Dear Neighbors,
I hope you are enjoying your summer with family and friends! As the temperature heats up, and stress on the energy grid increases, please be mindful of your energy usage. Keep your shades closed during hot parts of the day, turn up your thermostat a couple of degrees, and unplug electronic items and shut off lights when they aren’t being used. Our rural electric providers and co-ops have indicated that while they are a last resort, rolling blackouts may be necessary this summer. Every little bit goes a long way, and energy conservation doesn’t just protect the power supply, but also helps save some money.
New U.S. DR Pellet Plant
This week, U.S. Steel announced plans to upgrade its iron ore capabilities in Minnesota with a $150 million investment toward a system dedicated to producing Direct Reduced (DR)-grade pellets. The plant will be located at either Keetac or Minntac.
I’m pleased by U.S. Steel’s announcement of such a sizable investment in our region. With blast furnaces becoming obsolete, demand for DR-grade pellet production as part of the steelmaking process will continue to increase, and it only makes sense for the company to expand in an area with such a rich heritage as the Range. I hope the project will ultimately be based at the Keetac facility to help stabilize jobs for these workers and help secure its future viability.
Post-9/11 Service Bonuses
This session, I was the chief author of a bill to provide service bonuses for Minnesota’s post-9/11-era veterans and Gold Star Families. There are approximately 48,000 eligible veterans, over half of whom deployed to combat operations including those in Afghanistan or Iraq who can receive bonuses up to $2,000. I’m proud the House and Senate both passed this legislation on a broad, bipartisan basis and Governor Walz has since signed it into law.
Now comes the exciting part: applications open on July 7! The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs is facilitating the program and you can learn more here. Please forward this news to any veterans in your life who would benefit from this bonus.
Frontline Worker Pay
Earlier this year, lawmakers approved $500 million worth of extra payments to frontline workers who – during the most uncertain part of the pandemic – put their own health and safety at risk to keep our state moving forward. The State of Minnesota is now accepting applications for these bonus payments. Minnesotans who worked in health care, as first responders, in food service, retail, and more are eligible. To view eligibility criteria and apply, please visit frontlinepay.mn.gov. Applications must be submitted by Friday, July 22.
New Laws
Several new laws that passed during the 2022 session will take effect July 1, 2022. You can review these, some of which include the creation of a state advocate for foster youth, new funding to increase hospital capacity, investment in new mental health care professionals, expansion of mobile crisis services, and more, here.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me with your input, your ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. You can contact me by phone at 651-296-0172 or email at rep.julie.sandstede@house.mn. You can also follow me on Facebook. It’s an honor to represent you.
Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!
Together,
Julie Sandstede
State Representative