Dear Neighbors,

I hope this email finds you well, and that summer has been enjoyable for you and your family. Here’s an update from the Capitol.

Special Session

The legislature is currently in special session, and there are plenty of items on which we keep working to reach bipartisan agreement. By working together, we can ensure our state can overcome our current challenges and emerge even stronger.

I’m confident we will continue to make progress toward a strong Jobs and Local Projects bill, often known as the bonding bill. This legislation invests in critical infrastructure improvements across our state including clean water, transportation, higher education, economic development, parks, trails, and other public buildings and infrastructure. In our region, the House’s version of the bill funds priorities including the new Hibbing Mine View, water level mitigation at the Canisteo and Hill Annex Mine Pits, the East Itasca Joint Sewer Board’s new wastewater treatment system for Nashwauk and surrounding communities, Floodwood’s wastewater pond stabilization project and others. This legislation would also aid in our economic recovery by creating good-paying construction jobs during a time when they are sorely needed. We have the capacity to make these investments, we only need the will to come together and advance them.

Folks working in the mining industry are facing a particularly uncertain future due to the slowing global demand for steel. While the entire state in enduring hardships, our region is unique because mining is the bread and butter of our regional economy. I’ve introduced legislation to provide additional Unemployment Insurance benefits to mine workers – and those in jobs which indirectly support mining – who were laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully things will turn around and this legislation won’t be needed, but facing stark economic realities, it’s important that we set the groundwork to deliver these additional benefits now. You can watch my presentation of the bill to the House Jobs Committee here.

Addressing the health impacts of COVID-19 is also a main focus. Right now in Minnesota, hospitalizations and deaths are trending downward, but cases are increasing. Just because our state hasn’t been hit as hard as others doesn’t mean we can’t be, so our leaders need the nimbleness to adapt and respond. That isn’t to say every step taken has been perfect, and I’ve encouraged Governor Walz to take a regionalized approach while addressing the pandemic. In Minnesota, we care about each other, so it’s time for all of us to depoliticize this issue and commit to doing our part to stop the spread, including practicing social distancing, wearing a mask around others, and staying home when you’re sick.

Criminal justice reform also remains a bipartisan priority following the tragic killing of George Floyd. We need to keep working toward a consensus that enhances accountability for law enforcement personnel who do bad things, while ensuring our police departments and sheriff’s offices are able to carry out their public safety mission throughout our communities.

Education Next Steps

Within the next couple of weeks, Governor Walz is expected to issue guidance for how students will return to school this fall. Currently, districts are preparing for three different options: a return to in-person instruction, a continuation of distance learning, and a hybrid approach combining these. While everyone including teachers, administrators, parents, and students did the best they could during an impossible situation, distance learning brought numerous difficulties. In regions like ours, with limited access to broadband and other technology, reaching students effectively can be difficult. Further, students who need direct support will continue to fall behind their peers under this model.

This summer, the Minnesota Department of Education conducted a survey showing 64.3 percent of parents feel comfortable sending their students back to the classroom this fall. As Vice Chair of the House Education Finance Division – as well as an educator – I’m following this issue closely and am advocating for a regionalized approach that gives districts the flexibility they need to effectively provide instruction while keeping communities safe. We need take input from all stakeholders including teachers, administrators, school boards, and parents and balance it with the guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health and the CDC. I also plan to join Minnesota Reading Corps & Math Corps for a virtual tour and discussion about plans for the fall later this month. We all have an obligation to keep our communities safe while delivering the excellent education every Minnesotan deserves.

Respond to the Census

Here’s a reminder that if you have not yet already done so, it’s important that everyone in our state respond to the 2020 Census. It only takes a few minutes and you can respond online, by mail, or over the phone.

Census data determines how billions of dollars in federal funding is allocated toward priorities like health care, education, public safety, and roads & bridges. It also impacts representation at the local, state, and national levels. As many folks know, Minnesota’s population trends put us on the cusp of losing a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which would result in diminished influence in Washington. We also need to ensure the Iron Range has a fair level of representation in Saint Paul.

You can respond to the Census online here, by phone, or by mail. Please spread the word! Share this link with your family, friends, and on your social media channels. It’s up to all of us to ensure this process results in a fair, comprehensive count of everybody in our state.

Last Update

Due to rules prohibiting communications like these from legislators during an election period, this will be my last e-mail update like this until November. Please know, however, that I still welcome hearing from you and I encourage you to contact me with your input, ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. My email address is rep.julie.sandstede@house.mn and phone number is 651-296-0172.

I hope you have a wonderful, safe summer.

Together,

Julie Sandstede
State Representative