools. I will continue to keep you updated as we work on a comprehensive plan to address school safety and mental health.
House File 566
Last week, House File 566, which I author, was approved by the Transportation Finance Committee. It will now be considered by the Capital Investment Committee. This bill requests $10 million in bonding to the Port Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in order to meet the infrastructure improvement needs at our ports in Duluth, St.Paul, Red Wing, Winona, and Wabasha.
Both Red Wing and Wabasha received Port funding from the last round of allocations from the PDAF that I championed. Maintaining our Ports along the Mississippi River is important to our farmers and ag industry and is a competitive advantage to our local economy.
Visitors
There were many, many events and visitors to the Capitol last week. Here are photos of a few of them:
Cayenne Korder of Red Wing High School was at the Capitol last week as a part of the High School Page Program.
Enjoyed welcoming Vicky Froelich from Goodhue County to the House floor.
Staying in Touch
If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding anything related to state government, please do not hesitate to contact me at rep.barb.haley@house.mn or 651-296-8635.
I appreciate your input, as it helps me better represent our communities.
Sincerely,
